⁂ One of the three best known languages of the coast belonging to the N.W. branch of the Kaffir; the Benga and Dualla being the other two. In all three there is a large and laudable amount of missionary literature: the most in the Dualla, the least in the Benga. R. G. L.
Italian.
(1) The native tongue of Italy, spoken in many dialects. It is formed directly from the Latin or Old Italic, by union with the Teutonic forms of Gothic and Longobardic settlers. Called the “vulgar tongue” by Dante, Petrarch, and Boccacio, it has since been much polished in Tuscany, and now forms one of the most refined languages of modern society, lending itself specially to the requirements of vocal melody. See Manuzzi: “Vocab. della Crusca,” 4 vols., Florence, 1868.
(2) Dialects are divided into classes: 1, the Lombardic, or dialects of Upper Italy; 2, the Romanic, or dialects of Middle Italy; 3, the Neapolitan, or dialects of S. Italy; 4, Cant or slang, called Furbesco and Zerga or Gergo.
Italic or Old Italian.
A collective name for that branch of the Aryan family of languages which includes classical Latin, Oscan, Umbrian, Messapian or Iapygian, and perhaps Tosk, Tuscan, or Etruscan, all with alphabets allied to the early Roman. Fabbretti: “Glossarium,” Turin, 1838, &c. See [Romance].
Itam.
Term in Malay. See [Bolong].
Ite or Itenaz, and Itonoma.