The Italian Language

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The Non-Latin Languages of Italy

Not all languages spoken in Italy are of Latin origin. The South Tyrol (official name, Autonomous province of Bolzano/Bozen) was, until the end of the I World War, part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, when it was ceded to Italy by the allies in exchange for Italian assistance in the war. It is now part of the Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol Region. The greater part of the population is of German mother tongue. The Special status of the Province of Bolzano/Bolzen was recognised by the Autonomous Statute for Bolzano and Trentino which came into force in 1972, rendering Bolzano/Bozen almost a separate region, much in the way the Valle d’Aosta is. In some regions of the Province Ladin also enjoys a degree of official recognition. Some of these languages are Germanic:
		Some of the non-Latin languages of Italy

Other languages are of Slavic origin:

There are Slovene speakers in the provinces bordering Slovenia. It can be found in some valleys in the provinces of of Udine, Gorizia and Trieste, in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia Region.

In the late Middle Ages Croats settled in the Marches, on the Salento peninsula and in Molise.
Some languages are spoken by the Gypsies which have been roaming Italy for centuries:

While there are two other minorities:

The pockets of Albanian speakers date back to the XV century, when some Albanians fled the Invasion of the Turks, taking refuge in Italy. As a consequence of their isolation, their language, has taken a path of its own, being considered a separate branch of one of the two dialects of Albanian Toskë/Arbëresh.

The Greek presence dates from Ancient times, when southern Italy was colonised by them. Greek-speaking groups are found in the provinces of Lecce in Apulia and in Reggio Calabria in Calabria, dating back to those times.