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Molise Slavic | |
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Molise Croatian, Slavomolisano | |
na-našu, na-našo | |
Native to | Italy |
Region | Molise |
Ethnicity | Molise Croats |
Native speakers | < 1,000 (2012)[1] |
Latin script[2] | |
Official status | |
Recognised minority language in | |
Language codes | |
ISO 639-3 | svm |
Glottolog | slav1254 |
South Slavic languages and dialects |
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Slavomolisano, also known as Molise Slavic or Molise Croatian (Croatian: Moliški hrvatski; Italian: croato molisano), is a variety of Shtokavian Croatian spoken by Italian Croats in three villages – Montemitro (Mundimitar), Acquaviva Collecroce (Živavoda Kruč) and San Felice del Molise (Štifilić) – in the province of Campobasso, in the Molise Region of southern Italy. There are fewer than 1,000 active speakers, and fewer than 2,000 passive speakers.[1]
It has been preserved since a group of Croats emigrated from Dalmatia due to the advancing Ottoman Turks. The residents of these villages speak a Shtokavian Younger Ikavian dialect with a strong Southern Chakavian adstratum. The Molise Croats consider themselves to be Slavic Italians, with South Slavic heritage and who speak a Slavic language, rather than simply ethnic Slavs or Croats.[1] Some speakers call themselves Zlavi or Harvati and call their language simply na našo ("our language").