When did Standard Italian become a dominant language in Italy?
1. The local dialect that was closest to Standard Italian is Tuscan (which, as you can guess, comes from the Toscana region). Nevertheless, the language has changed a great deal from its humble origins 2. Yes, most (if not all) Young Italians (myself included) speak “Standard” Italian as opposed to our local dialects. You will find people in cities like Bergamo who may still speak their (incomprehensible) dialects, but they are becoming few and far between 3. Standard Italian was the language of the Upper Classes and the Government for hundreds of years before unification. Despite this, the masses still spoke in their dialects. It was only following the unification (which was completed in 1870) that the Italian spoken today begin to gain footing throughout all social classes. Hope this helped!
