Understanding Tuscan: The Roots of Modern Italian

Where Tuscan Is Spoken

While Tuscany is the heartland of the Tuscan language, it is also spoken in parts of Umbria, the island of Corsica—where it evolved into Corsican—and the northern part of Sardinia, where it has developed distinct features. Like all regional languages of Italy, Tuscan varies greatly depending on the province—and sometimes even from one city to another.

A Language of Literature

Tuscan holds a special place in Italian culture because it was the variety used by Dante Alighieri to write his masterpiece, the Divina Commedia—the foundation of modern standard Italian. This is why Tuscan and Italian are so closely related. Dante isn’t the only literary giant from Tuscany; other notable authors include Giovanni Boccaccio, Petrarch, and Niccolò Machiavelli. Italian literature owes much of its form and style to Tuscan writers.

Unique Words and Expressions

Tuscan is full of charming words and expressions, many of which are still heard in standard Italian. Here are a few gems:

Mi garba

Means I like it. It’s equivalent to the standard Italian mi piace, and is conjugated the same way using indefinite pronouns.

Babbo

Means dad. While papà is more common elsewhere in Italy, babbo is standard in Tuscany and is famously used in Babbo Natale (Santa Claus).

Bischero

A mild, playful insult meaning fool or silly person. It’s light-hearted and often used jokingly among friends.

Bischerata

Derived from bischero, it refers to something silly or nonsensical—like a trivial mistake or foolish act.

Icche

A colloquial form of what, replacing the standard che cosa or cosa. Example:

Icche tu fai?

What are you doing?

Grullo

Similar to bischero, it means silly person. Commonly used in playful or affectionate teasing. Example:

'Un fare il grullo!

Don’t be silly!

Quattrini

An old-fashioned but still charming term for money. It originally referred to small coins but now means cash in general.

Ganzo

Today it means cool or awesome, but it originally referred to a lover or suitor.

Cencio

Means rag or cleaning cloth. It’s commonly used in Tuscan households, where others in Italy might say straccio.

Cannella

Means tap or faucet. While rubinetto is standard in Italian, Tuscans often say cannella, derived from Latin for little pipe.”

Granata

Means broom. While scopa is more common across Italy, granata is frequently used in Tuscany.

Distinctive Linguistic Features

Tuscan differs from standard Italian not only in vocabulary but also in grammar and pronunciation:

Pronouns Are Not Omitted

In standard Italian, subject pronouns are often dropped, since verb endings already indicate the subject. In Tuscan, however, pronouns are often retained for emphasis. For example: O che TU fai? (Hey, what are YOU doing?) or Come TU stai? (How are YOU?). This adds a more personal tone.

The Letter C Is Pronounced Like an English H

One of Tuscan’s most distinctive traits. For example, coca-cola con la cannuccia (Coca-Cola with a straw) sounds like hoha-hola hon la hannuccia. The soft c (before e or i) becomes an h sound.

Double Pronouns for Emphasis

Tuscans often use both stressed and unstressed pronouns together, which would be redundant in standard Italian. Example:

A me mi garba

I like it a lot

Contractions

Informal Tuscan speech shortens common words. Non becomes un (as in Un lo so – I don't know), faccio becomes fo, and vado becomes vo.

Infinitives Drop the Final -re

Infinitive verbs in spoken Tuscan often drop the final -re. For example, mangiare (to eat) becomes mangià, and andare (to go) becomes andà. This gives Tuscan a smooth, musical rhythm.

Why Tuscan Matters

Tuscan isn’t just a dialect—it’s a linguistic treasure. Modern Italian is rooted in Tuscan, especially thanks to the literary works of Dante Alighieri, Petrarch, and Boccaccio. This connection makes Tuscan a vital bridge between Italy’s rich past and its present.

For language lovers and travelers alike, learning a bit of Tuscan is like discovering the soul of Italy—one bischero or mi garba at a time.