Relitti linguistici longobardi nel ducato di Benevento

This paper analyses the legacy of the Lombard language in Italy, focusing on lexical remnants present in southern dialects, considering lexicon as a key marker of linguistic and cultural contact. Using an interdisciplinary approach that combines historical linguistics, dialectology, and documentary sources, the study investigates the transmission of the Germanic lexical heritage in southern Italy. It discusses the complexity of the etymological attribution of Germanisms, going beyond traditional criteria such as that of the second consonant mutation. The study highlights diachronic and diatopic variations in Lombard, proposing the hypothesis of a “Benevento Lombard”. Special attention is given to the role of the Lessico Etimologico Italiano in refining our understanding of Lombard influence on Italian.