The future of Sardinian depends on the ability to pass it on to new generations, to make it a language they can identify with and use in everyday life. This is the theme of the reflection proposed by Antoni Flore Motzo, mayor of Scano Montiferro and an expert on Sardinian language, history, and traditions, at the meeting "Su sardu e sos zovanos: isetos e isperas," which in Paulilatino addressed issues related to the fragility of familial transmission, the burden of prejudice, and the possibility of recovery.
In his conversation with Maria Cristina Floris, Motzo began with a difficulty inherent in understanding the phenomenon itself: the lack of updated data on Sardinians' relationship with their language. This gap makes it more difficult to interpret the changes and understand the extent of the progressive loss of its use. Among the causes cited is the rise of Italian through schools and institutions, which has impacted linguistic habits and family choices.
Motzo also traced the theme back to the thought of Antonio Gramsci: the question of language transcends the grammatical and technical plane and involves power relations, social prestige, and cultural hegemony. From this perspective, the renunciation of Sardinian is intertwined with the search for opportunity and the aspiration to a different social status.
A key shift involved women. For many, learning Italian represented a means of emancipation and redemption, accompanied by the promise of a better life. This process had consequences for the transmission of the language and was influenced by social judgments that still impact the present. The discussion highlighted, in particular, the stigma that still surrounds the use of Sardinian by young women.
According to the speaker, women in particular can play an important role in reviving transmission. The relationship between mother and child is one of the key spaces in which language can be learned and experienced again, becoming part of the daily lives of new generations.
The focus then broadened to include the dialects spoken in the island's various towns, long considered an obstacle. Emilio Lussu's reference to the experience of the Sassari Brigade offered insight into the possibility of understanding and recognizing one another, even across differences.
Despite recognizing the difficulties, Motzo expressed confidence in the possibilities for recovery and enhancement. There are foundations from which to build: cultural initiatives, teaching programs, institutional commitment, and above all, the participation of young people. The crucial point remains ensuring continuity for the language, rebuilding opportunities to keep it alive and pass it on.
The meeting took place in the Multimedia Center, as part of "Trame d'autunno – Voci, luoghi e culture in dialogo," a series promoted by the Municipality. Organized in collaboration with the Youth Council, the initiative was introduced by Culture Councilor Ilaria Urgu.
Professor Giovanni Mura opened the discussion, which was entirely in Sardinian, with a reflection enriched by references to the country's history and his personal experience.