In this videoclip, which is the first part in a series related to the Friulian language, the speaker provides an overview of the situation regarding minority languages of Europe, including Friulian. The presentation is transcribed below, so that you can understand prcisely what the speaker is saying in Friulian itself.
La presince di une lenghe e je une tra i segns plui distintîfs di une culture e di un popul. L’Europe e à une grande ricjece linguistiche. Di fat, il numar des lenghis feveladis a son passe cent (100): une vore di plui rispiet al numar des lenghis uficiâls de Union Europeane, che a son dome vincjecuatri (24).
Dai cinccent (500) milions di personis che a vivin inte Union Europeane, a son cirche sessante (60) milions che a doprin ogni dì une lenghe che e fâs part di une comunitât di lenghe minoritarie: il cutuardis (14) par cent de popolazion europeane, ven a stâi un (1) citadin european su siet (7).
Ma ce ise une lenghe minoritarie? Al è stabilît te Cjarte Europeane des Lenghis Regjonâls o Minoritariis, un dai tratats internazionâi che a tutelin lis minorancis linguistichis in Europe. Secont chest document, e je definide «regjonâl o minoritarie» une lenghe fevelade tal teritori di un Stât di bande di citadins che a costituissin un grup di numar inferiôr rispiet al rest de popolazion. Clâr che une lenghe minoritarie e à di jessi diferente de lenghe uficiâl dal Stât. Dut cas, cheste espression no cjape dentri ni dialets ni lis lenghis dai imigrâts.
La situazion des lenghis minoritariis, però, no je dapardut compagne al nivel normatîf. Di fat, a son lenghis minoritariis che a àn otignût nivei alts di tutele e che a son prontis par frontâ lis sfidis de societât contemporanie. A son invezit altris lenghis minoritariis che ancjemò a vuê no cjatin un ricognossiment uficiâl, o che ancje se lu àn otignût a patissin une fuarte pression de bande de lenghe dominante dal Stât.
Par preservâ chest patrimoni, il Consei de Europe e la Union Europeane a promovin la diversitât linguistiche, sedi al nivel normatîf sedi cun azions di pueste. Secont la Union Europeane, di fat, al sarès ben che ogni citadin al impari al mancul trê (3) lenghis: la proprie lenghe minoritarie, come par esempli il furlan, la lenghe dal Stât e une lenghe foreste.
L’Italie e je un Paîs cetant siôr di minorancis linguistichis. Ind à ben dodis (12): albanês, catalan, cravuat, francês, franco-provençal, furlan, grecanic, ladin, ocitan, sart, sloven, todesc. In Friûl si fevelin trê (3) di chestis dodis (12) lenghis, ven a stâi il furlan, il sloven e il todesc.
L’articul sîs (6) de Costituzion taliane al tutele chestis lenghis, ancje se dome tal mil nûfcent e novantenûf (1999), cu la leç statâl cuatri-vot-doi (482), chest principi costituzionâl al à tacât a jessi metût in vore ad implen par dutis chestis lenghis.
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The presence of a language is one of the most distinctive signs of a culture and a people. Europe has a great linguistic richness. In fact, the number of languages spoken exceeds one hundred (100): far more than the number of official languages of the European Union, which are only twenty-four (24).
Of the five hundred (500) million people living in the European Union, about 60 million use a language every day that belongs to a minority language community: fourteen (14) percent of the European population, which is to say, one (1) in seven (7) European citizens.
But what is a minority language? It is defined in the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages, one of the international treaties protecting linguistic minorities in Europe. According to this document, a ‘regional or minority’ language is one spoken in the territory of a State by citizens who form a group numerically smaller than the rest of the population. Clearly, a minority language must be different from the official language of the State. However, this expression does not include dialects or the languages of immigrants.
The situation of minority languages, however, is not the same everywhere in terms of regulation. In fact, some minority languages have achieved high levels of protection and are ready to face the challenges of contemporary society. On the other hand, there are other minority languages that still do not have official recognition or, even if they have obtained it, suffer strong pressure from the dominant language of the State.
To preserve this heritage, the Council of Europe and the European Union promote linguistic diversity, both at the regulatory level and through practical actions. According to the European Union, it would be good for every citizen to learn at least three (3) languages: his own minority language, such as Friulian, the language of the State and a foreign language.
Italy is a country particularly rich in linguistic minorities. It has twelve (12) of them: Albanian, Catalan, Croatian, French, Franco-Provençal, Friulian, Griko, Ladin, Occitan, Sardinian, Slovene and German. In Friûl, three (3) of these twelve (12) languages are spoken, namely, Friulian, Slovene and German.
Article six (6) of the Italian Constitution protects these languages, although only in nineteen ninety-nine (1999), with state law four-eight-two (482), did this constitutional principle begin to be implemented fully for all these languages.
» PART 2