Old Italian refers to the early stages of the Italian language, which was spoken in the Italian peninsula from the 9th to the 14th century. It is considered the predecessor of Modern Italian and formed the basis for the development of the Italian language we know today.
During the Old Italian period, several regional variants of the language existed, displaying differences in vocabulary, pronunciation, and grammar. Despite these variations, the written form of Old Italian, known as the "Volgare," became the standard literary language during the medieval period.
Old Italian emerged from the Vulgar Latin spoken by the inhabitants of the Italian peninsula after the fall of the Western Roman Empire. Over time, this vulgar form of Latin evolved, incorporating elements from the native Italic languages and the Germanic, Celtic, and Greek languages spoken in the region.
Since Old Italian predates the standardization of the Italian language, it lacked a uniform system of spelling and grammar. However, it maintained the characteristic phonetic qualities of Latin, such as vowel length and the stress on the penultimate syllable.
Old Italian texts encompass a wide array of literary genres, including poetry, prose, legal documents, and religious texts. Notable works from this period include Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy, which is often regarded as the pinnacle of Old Italian literature.
In summary, Old Italian refers to the early stage of the Italian language, spoken from the 9th to the 14th century. It formed the basis for the development of Modern Italian and encompasses various regional variants of the language.
