ABSTRACT
Works written in dialect are usually labelled as ‘minor’ in standard literary histories, although they have existed since the sixteenth century alongside writing in the Italian language itself. Throughout the centuries this creative inheritance has increased, with works in dialect becoming even more abundant in more recent times. Yet debate about the antagonism between Italian and the dialects continues to this day, with even the best commentators and linguists sidestepping the need to provide some explanation for the flourishing of literature in dialect.
