[Oct 22] ITALIAN BEYOND ITALY:THE ADVENTURES OF AN INGENIOUS LANGUAGE

The Italian language has played an important international role for centuries in Europe and in the Mediterranean region, serving literature and, more generally, culture, as well as commerce and diplomacy. The peak of its dissemination coincides with the great Renaissance period when Italian sonnets were composed at the courts of France, Spain, and England, often in Italian, and official communications between European powers and the Ottoman Empire were also conducted in Italian. At the same time, very elementary varieties of the language were used as a means of communication in North African ports. Italy's international influence persisted in the following centuries, thanks to commedia dell'arte and opera, and continues today in fields such as gastronomy, design, and fashion.

This lecture will trace this fascinating journey, highlighting, through the analysis of a selected number of episodes, the dynamics of the dissemination of the Italian "genius" abroad from a linguistic perspective, without neglecting the contacts and hybridizations between Italian culture and language with other languages and cultures. It is a fortunate encounter that has allowed - and still allows - Italian to spread as a vehicle of peace, enabling ideas, projects, and creations even far from Italy.

Registration required:

https://hkuems1.hku.hk/hkuems/ec_hdetail.aspx?guest=Y&ueid=109446

For directions to the lecture venue:

https://hkuhk-my.sharepoint.com/:b:/r/personal/vahith_hku_hk/Documents/Directions%20to%20Lecture%20Room%20LE2.pdf?d=w1ea38b5f909f479cb9dc6de2ab2db647&csf=1&web=1&e=9OjRej

For enquiries, please contact llaria Riboldi at ilarib@hku.hk