There are two Harry translations that come from Italy - Italian and Latin. Italian, a Romance language of the Indo-European language family, is a descendant of the vulgar Latin. The Italian that we know today is based on the Tuscan dialect, BUT as with all things language, the history of this language is not that simple. The Italian language has its roots in Latin, the language of the Roman Empire. After the fall of Rome in the 5th century, the Latin spoken by common people evolved into various regional dialects, influenced by local languages and invasions by Germanic tribes, Arabs, and Normans. These dialects continued to diverge over the centuries, leading to the development of distinct regional languages across Italy. Despite this fragmentation, Latin remained the dominant language of religion, scholarship, and governance.

The unification of Italy in the 19th century played a crucial role in standardizing the Italian language. Prior to this, many Italians spoke their regional dialects, and there was no unified national language. Writers like Dante Alighieri, Petrarch, and Boccaccio contributed significantly to the formation of a standard Italian based on the Tuscan dialect, especially in literary and cultural contexts. The establishment of the Kingdom of Italy in 1861 helped promote the Tuscan-based Italian as the national language, and subsequent efforts in education, media, and government helped solidify its use throughout the country. Today, Italian is spoken by millions and is known for its rich literary and cultural heritage.​​

Today, there are about 68 million Italian speakers throughout the world.

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To learn more about Italian, Click Here and Here.

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To hear the 1st paragraph of the 1st book in Italian, Click Here.