Bergamasque dialect


The Bergamasque dialect is the western variant of the Eastern Lombard group of the Lombard language. It is mainly spoken in the province of Bergamo and in the area around Crema, in central Lombardy.
Bergamasque does not have any official status either in Lombardy or anywhere else: the only official language in Lombardy is Italian.

Classification

Bergamasque is a Romance language and belongs to the Gallo-Italic branch. Its position on the language family is genetically closer to Occitan, Catalan, French, etc. than to Italian.

Geographic distribution

Bergamasque is primarily spoken in the province of Bergamo and in the area around Crema, in central Lombardy.
Bergamasque is generally mutually intelligible for speakers of Eastern Lombard's variants of neighbouring areas but this is not always true for distant peripheric areas, especially in alpine valleys. Differences include either lexical, grammatical and phonetic aspects. Bergamasque is often referred to as a dialect of the Italian language; this is not entirely correct, as Bergamasque and Italian are not mutually intelligible.

Speakers

Bergamasque speakers are now virtually non-existent. All Lombard speakers also speak Italian, and their command of each of the two languages varies according to their geographical position as well as their socio-economic situation, the most reliable predictor being the speakers' age.

Samples of literary works in Bergamasque

Another example

The Lord's Prayer
English-
Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
Italian-
Padre nostro, che sei nei cieli, sia santificato il tuo nome, venga il tuo regno, sia fatta la tua volontà, come in cielo così in terra. Dacci oggi il nostro pane quotidiano, e rimetti a noi i nostri debiti come noi li rimettiamo ai nostri debitori, e non ci indurre in tentazione, ma liberaci dal male. Amen.
Bergamasque -
Pader nòst che te sé in cél a'l sìes santificàt ol tò nòm, a'l végne 'l tò régn, la sìes facia la tò olontà
cóme in cél, isé 'n tèra. Daga 'ncö ol nòst pà de töcc i dé e pàghega i nòscc débecc cóme nóter m' ghi paga ai nòscc debitùr faga mìa börlà in tentassiù, ma sàlvega del mal. Amen.