Istriotic Speech of Šišan between the Past and the Future

Abstract

The Istriot dialect from Sissano (Šišan), with the varieties from Rovigno (Rovinj), Dignano (Vodnjan), Valle (Bale), Fasana (Fažana) and Gallesano (Galižana) represent the last remnants of the Roman layer before the venetianisms occurred from the 11th century onwards. In this article, we provide the historical context and the Istriot varieties on the Istrian peninsula. Then we analyse two recent case studies from Sissanese, which point to the necessity of further investigations. Istriot is today in recession under the double pressure of Istro-Venetian and Čakavian dialects and Italian and Croatian Standard languages.