Cimbrian refers to any of several local Upper German dialects spoken in northeastern Italy.
Cimbrian is related to Austro-Bavarian and is sometimes classified as a Southern Bavarian dialect. However, as there are many essential differences in grammar as well as in vocabulary and pronunciation, it is practically unintelligible for people speaking German or Austro-Bavarian. So it should be considered as a separate language of its own. Cimbrian shows many archaic features.
The three major dialects of Cimbrian are spoken in the "Sette Comuni" (Sieben Gemeinden) near Asiago; the "Tredici Comuni" (Dreizehn Gemeinden), near Verona; and in Luserna (Lusern).
This area was settled in about the year 1000 by people coming from Tyrol, and since then it was isolated from other German speaking areas, politically and linguistically.
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