Sardinian Alphabet

The Sardinian alphabet has 23 letters^[2] for native words. Out of these, 5 are vowel letters (a, e, i, o, u) and 18 are consonants. The letters j, k, w, x, y are not used in native Sardinian words, though they may appear in foreign loanwords.

Sardinian is called conservative because it preserved many Latin features:

• Vocabulary - retains many Latin words unchanged or minimally changed

• Phonology - maintains Latin sounds better than other Romance languages

• Examples - Latin "domo" → Sardinian "domu" (vs. Italian "casa", Spanish "casa")

• Isolation - geographic isolation on Sardinia preserved archaic features

This makes Sardinian the closest living language to Latin in many respects!

Sardinian has several major dialectal varieties:

• Logudorese - northern and central Sardinia, considered most conservative

• Campidanese - southern Sardinia, more innovative features

• Limba Sarda Comuna - standardized written form for official use

• Other varieties - including Nuorese and Barbaricino

All varieties use the same alphabet system!

Sardinian has protected status in Italy:

• Regional language - recognized by Italian law 482/1999^[1]

• Official status - co-official with Italian in Sardinian regional administration

• Education - taught in some schools alongside Italian

• Media - used in regional broadcasting and publications

This protection helps preserve this unique language!

Sardinian uses accented vowels for stress indication:

• Grave accents (à, è, ì, ò, ù) - most common, indicate stressed syllable

• Acute accents (é, ó) - less common, also indicate stress

• Function - help clarify pronunciation and distinguish words

• Example - città (city) with stress on final syllable

These accents are essential for correct pronunciation!

Sardinian has several distinctive phonological features:

• Preserved Latin k - Latin "centu" → Sardinian "kentu" (vs. Italian "cento")

• Retroflex sounds - characteristic cacuminal consonants in some dialects

• Vowel system - maintains Latin five-vowel system clearly

• Conservative clusters - preserves consonant clusters lost in other Romance languages

These features make Sardinian phonologically distinct from other Romance languages!

Italian has significant influence on modern Sardinian:

• Bilingualism - most Sardinian speakers also speak Italian

• Loanwords - many modern concepts borrowed from Italian

• Code-switching - speakers often mix Sardinian and Italian

• Generational shift - younger speakers more dominant in Italian

Despite this, efforts continue to preserve and revitalize Sardinian!

The Acadèmia de su Sardu is an important institution:

• Purpose - promotes and standardizes the Sardinian language^[2]

• Standardization - develops unified orthography and grammar

• Research - conducts linguistic research on Sardinian dialects

• Cultural preservation - preserves Sardinian literature and oral traditions

The Academy plays a crucial role in Sardinian language planning!