A whole day spent talking about the Sardinian languages, their varieties, the role they play in today’s society and the one they may have in the near future. Because the Sardinian languages are indeed an important heritage of our land, but above all they are tools. That language often confined to the intimate sphere is certainly something precious, but to remain so it does not need to be locked in a chest and brought out on special occasions. This, and much more, was discussed yesterday in Siligo, at the conference “Raighinas de identidade”, a multifaceted university lesson offered outside academic spaces, dedicated to the study, protection and promotion of the languages of Sardinia. The initiative – promoted by the Municipality of Siligo and carried out with the contribution of the Autonomous Region of Sardinia (L.R. 12/2025 “Servizio Lingua e Cultura Sarda”) – was organized together with the Maria Carta Foundation and the Intrecci Culturali Association.

Speaking were leading experts in linguistics, semiotics, linguistic minorities, sociolinguists, mathematicians and computer scientists, but not only: also content creators, that is, those who convey messages through social networks; among them Caterina Roselli and Emiliano Mulas, respectively the creators of Afattadisoli and DocMulas: digital activists.

The opening was entrusted to the Siligo polyphonic choir, which performed two pieces: “su bolu ‘e s’astore” and “Làssami andare”, before giving way to the mayor, Giovanni Porcheddu, who clarified that the initiative was only the latest of the year in terms of linguistic promotion, a theme strongly felt by the Siligo administration, hoping that the language can remain “in the streets of all towns, and in the words of children”. Not accidental words, since the core of the conference was precisely to look, from a future perspective, at how the Sardinian languages currently spoken – Logudorese, Campidanese, Sassarese, Gallurese, Algherese and Tabarchino – can evolve also as a function of new technologies and changes in language. Changes faced by all languages: Professor Simone Pisano (University for Foreigners of Siena) illustrated the richness and complexity of the Sardinian linguistic landscape, placing Sardinian among the Neo-Latin languages as a distinct type and stressing that, unlike other European realities, in Sardinia a single linguistic standard has not taken hold, but that this does not make Sardinians different from other peoples, rather witnesses of a peculiar historical and linguistic path.

So many guests took part, including representatives of institutions, such as the mayor of Carloforte, Stefano Rombi, who highlighted how Tabarchino is a central element of local identity, a living, everyday language, born from the meeting of different traditions.

Leonardo Marras, president of the Maria Carta Foundation, introduced the screening of two short spots dedicated to the Limbas, stressing how children’s voices represent hope for the future of the languages.

Paolo Bellotti – president of the Intrecci Culturali Association – pointed out how a culture of belonging can become a tool for openness, economic development and welcome. In a context marked by globalization, digital communication and artificial intelligence, language is bound to change profoundly. According to Bellotti, defending roots is not enough: it is necessary to keep the sense of community alive, making the language current and able to welcome neologisms, so that it is not perceived by young people as something distant. 

The talks put at the center the intergenerational transmission of local languages, experienced as an essential element of identity, belonging and bond with the territory. Strong concern emerged about the risk of language loss, due to reduced everyday use and the difficulty, especially among young people, of practicing the language.

Alongside the emotional and identity dimension, the need for concrete and urgent actions was highlighted, in particular through school, university and language policies, such as courses and certification systems. The main challenge remains making linguistic standards shared and used by speakers, so that the language stays alive, transmissible and socially recognized.

Among the speakers were also Professor Rosangela Lai (University of Pisa), Professor Francescu Maria Luneschi and Dr. Marina Branca. Dr. Branca presented field research comparing Corsica and Gallura, highlighting linguistic obstacles, false friends, orthographic differences and graphemes, and the challenges of building a common future for neighboring languages. Professor Francescu Maria Luneschi, from the University of Corte (Corsica) – Sardinia’s sister island – spoke about Corsican and the project linked to regional toponymy, showing how language planning and data encoding can support the promotion of minority languages. The presence of university lecturers from Corsica, such as Professor Luneschi and Dr. Branca, together with scholars and linguistic experts, gave the conference vital momentum, showing that issues tied to the transmission and protection of minority languages do not concern only those who speak them, but involve a broader context of research, cooperation and cultural exchange between nearby and linguistically related territories.

Riccardo Mura, Piergiorgio Mura and Elisa Manca presented progress on certification programs for Sardinian and Gallurese, with orthographic standards and online syllabaries to ensure correct and widespread use of the language, also in written production.

The conference highlighted how language is alive and evolving. Recent films such as Il muto di Gallura, university workshops, TV programs and activism on social media show how it is possible to make the language visible and accessible, weaving together tradition and innovation.

In summary, the conference showed that defending linguistic roots goes through research, teaching, certification and cultural promotion: we are not alone in this challenge, and collaboration among experts, institutions and communities is decisive to keep the language alive.

The second part of the meeting, in the afternoon, focused on the “tools” (instruments) that can be used so that one day we will not have to speak, with nostalgia, of what could have been, and was not. Some have been put into practice by political institutions, such as language desks in order to protect and promote Sardinian in administrations, schools, libraries and media. Moderating the discussion on these fundamental tools was Antoni Nàtziu Garau, with the participation of operators such as Andrea Luxoro, Barone Canu and Flavia Marcias, who recounted daily challenges and strategies, carried forward amid objective difficulties; one above all: job stability. Antoni Nàtziu Garau, a linguistic expert in the courts, explained how some rights protected by law, such as being able to defend oneself in Sardinian if one prefers, are known neither by those who could use them nor by those who should implement them.

Professor Manolo Manca spoke about the Sardinian language and new technologies, pointing out how artificial intelligence tools such as ChatGPT and DeepL are not very effective for Sardinian, a low-resource language with limited digitization. Collaboration with the Sardinia Region and linguists aims to create datasets and specific tools to allow AI to understand and use the Sardinian language correctly.

Particularly incisive was the talk by Professor Franciscu Sedda, professor of Semiotics at the University of Cagliari, who traced the last thousand years of Sardinian linguistic history, highlighting the link between language, history, self-awareness and politics. Sardinian, already used in official acts and legal texts such as the condaghes and the Sassari statute, had in the past a significant institutional role, with textual uniformities as in the Carta Delogu, while maintaining syntactic varieties and levels of orality. Historical events and political pressures later marginalized the language, making oral poetry a tool of resistance. Sedda stressed how the language question is strictly political, subject to choices made in the halls of power, such as not yet having, in Sardinia, a law on bilingualism, before concluding with a meaningful statement: "When you no longer conceive of yourselves as a nation, Sardinian becomes a dialect."

The evening ended with a strongly symbolic moment, in which the Sardinian language found its lifeblood in artistic and musical contexts, showing how it is not only a tool of communication, but a vehicle of emotions, feelings and creativity. On stage performed artists and choirs who interpreted pieces in different linguistic variants: Yasmin Bradi (Catalan), Beppe Dettori (Sassarese), Maria Giovanna Cherchi (Logudorese), Coro Gabriel (Gallurese), Randagiu Sardu (Campidanese) and Battista Dagnino together with Tonino Macis (Tabarchino), with the special participation of the Oliena Choir, led by Antonio Putzu, and singer-songwriter Enzo Mugoni.

One of the pieces performed by the Oliena Choir is taken from a sonnet by Raimondo Piras, who recalled how language is that of our fathers and the language of affection. Piras warned: "You are de-Sardinianizing your children", stressing that a nation that loses the gift of its own language dies. The language, he explained, must be spoken in the family but also spread, because not being slaves to one’s own culture means always keeping one’s language in mind.

This closing reiterated the importance of keeping the language alive in artistic and musical forms, making it a heritage to pass on, share and feel.