The Concept of Italiano Neostandard

Abstract

In modern sociolinguistics the term "italiano neostandard" ("Neo-standard Italian") has been in use for a few decades already. However, in Russian linguistic terminology it still lacks a well-established translation equivalent. The research objective was to prove that it has deeply-rooted theoretical premises. Until the second part of the XX century, literary Italian (italiano standard) was mainly used in writing by intellectual élite, and for centuries (since XVI c.) its codified norm altered little – if at all – and was only apt for high-flown language (that is what the term "Standard Italian" refers to). In modern Italy, literary language has a wide range of functions and uses, and its variation patterns have considerably changed. The new language norm typical of Neo-standard Italian is much more versatile: it takes into account stylistic, regional, and social parameters of language variation. With all that in mind, the concept of Neo-standard Italian still remains ambiguous in the sense that its relationship with Standard Italian can be seen both as one ousting the other and as their coexistence. The problem of finding a suitable translation equivalent for the term "Neo-standard Italian", thus, reflects the dubious character of the concept itself.