This week on The Italian Radio Hour: ABRUZZESE is a language, not a dialect What if you could finally say that what your grandparents from Abruzzo spoke wasn’t a dialect, but a language? How did the Abruzzese language develop, and what makes it unique?In this episode, I chat with Prof. Roberta D'Alessandro, Chair of Linguistics, Syntax and Language Variation, and Head of the Linguistics Division at Utrecht University. Originally from Abruzzo, she has devoted much of her research to studying what she calls the Abruzzese language — not a dialect.We explore:The development and characteristics of AbruzzeseThe linguistic and cultural differences between a dialect and a languageWhy this distinction matters for heritage, identity, and preservationIf you’re curious about the language your ancestors spoke or love Italian linguistic traditions, this episode is for you! We’d love to hear your stories and expressions — share what you grew up with!