Sa limba sarda - la lingua più vicina al latino (Sardinian - the closest language to Latin)

 

Recentemente ho trovato questo blogpost scritto in inglese Sardinia (Limba Sarda) The Closest Language to Latin che per me era interessantissimo perché parla della relazione tra la lingua sarda e il latino. Purtroppo, quando l'ho condiviso su Facebook c'è stata poca reazione. E quindi, poiché ci sono molti sardi che non parlano inglese, ho deciso di tradurlo in italiano:-

Sembra che l'annosa questione, riguardo alla lingua più vicina al latino, è stata finalmente decisa. Molti studi linguistici indicano che la lingua sarda è il vincitore. Quindi, diamo un'occhiata alla lingua che molti linguisti chiamano la lingua più vicina al latino.

Ma prima di tutto abbiamo bisogno di un po' di contesto.

La Sardegna è un isola grande del Mediterraneo che durante i secoli è stata sotto l'influenza  di diversi poteri regionali che comprendono Cartagine,  Roma, Aragonesi e l'impero bizantino. Tutte queste regioni avevano vari gradi di influenza linguistica sulla lingua sarda, una lingua per più di 1,3 milioni di persone.

I linguisti sono affascinati da molto tempo da questa lingua isolata che sembra essere una reliquia di un'era passata.

Lo studio del linguista Mario Pei analizzò la differenza tra le lingue romanze e il latino. Esso determinò che la lingua sarda era la più vicina in termini di fonologia, inflessione, sintassi, vocabolario e intonazione, con una differenza di solo 8%. Il rivale più vicino era la lingua italiana 'standard' con una differenza di 12% (basato sul dialetto toscano). Il latino era in Sardegna dall'arrivo dei romani nell'anno 238 AC. C'è stata una discussione che il sardo era la prima lingua separata dal latino e che appartiene ad una categoria unica in contrasto con le altre lingue romanze.

Però, il sardo è profondamente una lingua romanza. In questa tabella sotto, presa da Orbilat (un sito fenomenale delle lingue romanze), possiamo vedere la vicinanza della lingua sarda alle altre lingue romanze.

Tabella delle somiglianze lessicali tra le lingue romanze moderne

         Fr     Sp     Cat    Port     Rom     Ita    Sard    Rum

Fr     —      75     N/A.    75        78       89      80       75
Sp     75      —     85        89        74       82      76       71
Cat    N/A.  85     —        N/A.     N/A.  87      N/A.   N/A.
Port   75      89     N/A.     —        N/A.  N/A.   78      N/A.
Rom  78      74     N/A.    N/A.      —      82      74      N/A.
Ita      89      82      87       N/A.      82      —      85       77
Sard   80      76     N/A.     78         74      85      —       74
Rum   75      71     N/A.    N/A.     N/A.   77      74       —

Fr = Francese  Sp = Spagnolo  Cat = Catalano  Port = Portoghese   Rom = Romancio  Ita = Italiano  Sard = Sardo  Rum = Rumeno

Se queste statistiche non sono sufficienti, perché non dare un'occhiata alla lingua per vedere ciò che non capite?                      
La preghiera del Signore in due varianti del Sardo, che dicono che siano i più conservativi al latino:-

Babbu nostru, ch’istas in sos chelos, santifcadu siada su lumene tuo, venzada a nois su regnu tuo, sia fatta sa voluntade tua comente i’su chelu i’sa terra. Dae nos oje su pane nostru cotidianu, perdona a nois sos peccados nostros comente nois los perdonamus, libera da ogni tentsassione, libera nos a male. (Sardo – nuorese)

Babbu nostru k’istas in sos kelos, santificadu siat su nòmene tou, benzat a nois su regnu tou e fatta siat sa voluntade tua comente in su kelu gai in sa terra. Su pane nostru de dogni die dàdenolu oe, perdona a nois sos peccados nostros perdona a nois sos peccados nostros comente nois perdonamus sos inimigos nostros, e non nos lesses ruer in tentatzione, ma lìberanos dae su male. Amen. (Sardo – logudorese)

Gli studi hanno dimostrato che la lingua sarda non è comprensibile a quelli che parlano altri dialetti italiani, e quindi diamo un'occhiata più vicina a questa lingua straordinaria.

Una caratteristica di sardo che è diversa dalle altre lingue romanze è l'articolo determinativo - su/sa - viene dal latino 'ipse'. Questa caratteristica è condivisa solo con il 'catalano balearico' mentre tutte le altre lingue romanze prendono i loro articoli determinativi dal latino 'ille'.

Ci sono stati alcuni cambi di suono che hanno avuto un effetto sulle parole sarde come si sono sviluppate dal latino. Uno dei cambi di suono principali è dal latino 'q' e 'g' alla 'b' della lingua sarda   

acqua     = abba 

lingua     = limba   

quaranta = baranta

equa       = apa (cavalla)      

 

Come l'italiano la lingua sarda ha tre coniugazioni di verbi (-are/-ere/-ire)  

Il verbo essere in sardo:-

 

(deo)                   soe                    

(tue)                    ses                  

(isse/issa)            est                    

(nois)                   semus              

(vois)                   sedzis                

(issos/issas)         suntu      

 

Allora, per rispondere alla domanda 'Quanto vicino è il sardo al latino?"

 

Alcuni verbi del latino classico esistono solo in sardo e non nelle altre lingue romanze, tranne nel rumeno. Per esempio 'ischire' in sardo, che deriva dal latino 'scire'. (Sapere in italiano, saber in spagnolo).

'Domo' dal latino 'domus' è stato conservato solo nella lingua sarda, mentre le altre lingue romanze hanno le parole come 'casa' o 'maison'. Il sardo ha anche alcuni verbi che non sono usati nelle altre lingue romanze, come 'narrare' che è usato al posto della parola romanza derivata dal latino 'dicere' - dego/deo narro (sardo) e 'yo digo' (spagnolo).

Altri pezzi interessanti del vocabolario che sono unici in sardo, e che sono simili al latino, sono:

cras             =   domani

pustic cras   =  dopodomani               (latino = post cras)

hoc annu      =  quest'anno                  (latino = hoc annus)

domo           =   casa                            (latino = domus)

ibi sun          =   ci sono                       (latino = ibi sunt)

bi sun duo canes =  ci sono due cani 

bertula          =    borsa

albu              =    bianco                        (latino = albus)

ianna            =     porta                          (latino = ianua) 

 

I giorni della settimana sono simili, per la maggior parte, nella lingua sarda, tranne venerdì che è 'chenapura' e viene dal latino 'caena pura'. L'origine è dalla parola antica cristiana ed ebraica per la cena prima del sabato. Inoltre, la parola per settembre, capudanni, viene dal latino 'caput anni' - l'inizio dell'anno perché era il primo mese del calendario agricolo nel calendario giuliano.

 

Gli studi hanno dimostrato che il sardo, e soprattutto il dialetto logudorese (il dialetto più conservativo è più libero dalla influenza spagnola) è la lingua neolatina o romanza più vicina al latino nei temini di fonologia. Il sardo mantiene il suono di una 'c' dura, chiamata una plosiva velare, prima di tutte le vocali. E' una caratteristica che esiste anche nel latino classico, in contrasto con le lingue romanze in cui la 'c' dura è persa prima di 'e' e di 'i'; per esempio, 'Kena' invece di cena; e 'kentu' invece di cento. La lingua sarda e la lingua estinta dalmata (che parlarono in Croazia) erano le sole lingue che hanno conservato questo suono dal latino classico. 

Ci sono gli esempi in cui la lingua sarda non è unica nella sua natura conservativa ed è accompaganata dalla lingua spagnola. Come lo spagnolo, il sardo mantiene le cinque vocali distinte dal latino. Inoltre, come la lingua spagnola, conserva la fine del congiuntivo imperfetto del latino. Per esempio, la parola per formaggio è casu (queso in spagnolo) dal latino 'caseus'. Invece 'formaggio' e 'fromage' (francese) sono dal latino più recente - 'formaticus'.

Naturalmente, quando consideriamo quale lingua è la più vicina al latino dobbiamo pensare a ciò che vogliamo dire quando parliamo del latino. Per esempio, c'è anche il latino volgare che dobbiamo prendere in considerazione. Il latino ecclesiastico è basato sul latino volgare più recente, con la pronuncia della lingua italiana. Quello che è interessante è che, infatti, ci sono molte parole che derivano dal latino ed esistono solo in sardo e in rumeno. E' una cosa che ci aiuta a giungere alle conclusioni interessanti. Potrebbe essere detto che entrambi le lingue fossero le versioni più isolate del latino e, in certi modi, fossero più conservative.

 

La lingua sarda è classificata come una lingua 'certamente a rischio di estinzione' secondo l'UNESCO. E' un peccato perché questa lingua rivela così tanto a noi del nostro passato e c'è ancora molto che possiamo imparare da essa. Speriamo che esisterà ancora per molte generazioni future.

 

A si biri! 

 

                                         

                                                                                               

 

E' famoso in Italia?

Ultimamente ho scoperto che l'80% della musica sulla radio nella maggior parte d'Europa è la musica britannica e americana. E' probabilmente uguale in Sardegna, e anche nel resto dell'Italia. Poco tempo dopo che sono arrivato qua mi sono reso conto quanto sono popolari  molti artisti britannici e americani. The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Sting, Elton John, The Police, Pink Floyd, Dire Straits, Depeche Mode, Queen, Bruce Springsteen, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Oasis, Adele e molti altri sono famosissimi qui. Però, ogni tanto sono un po' confuso perché ci sono altri artisti famosissimi nel Regno Unito e nell'USA che sono conosciuti in Italia ma non hanno lo stesso livello di popolarità. Per esempio, quando ho menzionato The Four Tops, Joni Mitchell, Paul Weller e anche Fleetwood Mac, talvolta la risposta è "chi è? chi sono?" Adoro la musica di tutti questi artisti ma soprattutto quella di Paul Weller e qui in Sardegna, quando dico il suo nome, la gente dice "non ho mai sentito parlare di lui" o, al contrario, "si, lui è un grande!" e poi sembra sorpresa quando dico che ci sono molte persone che non conoscono il suo nome. C'è altra gente che dice, "si, Weller è conosciuto in Italia ma non è famosissimo." Tutto questo mi ha fatto diventare curioso e quindi ho deciso di fare un po' di ricerca.

Come leader del gruppo i Jam nel Regno Unito ha avuto tantissimo successo con i single e gli album, compreso quattro single che hanno raggiunto #1 nella classifica britannica, e un album che ha raggiunto #1 nella classifica degli album. Poi, come leader degli Style Council ha avuto più successo, compreso un altro album che ha raggiunto #1. Come solista ha avuto anche molto più successo. Tutti i suoi album hanno raggiunto i 'top ten' nella classifica, sei di cui hanno raggiunto #1. E in Italia? Allora, niente dischi del Jam sono stati usciti in Italia, sono conosciuti solo come dischi importati. Gli Style Council hanno avuto un po' di successo in Italia - 3 album che hanno raggiunto il 'top twenty' della classifica italiana. Poi, dopo lo scioglimento degli Style Council, e Weller è diventato un solista, il suo single di maggior successo è stato You Do Something To Me che ha raggiunto #27 nella classifica italiana. Il suo album di maggior successo in Italia era A Kind Revolution che ha raggiunto #24 nella classifica.

E quindi Weller ha avuto un po' di successo in Italia ma ovviamente non sullo stesso livello di quello nel Regno Unito. Infatti, una cosa che ho scoperto è che c'è un bel po' delle sue canzoni che sono ben conosciute in Italia ma molti italiani, probabilmente sono più familari con le sue canzoni che con il suo nome. Questa è una selezione:-

1. A Town Called Malice (The Jam). Una parte della colonna sonora del film Billy Elliott che era molto popolare in Italia.

 

2. You're The Best Thing (The Style Council). Un giorno c'era questo video in TV, su un canale di musica, e mia moglie mi ha chiesto "E' Paul Weller?" "Si," ho risposto. "Questo brano è famoso in Italia!" ha detto lei.

3. Wild Wood (Paul Weller). Questo brano era una parte della colonna sonora della serie televisiva italiana '1993' in cui Stefano Accorsi e Miriam Leone erano tra le protagoniste.

 

4. The Changing Man (Paul Weller). Un amico nuorese, e anche musicista, dopo aver chiesto "Chi è Paul Weller?" ha detto, "ma lui ha fatto 'Changing Man' si?" "Si," ho risposto.

 

5.You Do Something To Me (Paul Weller). Questo brano è entrato nella classifica italiana dei singoli e la concorrente Chiara Galiazzo l'ha cantato in TV su X-factor Italia 2012. Quando un amico sardo ha sentito la versione di Weller, ha detto, "Conosco questo brano ma non mi ricordo chi è?"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Family Members at the Sanremo Festival

We never expect members of our own family to be granted opportunities the odds of which are more than a million to one against! But this is exactly what happened to my wife's niece, Sarah Selenu, when she received a telephone call from RAI, Italy's national broadcasting company. She was one of 10, out of 22 million subscribers, who were chosen at random and given the opportunity of an all expenses paid trip to attend the finale of the annual Sanremo music festival. She at first thought it was a wind-up because she hadn't entered any competitions, but on realising that it was for real she was delighted at the opportunity and attended the festival with her father Raimondo, my brother-in-law. And soon, the local press in Sardinia were keen on writing about their adventure!

For those who don't know, the San Remo Festival is probably the main music festival in Italy and is always given extensive television coverage. It has been in existence since 1951 and I rather suspect that most of the artists who participate do so more from a need to publicise a new release rather than from an ardent desire to win first prize. It often features performances from international artists and it was at the San Remo Festival in 1965, when Dusty Springfield was a guest performer, that she heard Pino Donaggio perform the song "Io che non vivo (senza te)" and was so impressed that she wanted to record the song with English lyrics. Her version "You Don't Have To Say You Love Me" became a Number One hit in the UK the following year, 1966.

Anyway, Sarah and Raimondo arrived at Sanremo on Friday 4th February and enjoyed the finale of the festival on Saturday the 5th, before returning to Sardinia on Sunday 6th. Judging by what they've told us since they returned they enjoyed every minute of it. In particular, they seem to have established an excellent rapport with Veronica Maya, a very well known television presenter in Italy, who was one of a team of several presenters. In fact, so much so that Sarah was asked to appear, via video from her home in Ogliastra, on a new TV show that Veronica Maya is presenting on Rai 2, La Risposta Giusta. So this Saturday gone (March 26th), mid morning, we were treated to more of Sarah on national TV!

With all this new found fame I'm wondering if someone interesting might actually take a fresh look at Raimondo's poetry. He had two collections of poetry published when he was younger and I recently completed a project of translating 30 of his poems into English. We put a manuscript together of both the Italian originals and the English translations. Amongst them there are actually two lovely pieces about Sarah, including this gem "To My Daughter (A mia figlia)":-

To My Daughter

The uphill street that we call life
you climb it well
although sometimes you seem exhausted
and the contradictions that surround you
make growing into a woman such hard work.

As you dip into the pool of every kind of knowledge,
finding both error and reason,
only one thing is true,
that beautiful smile blessed by youth.

It tests my patience to watch you taking off
into the heavens with flights of fantasy
but I hold you close to my heart oh daughter of mine
and throughout your journey I will spur you on
through my concerns for you.

English translation  © Geoff Davis (Italian original at the end of Italian text) 

I parenti a Sanremo

Non pensiamo mai che uno dei nostri parenti piu stretti avrà una opportunità le cui probabilità sono più di uno su un milione. Tuttavia, quello è precisamente ciò che è successo a Sarah Selenu, la nipote di mia moglie, quando ha ricevuto una chiamata dalla Rai. Lei era una dei dieci abbonati, tra circa 22 milioni, che sono estratti a sorte e avevano l'opportunità di gradire tutte le spese pagate del viaggio per la finale del Festival di Sanremo 2022. All'inizio pensava che qualcuno la prendesse in giro, perché non aveva partecipato ad alcun concorso, ma quando si è resa conto che era genuino lei era deliziata dall'opportunità ed è andata al festival con suo padre Raimondo, mio cognato. E naturalmente i giornali in Sardegna volevano scrivere di questa bella storia. (Per Sarah finalissima in prima fila.)

Sono arrivati a Sanremo venerdì il 4 febbraio e si sono goduti la finale del festival sabato 5 febbraio prima di tornare in Sardegna la domenica 6. E' ovvio, a giudicare da quello che ci hanno detto, che hanno gradito ogni minuto. In particolare, sembra che abbiano stabilito un ottimo rapporto con la presentrice Veronica Maya. Infatti, Veronica Maya è la conduttrice di un nuovo programma televisivo, La Risposta Giusta, e Sarah ha recevuto un invito ad apparire, via video da casa sua in Ogliastra, in questo show. E quindi, sabato mattina del 26 marzo abbiamo visto Sarah sulla TV nazionale di nuovo! Due giorni dopo c'era un altro articolo sulla sua avventura nella rivista online Sardegna Live - Da Lotzorai al Festival di Sanremo - Sarah racconta oggi la sua emozionante esperienza. (Mia moglie Maria Rita è la zia che è menzionata nell'articolo.)

Con tutta questa nuova fama mi domando se qualcuno di interessante potesse guardare la poesia di Raimondo. Ha fatto pubblicare due libri di poesie quando era più giovane e ultimamente ho completato un progetto per tradurre 30 delle sue poesie in inglese. Abbiamo preparato un manoscritto della poesia con le originali in italiano e le traduzioni in inglese insieme. Tra di loro ci sono due poesie di cui Sarah era l'ispirazione, compreso questo bellissimo pezzo "A mia figlia":-

 

A mia figlia

Nella strada in salita che chiamano vita
ti arrampichi forte.
Alcune volte hai l’aria sfinita
e le contraddizioni ti ruotano intorno
in questa fatica per crescere donna.

Ti senti lo scrigno di ogni sapere
a volte a torto a volte a ragione,
ma solo una cosa è la verità,
quel bel sorriso e la giovane età.

Io che con pazienza ti osservo volare
negli alti cieli della fantasia
ti stringo a me forte o figlia mia
e dalle fine della salita ti incito forte
in ansia per te. 

© Raimondo Selenu

 

 

'I Grani', The Restaurant Bar In Nuoro With A Difference

A  few days ago there was a rather interesting article in the Sardinian newspaper 'La Nuova Sardegna' about 'I Grani' (this links to the article). It is one of the venues here in Nuoro that Maria Rita and I frequent probably as much as we do any other. We have celebrated anniversaries here, enjoyed drinks and meals with friends, and we also brought our Canadian friend Claire to eat here when she was celebrating her 50th birthday by holidaying in Italy. Anyway, as soon as I read the article I wanted to translate it into English. Sadly, thanks to a combination of covid and Brexit, there are hardly any British tourists visiting Central Sardinia nowadays but there are still still plenty of Dutch, Scandinavian and German tourists who come here during the season,  and will usually want to communicate in English. So hopefully this will go some way to helping this rather unique venue in Nuoro.

(Pochi giorni fa c'era un articolo piuttosto interessante nel giornale sardo 'La Nuova Sardegna' su 'I Grani', uno dei posti qui a Nuoro che ci piace frequentare, io e Maria Rita. Qui abbiammo festeggiato un anniversario, abbiamo mangiato e bevuto con i nostri amici, e abbiamo portato qui la nostra amica canadese, Claire, a mangiare quando lei festeggiava il suo cinquantesimo compleanno in vacanza in Italia. Comunque, non appena ho letto l'articolo volevo traddurlo in inglese. Tristemente, grazie al covid e alla Brexit, ci sono pochissimi turisti britannici che vengono in centro Sardegna questi giorni ma ci sono ancora i turisti olandesi, scandinavi e tedeschi che vengono qui durante la stagione, e di solito vogliono comunicare in inglese. E quindi, spero che questa traduzione possa aiutare questo ristorante e bar unico.)

English translation (traduzione in inglese):-

I Grani 

Enjoy eco-friendly menus to the rhythm of jazz (by Luca Urgu)

It's a place that you find immediately captivating. It entices you with its range of beverages and dishes, and then warms the cockles of your heart. You are guaranteed a warm and courteous welcome and a patient explanation, if needed, of the various drinks and dishes available. The soothing sound of soft jazz music in the background is no hindrance to those who may choose to bring their laptops along and use the venue as an office for a while. 'I Grani' has a spirit and identity that belongs to the territory of Sardinia and yet, at the same time, it has something which is cosmopolitan, colourful and it thrives on being environmentally friendly. The restaurant bar is in Nuoro's Via Corso Garibaldi but could just as easily be in Florence, London, Berlin or Porto. Their approach cuts across different styles and if it were a dress suit it might seem a little casual, perhaps already used, but once worn you find it fits perfectly and makes you feel at ease. The atmosphere is informal but the spirit of 'I Grani' was conceived with great care and a particular philosophy: inclusive (vegans and vegetarians will find their needs catered to) and with an eye on the world of food and drink that differs from the usual. For example, you find no coco cola here or any other multinational products. Instead, should you find something of a similar nature, it will be eco-friendly, a reminder that there is always an alternative way should you wish to follow it. There is no need to mince words about the fact that a focus on diversity, and the richness of the Sardinian territory, is the core belief of the owners, Elisa Pisanu and Stefano Mongillo, who have managed 'I Grani' for five years. They took over the business, with a minimum of fuss, from the previous owners, Paolo Bianchi and Daniela Chironi, who created 'I Grani' in the first place and who believed that their alternative approach could prove to be a winner. "They were brave enough to have the foresight to create something new for Nuoro. We wanted to continue in the same vein but, at the same time, make some personal adjustments with particular attention to the needs of our customers."

Elisa is originally from Nuoro, and after several years of study and work in Genova, where she met Stefano, she found that she was still suffering from the "disease of Sardinia" and her companion was happy for her to pass the disease on to him. In Nuoro the couple decided to open a place of their own in order to give expression to a sector that they were already familiar with. 'I Grani', already well established at that point, provided the ideal opportunity for their project. "We had already seen something that didn't convince us, but we took to this place immediately," said both Stefano and Elisa, who have really put their personal mark on the restaurant bar. It comes alive early in the morning with a selection of fresh pastries, whipped drinks, herbal teas and coffee for breakfast. Then there is the popular craft beer from Irgoli. Later in the day you can enjoy something from the lunch and dinner menus, renewed every day and with local products providing freshness (vegetables from Baronia, fish from the east coast of Sardinia). As far as is possible, they use 'zero kilometres' produce so that an absolute minimum of waste is involved. The chef reworks many traditional recipes and every day it is possible to choose between at least two first courses and a number of starters and second courses. The menus are written in chalk on to old-fashioned blackboards both inside and outside the bar. "We have to say that this hasn't been an easy period but things are moving forward. It has also been a period of great satisfaction because of the prompt and positive feedback we've had from our regular and loyal customers as well as from so many tourists who like to come here. We insist on the concept of 'being inclusive', which means people's pet dogs are welcome, we offer children something different, and we allow those with food allergies or who are vegetarians to find something which is to their liking." 

For now, in the era of covid, also at 'I Grani' (where in the summer season it is also possible to be served in the small square opposite the bar) they have to play it by ear. However, in the future, and one hopes as soon as possible, there are plans for some new initiatives involving music (Stefano has a past as a DJ), reading and book presentation. 

(Translation by Geoff Davis)

(Leggere l'articolo c'è un link vicino all'inizio del post)

How Well Do the British Know Sardinia?

There is a Facebook Page called Do the Brits know Sardinia? which hasn't posted anything for over two years now. It's a shame because it's an interesting question and, in my experience, the answer is pretty much an overwhelming 'no'! To be fair, it isn't entirely their fault. Sardinia rarely features in the British media and, if it does, it's on the holiday pages of newspapers and dominated by the delights of holidaying in the Costa Smeralda, as if no other part of Sardinia is worth visiting. Lots of Sardinians have told me that the Costa Smeralda, having been hijacked by the ultra wealthy and famous as a go-to destination, is not the real Sardinia. The city and region of Nuoro in Central Sardinia, where I've lived for 12 years now, is much closer to being the cultural heart of the island. At the same time, one musn't forget the south, the island's capitol city of Cagliari, and the delights of both the west and east coasts.

I must confess that when I first met my Sardinian wife I knew little about the island beyond the fact that Gianfranco Zola, the famous ex-Chelsea and Italian international footballer, was from Sardinia, and that the island was one of the world's 'blue zones', meaning it has a much larger proportion of centenarians per head of population, and that people tend to live longer here than is the average elsewhere. Among my friends and relatives, the only person who had heard of Nuoro was my brother, because he'd read the D.H Lawrence travel memoir, Sea and Sardinia, which mentions the town. So perhaps it's a bit unfair of me to criticise my compatriots for their ignorance of what the island is actually like but, I must confess, I have heard some pretty wild assumptions about it over the years!

One of the most common mistakes that the British make is about the size of the island. On one trip back to Bristol I remember the taxi driver, taking me from Bristol Airport to where I was staying, telling me that he thought that Sardinia was about the size of the Isle Of Wight. On another occasion a rather well spoken lady, who was staying in the same bed and breakfast accommodation as we were, in Filton in Bristol, was surprised to hear us say that Sardinia has three International Airports (Olbia, Alghero and Cagliari). "I wouldn't have thought Sardinia was big enough to have more than one airport," she said. When I told her that the land mass of Sardinia was slightly larger than that of the whole of Wales she, rather good-naturedly responded with, "I'm shutting up!" Yes, ignorance about the island and its size is fairly widespread. I remember reading a comment online in one of the British daily newspapers, at a time when Sardinia actually made the news globally because of a cyclone that hit the island in November 2013. It read something like "that's what happens on these tiny overpopulated islands". Well, obviously the commenter didn't know that Sardinian's population of about 1.6 million is less than that of the Greater Birmingham area in the UK and, as I've already written, on an island with a land mass slightly larger than that of the Wales. The map below, with its comparisons with Belgium and Denmark etc., gives a truly accurate impression of the size of the island. 

However, the size of the island isn't the only thing about Sardinia that escapes the knowledge of the British. I have had people ask me if Sardinia is in Portugal or, confusing it with Sicily, wanting to assert that it's the home of the mafia! Others have suggested to me that it must be rather backward. Well, Sardinia certainly isn't in Portugal and it has never been a home for mafiosi. It did, however, once have a problem with banditry, but that has all but disappeared now. As for being backward, well!!! As a part of the Italian state, all the mod cons that are available elsewhere are available in Sardinia and, from my experience, Sardinians seems to have a very good balance between retaining their old traditions and embracing the technology that comes with the modern world. There are other things which come to mind. One of my closest friends actually surprised me, because he seemed surprised, when I told him that Sardinians are no less likely to have their arms and legs adorned with tattoos than they are anywhere else. Yes, there are several tattoo parlours in Nuoro!

I often think of Sardinia as being like the Ireland of Italy. It's an island to the west of the Italian mainland (or 'continente' as the Sardinians themselves say) and, while they have acquired a lot of Italian traits, they have their own distinct culture and character which is somewhat different from most of Italy. And, as with Ireland, that can boast of the likes of BernardShaw, OscarWilde and Seamus Heaney, Sardinia has a very rich literary and cultural heritage. How many Brits know that the famous political philosopher, Antonio Gramsci, was from Ales in Sardinia? Or that the second woman to win the Nobel Prize for literature, in 1926, was Grazia Deledda, from Nuoro? Again, I must be fair, because I hadn't heard of Grazia Deledda before my wife told me about her, when we first met. Most of her books have only been translated into English comparitively recently, and haven't been read terribly widely outside of Italy, so she isn't anything like as well known in the English speaking world as perhaps she should be. 

Then there is the little known fact that Sardinia has it's own language, of which there are many different dialects, usually called 'Sardo' or 'Sardu'. I myself know little more than a few words and phrases in Sardo, mainly because my wife doesn't speak it (although she does understand it when spoken). During Italy's fascist period, the use of the Sardinian language was brutally suppressed and the unfortunate legacy of this was that a lot of parents, while conversing in Sardo with each other, would only speak Italian in the presence of their children. There has been a significant change in attitude over the last few decades, but still the language has no official status in public life. I've seen so many conflicting statistics about the percentage of Sardinians who speak Sardo that it is hard to know the truth. However, it would appear to be a much larger percentage of the population than the percentage of Welsh people who speak Welsh. 

If the Brits do think of Sardinia at all, they are likely to think of an island with lots of sunshine and beautiful beaches, but there is much more to the island than the sea and sunshine. It has a very long history, which dates back to neolithic times, and especially interesting is what is called the Nuragic Civilisation, the remains of which can be seen in many parts of the island in the form of buildings called Nuraghe. There is one such Nuraghi here in Nuoro. We've been lucky enough to visit a handful of the many architectural sites, which preserve many of the remants of Sardinia's ancient history, such as Tharros , on the west coast, and Serra Orrias, near Dorgali, which I wrote about several years ago. 

Tharros

In fact, Sardinia has a bit of something for everybody. Another little known fact about the island is that, there are four ski resorts. Several years ago we visited one of them for the day, on Mount Broncu Spinu, not far from the town of Fonni. Fonni is the highest town in Sardinia and a place where snowfall is common in winter and average temperatures are lower than a lot of places in the UK!

I have to confess that I cannot remember the island of Sardinia ever being mentioned during geography lessons in my schooldays and, as I've already written, there is scant coverage of the island in the British media. So the British can be forgiven for their general ignorance of the island. But then, how much do we know about any of the other main islands in the Mediterranean? It's such a shame that the charms of Sardinia are not more widely known, when you consider its history, rich culture and reputation for hospitality and quality food and wine. It has opened up more to tourism in the last two or three decades, with the rise of budget airlines, but it's still Spain and the Greek Islands that seem to be the more popular destinations for many British holidaymakers. In this post I could have written so much more about the island that I have come to call home, even if I've written far more than I intended to!

The Hostile Environment Reaches The Professor Of Bristolian

I am a Professor of Bristolian and even I am a victim of the UK Home Office's hostile environment. Let me explain. I am not really a Professor of Bristolian. I played such a character in the Terry's Bristolian Language Lessons DVD and afterwards I set up a Professor of Bristolian facebook page which became far more popular than I ever expected, allowing me to indulge my rather bizarre and surreal sense of humour to the full! So why am I a victim of the UK Home Office's hostile environment? Well, it's quite a long story. I nearly had to refuse the offer to appear in the aforementioned DVD because I had moved to Sardinia a few months before, in order to be with my Sardinian/Italian girlfriend, now my wife. It was only the fact that I was back in Bristol for ten days, at the very time filming was taking place, that I was able to play the role of a Professor of Bristolian in the DVD. This was way back in 2010, when there was no mention of a referendum on membership in the EU and Brexit wasn't even a word. My wife has always had an interest in the English language and in British culture and told me that she used to dream of one day living in the UK. "Well," I thought, "I like it here in Sardinia, but I'm still rather attached to my native city of Bristol. No problem, perhaps one day we'll be able to go back and live there." Wrong! I'll explain why.

Everything changed when we woke up in bed and breakfast accommodation in Naples, on our way down to Calabria in the far south of Italy for a family wedding. On the television news that morning, in June 2016, we learnt about how the British had voted in a referendum to leave the EU. Shortly after, I wrote a blogpost What Brexit Could Mean To a Bristolian In Sardinia in which I voiced my concerns about how the referendum vote might impact us negatively. Some of my concerns were unfounded. I am now old enough to be receiving my state pension and there are no problems there. Similarly, the Easyjet service, from Bristol to Olbia in Sardinia, appears to be safe for the time being, on account of the company having made necessary adjustments to their business. However, one of my gravest concerns was expressed thus: 

I had read articles like this in the Guardian about British people needing a minimum income of  £18,600 per annum in order to bring their foreign spouses over to live in the UK. In the event of Brexit would that rule be extended to British ex-pats with a spouse from a EU member state should they wish to return to live in the UK? If so we might find ourselves with an insurmountable obstacle to overcome should we decide that one day we want to set up home again in my native city of Bristol. People have tried to reassure me. "No, it could never come to that!" they say. I'm not so sure. I never believed that there would ever come a time when the disabled and the unemployed would be treated with such crass insensitivity and cruelty as they have been under the present Conservative government with Cameron, Osborne and Duncan-Smith (for most of the time) at the helm. 

Well, sadly, it has come to that, even though we had no plans to return to live in the UK in the foreseeable future. In fact, thanks to the hostile environment being further enforced by the new British Immigration Bill that became law last November, it's far worse. I recently checked the costs involved in the case of an EU spouse, of a British citizen, applying for a visa to live in the UK after 31st March 2022. I was absolutely flabbergasted. The spouse visa fee for an 'out of country' application is £1,523; the Immigration Health Surcharge £1,872 (for being able to use the NHS. I might add here that in the summer of 2012 I had a mild heart attack and received excellent treatment at one of the local hospitals here in Nuoro. It cost us nothing! So much for health tourism in the UK!) Then there's £150 for an English language test (even though my wife's written English is far better than that of a lot of native brits); and finally, up to £300 for the translation of essential documents like marriage, birth and divorce certificates. There are other potential costs that probably wouldn't affect us. Don't believe me? Read this on the Migrate website. So, irrespective of the minimum income requirements, it would cost us nearly £4,000 for the undoubted privilege of living in the UK for just two and a half years. No thanks. I hardly think that is value for money, especially as the country seems to be in a far worse shape than it was when I left in November 2009. We'll stick to the joys of a warmer climate in Sardinia with its spectacular beaches and scenery, better quality food and wine, culinary delights like culurgiones and delicious liqueurs like mirto. OK, the driving here can be a bit indisciplined, the road planning and bureaucracy bewildering, but overall, life is pretty good!

 

Santa Maria Navarrese, Ogliastra, Sardinia

 

 

    

A Famous Singer Checks Out Our Band In Orosei, Sardinia

In a previous post, almost five years ago now, I wrote about the rock band that I joined as a singer, Optimistic Sound, here in Nuoro in Sardinia. Well, with three other members of that line-up and a different drummer, Salvatore Pes, we are now called Nameless. Our usual set is almost exclusively British and American rock covers from the 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s, covering classics from the likes of the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Cream, Depeche Mode, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Doors and Paul Weller.

Obviously, because of the lockdown we haven't been too active with regard to performing lately, but a week ago we did our first gig since just before Christmas at a beach bar in Orosei. It went reasonably well and we were advised before hand that there might be a famous Italian singer present, Malika Ayane. Sure enough, she was there with a group of friends and before we started my dear wife persuaded her to pose for a photo with me.

I actually said to her, "devo ammettere che non avevo sentito parlare di lei prima di tre giorni fa."("I must confess I'd never heard of you until three days ago.") Even though it was true I did wonder aferwards whether I should have said that and whether it sounded a bit disrepectful! She didn't seem to mind, laughed, and said she'd never heard of me either! No surprise there! Anyway, later I had a look at her youtube videos and realised that I had heard some of her music before but her name hadn't stuck with me. She has actually had a string of hit singles and albums in the Italian charts, and one of her singles, Senza Fare Sul Serio, has had 43 million views on youtube. A few more than the 1,500 views of the most viewed of any youtube musical videos that I've uploaded from my days of gigging in the Bristol area in England!    

She did stay for half the set but had left by the time we had started our little tribute to The Rolling Stones. Maybe just as well, as I wasn't enthralled with the way my vocals sounded on Brown Sugar and Gimme Shelter! Here's a little taster: Rolling Stones Tribute