What is in Italian?

Italian, a Romance language, is the official language of Italy and one of the official languages of Switzerland, San Marino, and Vatican City. It is historically referred to as the Lingua Toscana (Tuscan language), as many of its features derive from the Tuscan dialect, particularly that of the city of Florence. Other regional dialects and languages remain influential, especially in the literature of Italy.

Italian is spoken natively by about 59 million people in Italy and over 100 million worldwide. It is the native language of the vast majority of the population in Italy and San Marino, and of significant minorities in Switzerland and Vatican City. It is also spoken by Italian communities in other countries such as the United States, Canada, Argentina, Brazil, and Australia.

Italian is also one of the most widely studied foreign languages in the world, with a total of about 2.3 million students in secondary schools and 1.9 million in universities worldwide. It is also the most widely taught foreign language in Italy (80% of students), France (60%), Spain (50%), Germany (25%), and the United Kingdom (15%).

Italian is closely related to other Romance languages, such as Spanish, Portuguese, and French, and is more distantly related to other languages such as German and English. However, it has also been influenced by other languages, including Latin, Greek, and Arabic.