ITALIAN, the language spoken in Italy. See the article LANGUAGE.
This tongue is derived principally from the Latin; and of all the languages formed from the Latin, there is none which carries with it more visible marks of its original than the Italian. It is accounted one of the most perfect among the modern tongues, containing words and phrases to represent all ideas, to express all sentiments, to deliver one's self on all subjects, to name all the instruments and parts of arts, &c. It is, however, complained, that it has too many diminutives and superlatives, or rather augmentatives; but without any great reason: for if these words convey nothing farther to the mind than the just ideas of things, they are no more faulty than our pleonasm and hyperboles. The language corresponds to the genius of the people: they are slow and thoughtful; and accordingly their language runs heavily, though smoothly, and many of their words are lengthened out to a great degree. They have a great taste for music; and, to gratify their passion this way, have altered abundance of their primitive words, leaving out consonants, taking in vowels, softening and lengthening out their terminations for the sake of the cadence. Hence the language is extremely musical, and succeeds better than any other in operas, and some parts of poetry; but it fails in strength and nerves: hence also a great part of its words borrowed from the Latin became so far disguised, that they are not easily known again.