LANGUAGE CULTURE & SOCIETY

Submitted to: Ms. Samea Amjad Submitted by: Amirah Hashmi Nashmia Ali Mohid Khan Abdul Rehman Arsalan Rai Date of submission: 3rd november, 2011

Q 1: Find out what the national language of the country is. When and how did the language get its present position? Italian is the national language of the country. Italian language officially got its position as the national language of Italy in 2007. A web and print publication of SIL International (formerly known as the Summer Institute of Linguistics) has estimated that there are about 55 million speakers of the language in Italy and a further 6.7 million outside of the country. However, between 120 and 150 million people use Italian as a second or cultural language, worldwide. When Italy was decided as the official language of the country there were a handful amount of people who opposed to this as they werent Italian so making Italian their official language didnt really comfort them but its supporters said that it was high time the language was recognized as an essential part of what made up modern Italy. It was Tuscan dialect -- in which Dante wrote the mediaeval epic poem the Inferno in the fourteen century -- that emerged as the national language of Italy, but many people still speak local dialects some of which are largely incomprehensible to people from other parts of the country. Question 2: Pick a symbol and explain its importance and symbolism of the things depicted to that countrys culture.

The bowl of Hygeia The Bowl of Hygeia symbol is the most widely recognized international symbol of pharmacy. In Greek mythology, Hygeia was the daughter and assistant of Aesculapius (sometimes spelled Asklepios), the God of Medicine and Healing. Hygeia's classical symbol was a bowl containing a medicinal potion with the serpent of Wisdom (or guardianship) partaking it. This is the same serpent of Wisdom, which appears on the caduceus, the staff of Aesculapius, which is the symbol of medicine. Question 3: Learn five words in their language. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Welcome: benvenuto Hello: chao Good morning: buongiorno Mother: madre Sister: sorella

Question 5. Three proverbs in the language. 1. A mali estremi, estremi rimedi. English translation: Desperate times call for desperate measures.

2. A tutto c' rimedio, fuorch alla morte. English translation: There is a cure for everything except death. 3. Aiutati che Dio t'aiuta.
English translation: Help yourself and God will help you. Idiomatic meaning: God helps those who help themselves

Q6: Gather at least 2 myths or legends common in that country. Two of the famous myths in Italy; the first one has its roots back in the ancient roman traditions. In which two brothers named Romulus and Remus founded Rome which now is the capital of Italy. And the legend says that the twins were sons of Mars, the god of war, and were raised by a wolf. The brothers set out to start a new city. In a fit of rivalry over who should choose the site, Romulus killed Remus. And so, the story goes, he named the city Rome after himself, the victor. The History of Rome begins with the legend of the twins Romulus and Remus. The twins Grandfather, Numitor had been King of the ancient city of Alba Longa. However when Numitors brother, Amulias, defeated him, Numitors daughter, Rhea, was forced to become a Vestal Virgin so that she could not conceive children that might set out their great Uncle. However, Rhea was seduced by the God Mars and gave birth to two sons, Romulus and Remus. Amulias was furious and threw Rhea into prison and ordered a servant to kill the babies. The servant was unable to do this however and instead dumped them on the banks of the river Tiber. There they were found by a she-wolf who fed them with her milk and hence ensured their survival. When the boys grew up they did indeed over-throw Amulias. Then they decided to build a city of their own. However, they argued over where the city should be built and in a fit of anger, Romulus killed his brother. The new city was built on the Palatine Hill and it became known as Rome after its founder and King. The second interesting myth is known to have its roots at the Greeks as Heracles and to the Romans as Hercules; he was classic hero. As grandson of Perseus born of Alcmene and fathered by Zeus, who had covered himself as her husband, Hercules was of godly blood. On the day Alcmene was to give birth, Zeus swore an oath that the successor of Perseus born that day would eventually rule all Greece, but Hera arbitrated to delay his birth while arranging for Eurystheus, another descendant of Perseus, to be born. Zeus held to his oath. Eurystheus grew up to become ruler of Greece and played an important role in the myths of Hercules. Hercules' home town made annual tribute payments to Orchomenus. One year Hercules spoiled a herald who was sent to collect the tribute, which ended up in starting a war. With Athena's help he defeated the King of Orchomenus, allowing Creon to become king. He was rewarded with Creon's daughter, Megara, for his wife. Hera, who always had been a rival of Hercules, drove him mad in which state his mistakenly killed Megara and their children. Wishing to remove the shame of this crime, Hercules consulted the oracle at Delphi who told him to serve twelve years in the servitude to Eurystheus, who imposed an impossible twelve labors upon him. Question 7: Three local dishes of that country along with its detail. 1. Pizza: Pizza is one of the national foods of Italy and the Italian people. Modern pizza originated in Italy as the Neapolitan pie with tomato. In 1889, cheese was added.

Neapolitan pizza (pizza napoletana): Authentic Neapolitan pizzas are typically made with tomatoes and Mozzarella cheese. In Italy, there is a bill before Parliament to safeguard the traditional Italian pizza, specifying permissible ingredients and methods of processing (e.g., excluding frozen pizzas). Only pizzas that followed these guidelines could be called "traditional Italian pizzas" in Italy. 2. Pasta: Pasta is a staple food of traditional Italian cuisine, now renowned worldwide. There are hundreds of different shapes of pasta with at least locally recognized names. Examples include spaghetti (thin strings), maccheroni (tubes or cylinders), fusilli (swirls), and lasagne (sheets). Pasta is categorized in two basic styles: dried and fresh. Dried pasta made without eggs can be stored for up to two years under ideal conditions, while fresh pasta will keep for a few days under refrigeration. Pasta is generally served with some type of sauce; the sauce and the type of pasta are usually matched based on consistency and ease of eating. 3. Gelato: Gelato is the Italian word for ice cream and sorbet. Italians use the word gelato to mean a sweet treat that is served frozen. Indeed, gelato just like ice cream is made with Milk, cream, various sugars, flavoring including fresh fruit and nut purees. However, most gelato is different from the traditional recipe of ice cream because it is lighter having a lower butterfat content than traditional, factory made ice cream. Question 8. Find out what their social setup is. Family setup: family oriented. Domestic Unit. The family is the basic household unit. It may vary in size through having other relatives may live with the nuclear family. Often two or more nuclear families may live together. It is common for newly married couples to live for a time with the bride's parents. Traditionally the husband was the ruler of the family, in theory, while the wife took care of the daytoday operations. The reality may have been quite different. Tasks have traditionally been assigned according to age and sex. There is evidence that there is some change in this system as more and more often both parents work outside the home. Kin Groups. Italians are famous for their family lives. They are often tied to one another by relationships on both sides of the family. They can and do expand or contract their extended kin groups by emphasizing or de-emphasizing various kinship ties. Usually, children of the same mother feel a necessity to cooperate against the outside world. Other ties may be egocentric. Question 10. Famous landmarks and tourist attractions. Italy is full of historical buildings and landmarks. There are many Roman architecture present here. However, we will just mention 4 of these landmarks.

1. The Colosseum or Coliseum, originally known as the Flavian Amphitheatre (Latin: Amphitheatrum Flavium), is the largest amphitheatre built in the Roman Empire. Originally capable of seating 50,000 spectators, it was once used for gladiatorial combat. 2. The Pantheon (Latin Pantheon, rarely Pantheum[1], from Greek Pantheion, meaning "Shrine of all the Gods") is a building in Rome which was originally built as a temple to the seven deities of the seven planets in the state religion of Ancient Rome, but which has been a Christian church since the 7th century 3. The Basilica of Saint Peter, ranks second among the four major basilicas of Rome (San Giovanni in Laterano, San Pietro, Santa Maria Maggiore and San Paulo) and its Vatican City enclave. Possibly the largest church in Christianity. 4. The Rialto Bridge (Italian: Ponte di Rialto) spans the Grand Canal in Venice. It is the oldest bridge across the canal and probably the most famous in the city. Treatment of tourists: They are usually friendly people. Especially, big tourist cities are very tolerant towards tourists and are very much use to them. However, they are unlikely to interact with strangers and tend to keep themselves to themselves. Moreover, the attitude varies from large cities to rural places. In rural places people tend to stare and do not consider this rude. However, in urban areas people do not stare. Italians do not have much issues concerning personal space usually an arms length or shorter is acceptable, depending upon the closeness of the individuals. Q.13: Find out at least 3 locally made things of that country and explain what is special about those things. Italian gelato: Italian gelato is one of the most famous eatables in Italy. Italian people claim that if you have been to Italy and havent had gelato your visit to Italy is incomplete. Although gelato is available all year, the sunny spring and summer months are the season when it becomes a driving force in the Italian culture, an excuse for an expedition into the cooler night air, a chance to hang out, something to meet over, a preface or postscript to the evening's activities, Italian airconditioning. The best gelaterie will display a sign, Produzione Propria, Nostra Produzione, or Produzione Artigianale -- all indicating that their gelato is homemade. Cars: There are several brands that produce that produce cars locally. The top five brands include Alfa romeo, Ferrari, flat, lancia, Maserati. Alfa Romeo has been building cars since the beginning of the 20th Century. It continues to this day to produce classic designs with overtly sporting characteristics. Fiat has been building cars with character for over 100 years. Ferrari, born in motorsport, has been building classic sports cars since 1947. Lancia has been building cars since 1906 and it has won more world rally championship titles than any other car manufacturer, had the first standard production V6, the first load bearing body shell and the first electrical system in a car and Maserati was founded by the four brothers of that name in 1914. Fashion accessories and clothing: Italy has been long known for its famous clothing and accessories line. People in Italy are looked up as fashion ideals and because of this very reason

Italian brands are regarded as one of the most important brands in the world fashion industry. Major Italian fashion labels, such as Gucci, Prada, Versace, Valentino, Armani, Dolce & Gabbana, Missoni, Fendi, Moschino, Max Mara and Ferragamo, are regarded as amongst the finest fashion houses in the world. Question 15. Traditional games played in the country. There were many games traditionally played in the country. However, we picked up three traditional children games and ironically, we have similar versions of these games played elsewhere in the world. 1. Strega comanda color This game requires a minimum of three players, although groups of 11 are ideal. One player is chosen as the "strega" ("witch"), who calls out a color. The others must touch an object of that color, whether it be an article of clothing or something in the surrounding environment, before the witch can catch them. The first child tagged becomes the next witch. If the current witch is unsuccessful, she must call out another color. 2. Pallapopolo It is slightly similar to dodge the ball. Two teams of players are required (more than two players on each team). The field of game is divided into two halves. Another requirement of the game is a Ball. The main aim of the game is to hit with the ball, directly, the players of the other team in any part of the body. The struck player is positioned behind the opposite team, outside the field, and when he takes the ball he can play in turn and strike. The game is finished when one team hit and capture all the opponents. A player becomes a prisoner even if his/her ball is caught by an opponent without falling. 3. Fazzoletto peo peo This game is similar to the Pakistani game of kotla chapatti jumairaat aye rai This game requires a minimum of 5 players, although groups of 14 are ideal. The players all sit in a circle except for one who walks around the outside of the circle carrying a handkerchief. While, the others chant this song: "Fazzoletto Peo Peo se ti trovo ti dareo se ti trovo in un canton ti darei uno scupazon" ("Peo Peo Handkerchief If you find you give if you're in a corner I will give you a scupazon") The outside child drops the handkerchief behind the back of one of the sitting children. This child then gets up, and he and the handkerchief-bearer race around the circle in opposite directions in attempt to be the first to sit down in the empty spot.