Typography, Scripts and Dialects: Languages of Identity
- TypeCampus
- 3 giu
- Tempo di lettura: 5 min
Article by Michele Corsi.
Italian is a Romance language that developed from a common root, but over the centuries it has given rise to a wide array of local varieties. These varieties, commonly referred to as dialects, are the result of the historical, cultural, and geographical stratification of different regions of the peninsula. With the unification of Italy in the second half of the 19th century, a standard shared language gradually took hold, leading many to predict that dialects would disappear within a few generations.
In the 1960s, writer and poet Pier Paolo Pasolini claimed that Italian was becoming the sole and definitive language of Italians, destined to replace all local linguistic varieties. Yet, decades later, we now know that dialects have not only survived, but continue to thrive — albeit in different forms and in new contexts.
Today, dialects survive — and in some cases, grow stronger — thanks to a wide range of initiatives: cultural projects, theatre and film productions, publications, art installations, popular events, and increasingly, graphic and typographic projects. A noteworthy example is the award-winning film Gomorra (2008), later adapted into a TV series (2014–2021), based on Roberto Saviano’s book of the same name, with much of the dialogue in Neapolitan dialect. In many regions, people still use dialects to describe and relate to their local context. And in family settings or among friends, in informal environments, standard Italian often gives way to a more intimate, authentic form of expression.
In this context, the use of dialects is not just a linguistic matter — it is a form of
cultural resistance. It reflects a desire to affirm a local identity, to feel part of a community, to speak in a way that feels like home. It speaks to a deeply human need: the need to belong.
Serbian Cyrillic / Slavic languages that use Cyrillic
Fight For Kindness 2025 submission
This phenomenon is by no means unique to Italy. All over the world, alongside official languages, there are local varieties — be they dialects, minority languages, or vernacular forms — that tell the story and soul of a place. In India, for example, standard Hindi coexists with dozens of regional languages. In the Arab world, every country — and often each city — has its own variant of Arabic. In China, Mandarin is the official language, but many people speak other languages daily, such as Cantonese or Shanghainese. In Spain, Catalan, Basque, and Galician are spoken alongside Spanish. Every linguistic variety is a distinctive marker, a cultural code, a living archive of collective memory.
Indian Indic Scripts & Languages
Fight For Kindness 2024 submission
These local forms of language, like Italian dialects, share a fundamental function with alphabets and writing systems around the world: they transmit identity. In many cases, a local language or script tells you more about who someone is than any official document could. To speak or write in dialect, therefore, is not only to communicate — it is to express oneself, to assert one’s existence.
From this perspective, typography too becomes an extension of this language of identity. The typeface one chooses is never neutral: it speaks, evokes, suggests a tone, an intention, a culture. Typography can evoke familiarity, intimacy, and belonging. If you want to convey a message in dialect, choosing a typeface that is simple, readable, and “welcoming” can enhance its closeness and authenticity.
In this sense, typography and dialects are two sides of the same process: the way we choose to say something is part of what we are saying. Both the visual and the linguistic levels work together to create a message that is also a cultural statement.
A significant example of the value linguistic variation can bring to a language is the “Voices” project, launched by the BBC in 2005. It was one of the largest media campaigns dedicated to documenting the linguistic diversity of the United Kingdom. Through radio programs, television segments, and digital content, the project collected hundreds of audio testimonies of local voices, ranging from the Scottish Highlands to Wales, and from the urban accents of London, Liverpool, Birmingham, and many other areas. It became a living archive, showing how every variant — even within a dominant language — is a carrier of culture, history, and identity.
The project's goal was clear: to demonstrate that every linguistic variant — accent, dialect, local expression — is an expression of the cultural, social, and personal identity of its speakers. The initiative engaged schools, universities, local communities, and millions of British citizens, gathering perspectives on how language is perceived and used in everyday life.
In the nonprofit project Fight For Kindness, which has promoted messages of kindness through typography for four years, we’ve observed a recurring and meaningful trend: even within an international initiative, there is a strong need for proximity. People want to communicate with those around them using words, symbols, and languages that are immediately recognizable, familiar, rooted in their context. It’s a shared, cross-cultural need that cuts across geographic boundaries.
Thai / Baybayin Script / Japanese Fight For Kindness 2024 submissions
Some of the Fight For Kindness posters clearly illustrate how the local dimension often complements the global one, both typographically and linguistically. The results are a combination of writing systems that visually reflect the intersection of proximity and universality.
Projects like these, which address global issues such as kindness or sustainability, often draw strength from the diversity of languages used. When a single word is presented in multiple scripts or languages — especially those with vastly different alphabets — the impact is powerful: the message takes root locally while simultaneously opening up to a global perspective. It becomes an invitation to recognise oneself, and also to recognise others.
Arabic / Fight For Kindness 2024 submissions
Ultimately, the connection between dialects and typography is deeper than it seems. Both are tools of expression, carriers of culture, ways to assert identity. In an era when identities risk being flattened into a uniform language and globalized graphics, remembering and valuing specificity — linguistic, graphic, cultural — is a necessary act. Because every voice, every sign, every variation has something unique to say.
And today, more than ever, we need to listen to those voices that speak with an accent, that write with unusual strokes, that tell stories beyond the margins of the standard. Because it is there — in the gentle strength of differences — that the future of communication lies.
All Scripts And Languages Are Invited To Participate in Fight For Kindness Open Call!
Fight For Kindness is a global initiative that promotes the extended values of kindness through typographic posters. The core value of the initiative is inclusivity - entire creative community is invited to participate, without geographical or language barriers.
Moreover, we encourage participants to experiment with the typography using their native languages and scripts. We want all voices to be heard, we want them to be loud and bold — so the message reaches as many people as possible.
To participate, designers are invited to submit artwork by June 15, 2025 that contains an inspirational headline/message for a more empathic, inclusive and positive world.
Let’s start changing this world together by doing our small part and promoting the values of kindness, respect, community and humanity together!
To participate and get more information
A project by Typecampus / Sponsored by Zetafonts
Comments