The Protection of Minorities and Minority languages. The Case of Friulian and Friulian Minority

Viola Vicario Master thesis MA Euroculture 
3 
 
Table of contents 
 
 
  Page 
 Table of contents 3 
   
 Introduction  
1. Introduction 6 
2.  Literary review 8 
2.1 Primary sources 8 
2.2 Secondary sources 9 
   
1. Minority, minorities and minority protection  
1. Introduction 11 
2. Minorities, linguistic minorities and historical linguistic minorities 11 
3.  Minority, minorized and lesser used languages 13 
3.1 Linguistic minorities, minority languages and dialects 14 
4. Ethnic and national minorities 16 
4.1 Ethnicity and ethnic minority 16 
4.2 Nation and nationality 17 
5.  Protection of the minorities of the languages and of the rights 18 
   
2. Friuli and Friuli-Venezia Giulia  
1. The geography of Friuli 21 
2. The Venezia Giulia 22 
3. Friuli: an historical overview 23 
3.1 Pre-roman period 23 
3.2 Roman period 24 
3.3 The barbaric invasions 25 
3.4 The Patrie dal Friûl 26 
3.5 The Venetian dominion 27 
3.6 The Austrian dominion 28 
3.7 The Italian unification 28 
3.8 The XX century 28 
3.9 The earthquake and beyond 30 
4. The region Friuli-Venezia Giulia 30 
4.1 The functions of speciality 31 
5. The languages and dialects of Friuli and Friuli-Venezia Giulia 33 
5.1 Friulian 34 
5.2 Slovene  35 
5.3 German  36 
5.4 Italian 37 
   
3. Friulian and Friulians  
1. Friulian: the language 39 
1.1 Linguistic history of Friulian 39 
1.2 The first documents in Friulian 41 
1.3 The common language and the varieties 42 
1.4 The specificity, individuality and unity of Friulian language 43 
1.5 Friulian: a minority language; Friulians: a linguistic minority 45

Viola Vicario Master thesis MA Euroculture 
4 
 
2. The individuality of Friuli and Friulian: a perception 49 
3.  Ideas of Friulian and of Friuli 51 
3.1 The “negationists” or deniers 52 
3.2 The minimalists 52 
3.3 The “positivists” or the positive ones 53 
4. Friuli and the self-government claims 53 
4.1  The first period: during and after the first world war 54 
4.2 The second period: during and after the second world war 55 
4.3 The third period: the 60s and the 70s 55 
4.4 The fourth period: the most recent years 56 
   
4.  The protection of Friulian language and Friulian minority: between 
Europe, ithe Italian state and the region Friuli-Venezia Giulia 
 
1. The European dimension of the protection of minorities 57 
1.1 The first two phases: the council of Europe and the CSCE for minorities 
(1949-1979) 
58 
1.2  The turning point towards the third phase: the first European elections 
and the key role of the EU parliament 
58 
1.3 The third phase: new initiatives in favor of minorities and minority 
languages 
62 
1.3.1 The first Arfè Resolution (1981) and the role of the European Parliament 63 
1.3.2 Between CSCE and OSCE 64 
1.3.3 The Council of Europe: the ECRML (1992) and the FCPNM (1995) 65 
1.3.4 From the European Communities to the European Union 67 
2. The Italian dimension of minorities and minorities protection 68 
2.1 The minorities in Italy 68 
2.2 The Italian Constitution (art. 6) 69 
2.3 The extra-consitutional protection of few minorities in Italy 70 
2.4 The national legislation 72 
2.5 Europe is calling, and Italy 73 
2.5.1 The first cycle of monitoring 73 
2.5.2 The second cycle of monitoring 74 
2.5.3 The third cycle of monitoring 75 
2.6 The Italian state and the Friulian minority 77 
3. The regional legal framework for the protection of Friulian minority 78 
3.1 Special Statute of the Autonomous region Friuli-Venezia Giulia (art. 3) 78 
3.2 The evolution of the regional legislation 79 
3.2.1 Law 15/96 79 
3.2.2 law 29/2007 81 
4. Conclusions 82 
   
5. Friulian language and Friulian community  
1. Introduction 84 
2. Public institutions between “sense of solidarity”, actions for protection 
and failure to implement the legislation 
84 
3. Associations and other private entities 85 
4. The situation of Friulian language 89 
4.1 Friulian in the schools 89 
4.2 Friulian in the public administration 90 
4.3 Friulian in the media 91

Viola Vicario Master thesis MA Euroculture 
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4.4  Friulian in the cultural production 92 
4.4.1 Friulian in the music 92 
4.4.2 Friulian in the audio-visual production 92 
4.4.3 Friulian in the theatres 93 
4.4.4 Friulian in the literature 94 
5. Language and society 96 
5.1 Methodology  96 
5.2 Identification of the speakers 97 
5.2.1 Age groups 97 
5.2.2 Qualification 98 
5.2.3 Gender 98 
5.2.4 Profession 98 
5.2.5 Permanence 99 
5.2.6 Totally opposed people 99 
5.3 Motivations to speak Friulian 99 
5.4 Language learning and ideal teaching of the language to children 100 
5.5 Friulian in the schools 100 
5.5.1 The use of Friulian in the schools 100 
5.5.2 The number of hours of teaching 101 
5.5.3 Friulian as a subject or as a language to teach other subjects too 102 
5.6 Specific highlights 102 
5.6.1 The teachers 102 
5.6.2 The younger speakers (18-39 years) 102 
5.6.3 Friulian and identity 103 
6. Conclusions 104 
   
6. Conclusions  
1. Introduction 107 
2. Europe 107 
3. Italy 109 
4. The region Friuli-Venezia Giulia 110 
5. Conclusions 111 
   
7. Bibliography   
1. Texts  112 
2. European treaties and resolutions 118 
3. Laws 118 
4. Web-sites 119