Italian

(1) The native tongue of Italy, spoken in many dialects. It is formed directly from the Latin or Old Italic , by union with the Teutonic forms of Gothic and Longobardic settlers. Called the “vulgar tongue” by Dante, Petrarch, and Boccacio, it has since been much polished in Tuscany, and now forms one of the most refined languages of modern society, lending itself specially to the requirements of vocal melody. See Manuzzi: “Vocab. dell a Crusca,” 4 vols., Florence, 1868. (2) Dialects are divided into cla es: 1, the Lombardic , or dialects of Upper Italy; 2, the Romanic , or dialects of Middle Italy; 3, the Neapolitan , or dialects of S. Italy; 4, Cant or slang, called Furbesco and Zerga or Gergo . Italic or Old Italian . A collective name for that branch of the Aryan family of languages which includes cla ical Latin, Oscan, Umbrian, Me apian or Iapygian, and perhaps Tosk, Tuscan, or Etruscan, all with alphabets allied to the early Roman. Fabbretti: “Glo arium,” Turin, 1838, . See Romance .