Changes

[[File:250px-Croatia-Dalmatia-1.jpg|thumb|right|400px|Dalmatia (the dark purple) within todays modern [[Croatia]] The island of Korcula is marked red.]]

[[File:250px-Croatia-Dalmatia-1.jpg|thumb|right|400px|Dalmatia (the dark purple) within todays modern [[Croatia]] The island of Korcula is marked red.]]

'''Vallegrande Speak''' (in Croatian, ''Luški'') <ref>The š is pronounced ''sh''.</ref> is a [[Korcula Dialect]] from the town of '''Vela Luka'''. The town is on the west end of the island of Korčula.<ref>The č is pronounced ''ch''.</ref> The island of Korčula lies just off the Dalmatian coast in [[Croatia]].<ref>John Everett-Healu. "Dalmatia." Concise Dictionary of World Place-Names. Oxford University Press. 2005. Encyclopedia.com</ref> The language base of this Korčula dialect is Chakavian Croatian <ref>'''Editors note''':  Slavic tribes invaded the region of''' Roman Dalmatia''' in the early Middle Ages. Prior to the arrival of the Slavs, Roman Dalmatia was mainly inhabited by a '''Roman Latin-Illyrian''' population. Recent DNA studies have stated that more than three quarters of today's Croatian men are the descendants of Europeans who inhabited Europe 13 000-20 000 years ago (prior to the arrival of the Slavs). The first primary source (factual-that its authenticity isn't disputed) to mention the Croatian-Hrvat identity in the Balkans was '''Duke Branimir''' (Latin:'' "Branimiro comite dux cruatorum cogitavit"''  c. 880 AD). Branimir was a Slav from Dalmatia.</ref>  (it is also intermixed with Shokavian).<ref>[http://ukpmc.ac.uk/articles/PMC2121596/reload=0;jsessionid=7BE5888928AF51ECB79DC33089D0E57A.jvm1 The Land of 1000 Islands] by Igor Rudan

'''Vallegrande Speak''' (in Croatian, ''Luški'') <ref>The š is pronounced ''sh''.</ref> is a [[Korcula Dialect]] from the town of '''Vela Luka'''. The town is on the west end of the island of Korčula.<ref>The č is pronounced ''ch''.</ref> The island of Korčula lies just off the Dalmatian coast in [[Croatia]].<ref>John Everett-Healu. "Dalmatia." Concise Dictionary of World Place-Names. Oxford University Press. 2005. Encyclopedia.com</ref> The language base of this Korčula dialect is Chakavian Croatian <ref>'''Editors note''':  Slavic tribes invaded the region of''' Roman Dalmatia''' in the early Middle Ages. Prior to the arrival of the Slavs, Roman Dalmatia was mainly inhabited by a '''Roman Latin-Illyrian''' population. Recent DNA studies have stated that more than three quarters of today's Croatian men are the descendants of Europeans who inhabited Europe 13 000-20 000 years ago (prior to the arrival of the Slavs). The first primary source (factual-that its authenticity isn't disputed) to mention the Croatian-Hrvat identity in the Balkans was '''Duke Branimir''' (Latin:'' "Branimiro comite dux cruatorum cogitavit"''  c. 880 AD). Branimir was a Slav from Dalmatia.</ref>  (it is also intermixed with Shtokavian).<ref>[http://ukpmc.ac.uk/articles/PMC2121596/reload=0;jsessionid=7BE5888928AF51ECB79DC33089D0E57A.jvm1 The Land of 1000 Islands] by Igor Rudan

* "However, the clashes between the Ottoman Empire and Venetian Republic produced extensive migrations from the mainland areas, especially from today's Bosnia and Herzegovina, to the eastern parts of the islands of Brač, Hvar, Korčula, and Pag. The newcomers brought their gene pool and a variety of cultural specificities, including the “Shokavian” dialect of the Croatian language to the predominantly “Chakavian” area. The most extensive migrations to these islands occurred during the Cypriote (1571-1573), Candian (1645-1669), and Morean wars (1684-1699). The newcomers were given land and awarded special privileges “The Paštrović Privileges”."</ref> The dialect has remnants of the extinct [[Latin]] Romance language, ''Dalmatian''. The Dalmatian remnants within the dialect have been sometimes referred to as Corzulot.

* "However, the clashes between the [[Directory:Turkey|Ottoman Empire]] and Venetian Republic produced extensive migrations from the mainland areas, especially from today's Bosnia and Herzegovina, to the eastern parts of the islands of Brač, Hvar, Korčula, and Pag. The newcomers brought their gene pool and a variety of cultural specificities, including the “Shokavian” dialect of the Croatian language to the predominantly “Chakavian” area. The most extensive migrations to these islands occurred during the Cypriote (1571-1573), Candian (1645-1669), and Morean wars (1684-1699). The newcomers were given land and awarded special privileges “The Paštrović Privileges”."</ref> The dialect has remnants of the extinct [[Latin]] Romance language, ''Dalmatian''. The Dalmatian remnants within the dialect have been sometimes referred to as Corzulot.

Additionally it has influences of Venetian.<ref> Concerning the Number of Italians/Pro-Italians in Dalmatia in the XIXth Century by Šime Peričić

Additionally it has influences of Venetian.<ref> Concerning the Number of Italians/Pro-Italians in Dalmatia in the XIXth Century by Šime Peričić

* Corcira Melaena (Greek:Kórkyra Melaena)</ref> Vela Luka in the past was called ''Vallegrande''.

* Corcira Melaena (Greek:Kórkyra Melaena)</ref> Vela Luka in the past was called ''Vallegrande''.

'''Note''': The last Italian-language  government school was abolished in Korčula (Curzola) on the 13th of September 1876.<ref>[http://books.google.com.au/books?id=kMXURN7sxh4C&pg=PA83&lpg=PA83&dq=The+Italians+of+Dalmatia+Curzola+school&source=bl&ots=Sx1bUxdn1A&sig=YCATl36eEUduI42Azs0GVUeepBo&hl=en#v=onepage&q=The%20Italians%20of%20Dalmatia%20Curzola%20school&f=false The Italians of Dalmatia] by Luciano Monzali (p83)</ref><ref>'''Editor's Note''': The island of Korcula was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire (1815 to 1918). It was was part of the Kingdom of Dalmatia. In the neighbouring '''Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia''' a [[Croatia|Croatian]] nationalistic movement was established and alongside that, within the Balkan region a Pan-Slavic movement was growing (the beginnings of the ill fated Yugoslavia). These political on goings started to be felt in the Kingdom of Dalmatia. The [[Austria|Austrians]] in the 1860s started to introduce (a  process of [[Croatisation]])  within the Kingdom of Dalmatia a standardised Croatian language sometimes referred to as Illirski. It then replaced Italian altogether. In effect the government undertook culture genocide. For centuries the Italian language was the official language of the Dalmatian establishment. It was also the spoken language in white-collar, civil service and merchant families.Privately Italian schools were still being run in the Kingdom of Dalmatia, i.e the city of Zadar. </ref>  

'''Note''': The last Italian-language  government school was abolished in Korčula on the 13th of September 1876.<ref>[http://books.google.com.au/books?id=kMXURN7sxh4C&pg=PA83&lpg=PA83&dq=The+Italians+of+Dalmatia+Curzola+school&source=bl&ots=Sx1bUxdn1A&sig=YCATl36eEUduI42Azs0GVUeepBo&hl=en#v=onepage&q=The%20Italians%20of%20Dalmatia%20Curzola%20school&f=false The Italians of Dalmatia] by Luciano Monzali (p83)</ref><ref>'''Editor's Note''': The island of Korcula was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire (1815 to 1918). It was was part of the Kingdom of Dalmatia. In the neighbouring '''Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia''' a [[Croatia|Croatian]] nationalistic movement was established and alongside that, within the Balkan region a Pan-Slavic movement was growing (the beginnings of the ill fated Yugoslavia). These political on goings started to be felt in the Kingdom of Dalmatia. The [[Austria|Austrians]] in the 1860s started to introduce (a  process of [[Croatisation]])  within the Kingdom of Dalmatia a standardised Croatian language sometimes referred to as Illirski. It then replaced Italian altogether. In effect the government undertook culture genocide. For centuries the Italian language was the official language of the Dalmatian establishment. It was also the spoken language in white-collar, civil service and merchant families.Privately Italian schools were still being run in the Kingdom of Dalmatia, i.e the city of Zadar. </ref>  

* Information below taken from Beginnings of Formal Education - Vela Luka:

* Information below taken from Beginnings of Formal Education - Vela Luka:

{{Cquote|''Italian language was not only the official language in all public Dalmatian establishments, but also was the spoken language in a significant number of white-collar, civil service and merchant families in the cities and major markets within towns'' <ref>The Early Beginnings of Formal Education - Vela Luka (beginnings of literacy and Lower Primary School 1857 – 1870) (p.8 written in Croatian)</ref>}}  

{{Cquote|''Italian language was not only the official language in all public Dalmatian establishments, but also was the spoken language in a significant number of white-collar, civil service and merchant families in the cities and major markets within towns'' <ref>The Early Beginnings of Formal Education - Vela Luka (beginnings of literacy and Lower Primary School 1857 – 1870) (p.8 written in Croatian)</ref>}}  

* From the late 19th century onwards the old [[Dalmatian Italians#The Cultural and Historical Venetian Presence in Dalmatia |Dalmatian]] culture has been all but disappearing from the region.

* From the late 19th century onwards the old [[Dalmatian Italians#The Cultural and Historical Venetian Presence in Dalmatia |Dalmatian]] culture has been all but disappearing from the region.

[[File:242424 1862049509067 689609 o.jpg|thumb|right|500px|A ''Vela Luka-Vallegrande'' postcard from 1903, written in Croatian and  [[Italy|Italian]]. Photo taken by Ernesto Furlani.  The last Italian language government school was abolished on Korcula on the 13th of September 1876.]]

[[File:242424 1862049509067 689609 o.jpg|thumb|right|500px|A ''Vela Luka-Vallegrande'' postcard from 1903, written in Croatian and  [[Italy|Italian]]. Photo taken by Ernesto Furlani.]]

===Chronology-Korcula Island Languages===

===Chronology-Korcula Island Languages===

* Illyrian (Delmatae)

* Illyrian (Delmatae)

== Additional History ==

== Additional History ==

Trying to re-tell the history of this part of the world ([[Croatia]]-Dalmatia) is fraught with problems. The [[Titoism and Totalitarianism|Yugoslav Communist party]]  was the main driving force in all social matters within the former [[Yugoslavia]]. It created historic falsehoods to promote its own aggressive political authoritarian agenda.

Trying to re-tell the history of this part of the world (Dalmatia part of [[Croatia]]) is fraught with problems. The [[Titoism and Totalitarianism|Yugoslav Communist party]]  was the main driving force in all social matters within the former [[Yugoslavia]]. It created historic falsehoods to promote its own aggressive political authoritarian agenda.

We can definitely confirm that from the 9th century onwards there were '''two ethnic''' communities living on the island in the middle ages, one being descendants of the Roman Empire and the other being of Slavic descent. Two languages, the Romance Latin language called Dalmatian and the old Slavic Chakavian language became the norm on the island. With time these languages started to overlap. The written language was [[Latin]]. The fact that Slavs from the then neighbouring [[Directory:Croatia|Kingdom of Croatia]] also spoke old Slavic Chakavian could indicate that this group of Slavs came from the same tribal group.

We can definitely confirm that from the 9th century onwards there were '''two ethnic''' communities living on the island in the middle ages, one being descendants of the Roman Empire and the other being of Slavic descent. Two languages, the Romance Latin language called Dalmatian and the old Slavic Chakavian language became the norm on the island. With time these languages started to overlap. The written language was [[Latin]]. The fact that Slavs from the then neighbouring [[Directory:Croatia|Kingdom of Croatia]] also spoke old Slavic Chakavian could indicate that this group of Slavs came from the same tribal group.

When the Serbian forces were annihilated in the ''Battle of Kosovo'' by the [[Directory:Turkey|Ottoman Empire]] in '''1389''' a large group of peoples stated to migrate westward. Venetian Dalmatia started to acquire new people in its region (i.e., Croatians, Serbs, Albanians & others). When the Black Plague <ref>Korčula was devastated by the plague in 1529 and 1558.{{citeweb|url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/322146/Korcula|title='''"Korcula."''' '''Encyclopædia Britannica'''. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Encyclopædia Britannica, 2011. Tue. 8 Mar. 2011. |date=[[2011]]|accessdate=2011-03-8}}

When the Serbian forces were annihilated in the ''Battle of Kosovo'' by the [[Directory:Turkey|Ottoman Empire]] in '''1389''' a large group of peoples stated to migrate westward. Venetian Dalmatia started to acquire new people in its region (i.e., Croatians, Serbs, Albanians & others). When the Black Plague <ref>Korcula was devastated by the plague in 1529 and 1558.{{citeweb|url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/322146/Korcula|title='''"Korcula."''' '''Encyclopædia Britannica'''. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Encyclopædia Britannica, 2011. Tue. 8 Mar. 2011. |date=[[2011]]|accessdate=2011-03-8}}

* '''Encyclopædia Britannica''': " A plague devastated the town in 1529, depleting the population. The burned houses of infected persons, called kućišta..."</ref><ref>[http://books.google.com.au/books?id=ZyOYDrSkX80C&pg=PA239&dq=Italian+population+Curzola&hl=en&ei=3ptXTcqwOIjSuwPI3NyrBQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CDAQ6AEwADgK#v=onepage&q=Italian%20population%20Curzola&f=false The Shores of the Adriatic (Illustrated Edition)] by F Hamilton Jackson (p239)</ref> depleted the island's population the Venetian authorities so a need to bring new families to the island of Korčula. Amongst these were Shokavian Slavic speakers. With these new added migrations the Slavic speakers became a majority.

* '''Encyclopædia Britannica''': " A plague devastated the town in 1529, depleting the population. The burned houses of infected persons, called kućišta..."</ref><ref>[http://books.google.com.au/books?id=ZyOYDrSkX80C&pg=PA239&dq=Italian+population+Curzola&hl=en&ei=3ptXTcqwOIjSuwPI3NyrBQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CDAQ6AEwADgK#v=onepage&q=Italian%20population%20Curzola&f=false The Shores of the Adriatic (Illustrated Edition)] by F Hamilton Jackson (p239)</ref> depleted the island's population the Venetian authorities so a need to bring new families to the island of Korčula. Amongst these were Shotkavian Slavic speakers. With these new added migrations the Slavic speakers became a majority (this applies more to west end of the island).

If the translation of the [[Defence of Korcula|Defence of Korčula]] 
 from Ottoman Turkish attack in 1571, originally written by Antun (Antonio) Rozanovic is ''untainted'', we can see that the majority of the defenders of the island were by 1571 of Slavic decent. If we use this as a reference then from the mid 16th century onwards the majority of Korčula's population was indeed of Slavic origins.  

If the translation of the [[Defence of Korcula|Defence of Korčula]] 
from Ottoman Turkish attack in 1571, originally written by Antun (Antonio) Rozanovic is ''untainted'', we can see that the majority of the defenders of the island were by 1571 of Slavic decent. If we use this as a reference then from the mid 16th century onwards the majority of Korčula's population was indeed of Slavic origins.  

The Vallegrande Speak evolved in the first half of the 19th century. Vela Luka's early beginnings, from the late 18th century, started with the population of the neighbouring Blato <ref>In Croatian blato means  ''mud''.</ref>setting up a town in the large bay of Vallegrande (modern: Vela Luka). Vallegrande Speak is an off shoot of the language spoken in 18th century Blato. Etymology of Vallegrande would translate as large bay.  From Latin ''grandis'' means large, big whilst 'valle' in local dialect means bays. Valle (plural) is most probably of Romance (Latin) Dalmatian origin which was spoken by Roman Dalmatians.

The Vallegrande Speak evolved in the first half of the 19th century. Vela Luka's early beginnings, from the late 18th century, started with the population of the neighbouring Blato <ref>In Croatian blato means  ''mud''.</ref> setting up a town in the large bay of Vallegrande (modern: Vela Luka). Vallegrande Speak is an off shoot of the language spoken in 18th century Blato. Etymology of Vallegrande would translate as large bay.  From Latin ''grandis'' means large, big whilst ' valle ' in local dialect means bays. Valle (plural) is most probably of Romance (Latin) Dalmatian origin which was spoken by Roman Dalmatians.

It is believed that there were two hamlets in the bay, Vallegrande and Bobovisca.  

It is believed that there were two hamlets in the bay, Vela Luka and Bobovišċa.  

One could easily say that the old Vallegrande Speak is becoming extinct. Successive Yugoslavian governments, be it the Communist Yugoslavian regime (1945-92) or the earlier Kingdom of Yugoslavia, pushed a Pan-Slavic and Croatian Nationalistic authoritarian political rule. One of their policies in Dalmatia was Slavicisation of the culture, language and history. So Gabriel became Gabrijeliċ. It takes only one generation to change a language, two generations for it to cease to exist. Today's dialect in Vela Luka (Luški) is different and has incorporated much of the standardised modern Croatian language.

One could easily say that the old Vallegrande Speak is becoming extinct. Successive Yugoslavian governments, be it the Communist Yugoslavian regime (1945-92) or the earlier Kingdom of Yugoslavia, pushed a Pan-Slavic and Croatian Nationalistic authoritarian political rule. One of their policies in Dalmatia was Slavicisation of the culture, language and history. So Mr Gabriel became Gabrijeliċ. It takes only one generation to change a language, two generations for it to cease to exist. Today's dialect in Vela Luka (Luški) is different and has incorporated much of the standardised modern Croatian language.

====Arneri Lords of Korcula====

====Arneri Lords of Korcula====