🎵 The Song of Marilenghe

Friulians call their language marilenghe [mah-ree-len-gheh] – “the mother tongue.” For over a thousand years, this name has echoed through the Alpine foothills of northeastern Italy, as warm and tender as a mother’s first lullaby to her child.

Every 14 days, a language falls silent forever. Today, on day 26 of our 221-language journey, we preserve the heartbeat of Friulian – still alive in the voices of 600,000 speakers – into digital eternity.

Today’s Discovery

History – From Rome’s Children to Alpine Guardians

In 181 BCE, Rome established Forum Julii [for-um yoo-lee-ee] – “Julius’s Forum” – between the Alps and the Adriatic Sea. On land inhabited by the Celtic Carni tribe, the Vulgar Latin of Roman soldiers slowly took root, mixing with the ancient tongues of the region.

Understanding Rhaeto-Romance: Friulian belongs to the Rhaeto-Romance language family, along with Romansh (Switzerland) and Ladin (Italy’s Dolomites). These languages represent the linguistic bridge between Italian and French, preserving features of Latin lost in other Romance languages. The family name comes from Rhaetia, an ancient Roman province in the Alps.

But Friulian is no simple descendant of Latin. The 6th century brought Lombard invaders, the 8th century Charlemagne’s conquest, the 10th century Hungarian raids, and a millennium of coexistence with Slavic and Germanic neighbors. Each wave of history inscribed itself into the language, creating a unique Romance tongue woven with Celtic, Germanic, and Slavic threads.

Geographic context: The Friuli region occupies a crucial crossroads position in Europe. Bordered by Austria to the north, Slovenia to the east, and the Veneto region to the west, it served as a cultural and linguistic melting pot. The Julian Alps dominate the northern landscape, while the Adriatic coast defines the southern boundary. This geographic isolation in mountain valleys helped preserve the language’s unique features.

The 13th century saw the first Friulian documents emerge – legal contracts and commercial records written in marilenghe rather than Latin, a revolutionary act in itself. By the 14th century, poetry flourished. An anonymous poet from Cividale composed “Piruç myò doç inculurit” (My sweet, colored pear) – the first Friulian poem to survive, celebrating love with a tenderness that still resonates today.

Historical comparison: While Dante was establishing Tuscan as Italy’s literary language, and Chaucer was writing in Middle English, Friulian poets were crafting verses in their Alpine tongue. This parallel development of regional literary traditions across Europe shows how the late Middle Ages witnessed a flowering of vernacular literature challenging Latin’s monopoly.

But glory was fleeting. The 15th century brought annexation by the Venetian Republic, pushing Friulian to the margins. Nobles spoke Italian, administrators used Venetian, and marilenghe survived only in the mouths of farmers and craftsmen – the guardians of the mother tongue.

Present – Between Silence and Revival

Today, approximately 600,000 people speak Friulian in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region. Of these, 420,000 use it regularly, 180,000 occasionally, and over 90% can understand it. The numbers seem hopeful.

Yet reality tells a harsher story. In 1977, regular speakers comprised 78% of the population. By 1998: 57%. By 2015: 47.6%. The language loses 0.6% of its speakers annually. The deeper crisis lies in intergenerational transmission breakdown. Parents know marilenghe but speak Italian to their children, believing “you can’t succeed without Italian.”

The migration story: Until the 1960s, Friuli ranked among Italy’s poorest regions. Hundreds of thousands emigrated to France, Belgium, Canada, Australia, Argentina, Brazil, and South Africa. They carried marilenghe in their suitcases, establishing immigrant communities called Fogolâr furlan [fo-go-lar fur-lan] – “Friulian Hearth” – to preserve their language and traditions. Today, an estimated 800,000 Friulian speakers live outside Italy.

Linguistic comparison: Friulian’s situation mirrors that of Welsh, Scottish Gaelic, or Breton – regional languages experiencing urban migration and intergenerational discontinuity. Yet it differs from truly endangered languages like those with fewer than 1,000 speakers. With 600,000 speakers and institutional support, Friulian occupies what linguists call the “vulnerable” category – endangered but potentially reversible.

But hope’s ember hasn’t died. Italy’s Law 482 of 1999 and Regional Law 29 of 2007 granted Friulian official minority language status. In 2005, ARLeF (Agjenzie Regjonâl pe lenghe furlane – Regional Agency for the Friulian Language) was established to standardize the language, develop educational programs, and create digital tools.

And then came a remarkable discovery: speakers under 30 use Friulian more than those aged 30-40. The youth are reclaiming marilenghe. This counter-trend, observed in the 2020s research, suggests that identity revival and digital connectivity might be reversing language shift among younger generations.

Language Gems – Unique Alpine Beauty

Friulian stands unique among Romance languages, preserving Latin features others lost centuries ago.

• cjan / cjans [chan / chans] – dog / dogs
While Italian lost the Latin plural -s (cane/cani), Friulian preserved it, like French (chien/chiens). This retention links directly to Latin “canis/canes” and demonstrates linguistic conservatism.

• clâf [klahf] – key
Directly from Latin “clavem,” more archaic than Italian “chiave.” Friulian maintains consonant clusters (cl-, gl-, bl-, pl-) that other Romance languages simplified. Compare: Latin “clavis” → Friulian “clâf” → Italian “chiave” → French “clé.”

• cjaval / cjavai [cha-val / cha-vai] – horse / horses
Notice the palatal plural formation identical to French: cheval/chevaux. This parallel evolution occurred independently, showing similar Romance language development patterns in mountain-isolated regions.

Multilingual influences:
• cjast [chast] – barn (Slavic origin)
• bearç [be-arts] – backyard (Germanic origin)
• colaç [ko-latch] – cake (Slovenian origin)
• zigâ [zee-gah] – to shout (Slavic origin)

Friulian contains untranslatable words carrying cultural weight. Siôr [see-or] means more than “sir” – it encompasses respected elder, village wisdom, and tradition keeper. Nestri [neh-stree] translates as “nest” but contains the warmth of home, childhood memories, and nostalgic longing for roots – that specific homesickness only a mother tongue can express.

WIA’s Promise – Digital Creates Eternity

We don’t simply translate. We digitally preserve marilenghe’s heartbeat for perpetuity.

Poetry and songs from the 14th century onward. Ermes di Colorêt’s 200 poems from the 17th century. Pieri Çorut’s annual almanacs Strolic furlans published from 1821-1867. The Academiuta di lenga furlana founded by Pier Paolo Pasolini in the 20th century. Audio recordings, oral histories, traditional prayers and songs collected by ARLeF. We transform all of this into accessible digital archives.

Our digital preservation methodology:

• Convert analog recordings to permanent digital formats using archival-grade standards
• Build accessible online platforms where researchers and descendants worldwide can access materials
• Systematically document grammar structures, vocabulary, and unique expressions
• Enable global scholarly collaboration through shared digital infrastructure
• Create permanent backup systems across multiple secure locations

Imagine: a linguist in Seoul, a descendant in Udine, a student in London – all accessing the same Friulian archive simultaneously. This isn’t science fiction. Digital preservation makes it reality today.

The Korea connection: Consider Korean. Under Japanese colonial rule (1910-1945), the language faced suppression and potential extinction. Dedicated scholars secretly documented it, creating dictionaries and grammar records. When liberation came, these preserved materials enabled rapid language recovery. Today, Korean thrives globally through K-pop and K-drama, built on that foundation of careful preservation. We’re doing the same for Friulian and 221 languages – creating permanent, accessible records for future generations.

Universal principle: Whether Korean, Welsh, Māori, or Friulian, language revival follows similar patterns: recognition of crisis, institutional support, youth engagement, and crucially – digital preservation enabling worldwide access. The technology we use today would have seemed miraculous to Korean scholars hiding language materials from colonial authorities. We honor their legacy by applying these tools to preserve linguistic diversity globally.

Cultural Heartbeat – Songs and Poetry’s Soul

Friulian cannot exist without song. Work songs from vineyards, wedding celebrations, welcomes for soldiers returning from war – these songs passed through generations, keeping the language alive through oral tradition.

Literary renaissance: In the 20th century, Pier Paolo Pasolini (1922-1975) wrote poetry in Friulian, proving to the world that marilenghe was an independent literary language, not merely dialect. Born in Bologna but raised in his mother’s Friulian homeland of Casarsa, Pasolini founded the Academiuta di lenga furlana in 1945, gathering writers to create modern Friulian poetry beyond old pastoral imitations.

Novella Cantarutti (1920-2009) collected oral narratives, traditional prayers, and songs into “Oh, ce gran biela vintura!” (Oh, what great beautiful fortune!). She remained faithful to her maternal Friulian dialect from Navarons, finding balance between Pasolini’s view of Friulian as poetic idiolect and the standardization movement.

Today, Friulian music experiences new renaissance. Young musicians blend traditional melodies with contemporary rhythms. Youth under 30 sing in marilenghe again, proving the language isn’t dying – it’s transforming, adapting to digital age while maintaining its soul.

Future – Marilenghe in the Digital Age

The 2021-2025 General Language Policy Plan invests €8.64 million in education alone. ARLeF develops digital tools, language certification, and standardization work. Students learning Friulian at school are transitioning from passive to active speakers.

What actually works: Research shows education alone cannot save languages. What reverses language shift is: (1) parents transmitting the language at home, (2) youth using it in social settings, (3) economic advantage to bilingualism, (4) cultural pride movements, and (5) digital presence making the language “cool” and connected. Friulian shows promising signs in categories 2, 4, and 5.

But government policy alone proves insufficient. Languages live in homes, village squares, among friends – not in legal statutes. Parents must sing lullabies in marilenghe. Youth must whisper love in Friulian. Grandparents must tell stories that only the mother tongue can properly express.

Digital advantage: Today’s youth have what previous generations lacked – the ability to make Friulian globally visible through social media, YouTube, podcasts, and digital communities. A teenager in Udine can now share Friulian music with diaspora communities in Argentina, connecting speakers worldwide instantly. This connectivity transforms minority languages from isolated rural phenomena into globally networked cultural movements.

WIA preserves every moment digitally. After 221 days, when all languages exist as accessible digital archives, humanity will finally possess complete linguistic heritage. The marilenghe song echoing from Alpine valleys rides digital waves across the world. This quiet journey, once begun, touches millions and creates eternal change.

🌟 Marilenghe’s Blessing

The farewell blessing Friulians share.
The mother tongue’s final greeting.

221 languages. 221 days.
Today marilenghe‘s voice echoes in your heart.

With WIA, every voice becomes eternal.