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

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

'''Old Vela Luka Speak''' in Croatian, ''Staro Luški govor''  <ref>Tako su stari govorili. Translate: ''That's how the old folk use to speak''.</ref> (or Vallegrande Speak) is a old [[Korcula Dialect]] from the small  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 '''Croatian Chakavian''' <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 Old Western Shtokavian<ref>[http://ukpmc.ac.uk/articles/PMC2121596/reload=0;jsessionid=7BE5888928AF51ECB79DC33089D0E57A.jvm1 The Land of 1000 Islands] by Igor Rudan

'''Old Vela Luka Speak''' in Croatian, ''Staro Luški govor''  <ref>Tako su stari govorili. Translate: ''That's how the old folk use to speak''.</ref> (or  

alternatively Vallegrande Speak) is an old [[Korcula Dialect]] from the small  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 '''Croatian Chakavian''' <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 Old Western 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 [[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 [Dalmazia Veneta]. The newcomers brought their gene pool and a variety of cultural specificities, including the Shtokavian 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)."</ref>). It has a strong elements of ''Italian Venetian'' and it also has remnants of the extinct Romance (Latin) language, '''Dalmatian''' <ref>PRILOG PROUČAVANJU LEKSIČKIH RAZLIKA IZMEĐU GOVORA BLATA I VELE LUKE (I) by Petar Milat Panža </ref><ref>'''Encyclopedia Britannica''' {{quote|

* "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 [Dalmazia Veneta]. The newcomers brought their gene pool and a variety of cultural specificities, including the Shtokavian 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)."</ref>). It has a strong elements of ''Italian Venetian'' and it also has remnants of the extinct Romance (Latin) language, '''Dalmatian''' <ref>PRILOG PROUČAVANJU LEKSIČKIH RAZLIKA IZMEĐU GOVORA BLATA I VELE LUKE (I) by Petar Milat Panža </ref><ref>'''Encyclopedia Britannica''' {{quote|

===Old Vela Luka Dialect Evolved Late 18th Century===

===Old Vela Luka Dialect Evolved Late 18th Century===

Vela Luka's first beginnings as a town, are from the late 17th century (late 1600s). It started with the population of the neighbouring Blato <ref>In Croatian blato means ''mud'' it also has been said the word is related to ''water'' referring to the once lake in neighbouring field</ref> setting up a town in the large bay of Vela Luka (Vallegrande ''or'' Latin: vallem maximam). Zvonko Maricich (Maričić) states in the late 1500s there where already five buildings in the bay (one being a church). The buildings belong to Ismaelli, Gabrielli, Canavelli<ref> In re-written modern Croatian: Kanavelić</ref> and Kolovic.   

Vela Luka's first beginnings as a town, are from the late 17th century (late 1600s). It started with the population of the neighbouring Blato <ref>In Croatian blato means ''mud'' it also has been said the word is related to ''water'' referring to the once lake in neighbouring field</ref> setting up a town in the large bay of Vela Luka (Vallegrande ''or'' Latin: vallem maximam). Zvonko Maričić (Maricich) states in the late 1500s there where already five buildings in the bay (one being a church). The buildings belong to Ismaelli, Gabrielli, Canavelli<ref> In re-written modern Croatian: Kanavelić</ref> and Kolovic.   

Then around the 1690s <ref>Vela Luka od 1490 do 1834 ''by'' Zvonko Maričić (p207)</ref> there were additional twelve households (written in modern Croatian): Draginić, Tulić, Nalošić, Kostričić, Cetinić, Mirošević, [[Directory:Zuvela‎‎|Žuvela]], Prižmić, Marinović, Dragojević, Barčot and Surjan.

Then around the 1690s <ref>Vela Luka od 1490 do 1834 ''by'' Zvonko Maričić (p207)</ref> there were additional twelve households (written in modern Croatian): Draginić, Tulić, Nalošić, Kostričić, Cetinić, Mirošević, [[Directory:Zuvela‎‎|Žuvela]], Prižmić, Marinović, Dragojević, Barčot and Surjan.

Old Vela Luka Dialect is an off shoot of the language spoken in '''17th-18th century''' town of 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 '''Latin Dalmatians'''. The modern name, Vela Luka is a old Croatian translation of Vallegrande, Vela meaning ''large'' and Luka meaning ''bay'' or even port. Within the Liber Legum Statutorum Curzola (Statute of Korčula Town) the written version from 1427, Vela Luka the bay is mention also as "''vela Luca''". With this record we have Croatian-Slavic language influences in the first half of 15th century. The first written Liber Legum Statutorum Curzola was by the Dalmatian Latins and new Slavic nobility in 1214.   

Old Vela Luka Dialect is an off shoot of the language spoken in '''17th-18th century''' town of 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 '''Latin Dalmatians'''. The modern name, Vela Luka is an old Croatian translation of Vallegrande, Vela meaning ''large'' and Luka meaning ''bay'' or even port. Within the Liber Legum Statutorum Curzola (Statute of Korčula Town) the written version from 1427, Vela Luka the bay is mention also as "''vela Luca''". With this record we have Croatian-Slavic language influences in the first half of 15th century. The first written Liber Legum Statutorum Curzola was by the Dalmatian Latins and new Slavic nobility in 1214.   

Very important to note there is a strong element of Italian Venetian within Old Vela Luka Dialect. By the time of 15th and 16th century the majority of the population of the island of Korčula (more in the west end) spoke Old Croatian with a mix of the Romance Dalmatian language and with heavy influences of Venetian (''lingua franca'' of that era). During the rule of the Republic of Venice (from 1420 to 1797) saw the slow disappearance of Romance (Latin) Dalmatian.  

Very important to note there is a strong element of Italian Venetian within Old Vela Luka Dialect. By the time of 15th and 16th century the majority of the population of the island of Korčula (more in the west end) spoke Old Croatian with a mix of the Romance Dalmatian language and with heavy influences of Venetian (''lingua franca'' of that era). During the rule of the Republic of Venice (from 1420 to 1797) saw the slow disappearance of Romance (Latin) Dalmatian.  

It also has to be taken into account that some parts of the population were bilingual (''or'' even multilingual).

It also has to be taken into account that some parts of the population were bilingual (''or'' even multilingual).

One could easily say that now the 'Old Vela Luka Dialect' (Staro Luški govor) is slowly 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 political rule. One of their policies in Dalmatia was Slavicisation of the culture, language and history. Before Yugoslavia came into being the policy was first started to be implemented by Austro-Hungarian Empire, so the original '''Mr Gabrielli''' 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 Govor, English: Old Vela Luka Speak) is different and has incorporated much of the standardised modern Croatian language (Croatian Literary Standard).  

One could easily say that now the 'Old Vela Luka Dialect' (Staro Luški govor) is slowly 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 political rule. One of their policies in Dalmatia was Slavicisation of the culture, language and history. Before Yugoslavia came into being the policy was first started to be implemented by Austro-Hungarian Empire, so the original '''Mr Gabrielli''' became Gabrijeliċ. It takes only one generation to change a language, two generations for it too cease to exist. Today's dialect in Vela Luka (Luški Govor, English: Old Vela Luka Speak) is different and has incorporated much of the standardised modern Croatian language (Croatian Literary Standard).  

'''Note''': 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.

'''Note''': 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.