A conference titled "What is a standard in a language? History, challenges, expectations, and future of Ladin" will be held on June 6, 2025, at the Istituto Culturale Ladino "Majon di Fascegn" in San Giovanni di Fassa.
The conference will explore the concept of a language standard, its benefits for minority languages, and the history of the Ladin standard, also known as Dolomitic Ladin. Ladin, spoken in the Dolomite valleys, encompasses various dialects such as Fassano, Fodom, Badiotto, Gardenese, and Ampezzano, each with further sub-variants.
While these dialects share common roots, enabling mutual understanding, a unified language is crucial for the survival of Ladin. This "lingua tetto" (Italian) or "Dachsprache" (German), a standard language, is primarily used in writing and in official contexts, such as documents for the UNESCO Dolomites Foundation.
The event, part of the 50th-anniversary celebrations of Majon di Fascegn and "Archivissima 2025", will feature discussions on linguistic planning, opportunities, and risks of a standard language. Group workshops will delve into the future of Ladin, with input from experts in Sardinian, Friulian, and sociolinguistics.