Tullio De Mauro, former minister of education, university professor and Italian linguist, passed away at the age of 84. Prominent figure for our local culture, De Mauro has revolutionized the study of the Italian language. His contributions on linguistics have been of extraordinary value, so much so as to place him among the most enlightened minds of the Italian twentieth century.
The linguistics of Tullio De Mauro
Born in Torre Annunziata (NA) on March 31, 1932, Tullio De Mauro graduated in classical literature in 1956 in Rome. From an early age he devoted himself to the study of the Italian language and in 1966 he founded, together with other colleagues, the Italian linguistic society. His teaching career has seen him protagonist in the universities of Rome, Naples, Chieti, Salerno and Palermo. The subjects always focused on the Italian language, but with a more modern approach than traditional study.
In fact, in 1961 he published, on the occasion of the centenary of the unification of Italy, the Linguistic history of Italy. A text in which the evolution of the language is faced through the social, political and economic events of the country. A history of Italian, but also of Italy and Italians. How we managed to overcome illiteracy with the help of school, but also internal emigration, mass media and technology. The book has been republished several times and is currently one of the reference texts for the study of Italian linguistics.
The dialects and politics
According to some, dialects are a form of linguistic backwardness. But for Tullio De Mauro they were, and still are, one of the most fascinating aspects of our language. The expressiveness that these are able to transmit represent in fact a form of enrichment of our language. And they must be protected, preserved and studied precisely for the contribution offered to everyday communication.
But in addition to studying, there was a lot of politics in Tullio De Mauro's life. In 1975 he was elected to the Lazio Regional Council on the PCI lists and later as councilor for culture. He has collaborated with various newspapers and weeklies, often dealing with politics and the many problems of Italian society. He was also minister of public education in the second Amato government between 2000 and 2001. From 2001 to 2010 he chaired the foundation Digital world, company that deals with the link between teaching and technology.
