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5 Libya

  • Lutz Edzard
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Manual of Romance Languages in Africa
This chapter is in the book Manual of Romance Languages in Africa

Abstract

This chapter summarizes the information available about the (former) sociolinguistic setting of Italian in Libya in the context of the former Italian colonization of Libya and its aftermath. Hardly any information is available about specific linguistic features of the language of Italian expatriates or the Italian formerly spoken by native Arab speakers in Libya. However, Italian continues to play a strong role in the Libyan- Arabic lexicon (in realms such as cuisine, household items, mechanics, sports, and fashion), and interesting phonological phenomena can be observed in this context.

Abstract

This chapter summarizes the information available about the (former) sociolinguistic setting of Italian in Libya in the context of the former Italian colonization of Libya and its aftermath. Hardly any information is available about specific linguistic features of the language of Italian expatriates or the Italian formerly spoken by native Arab speakers in Libya. However, Italian continues to play a strong role in the Libyan- Arabic lexicon (in realms such as cuisine, household items, mechanics, sports, and fashion), and interesting phonological phenomena can be observed in this context.

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