Slavomolisano dialect

This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations. (January 2013) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

Molise Slavic
Molise Croatian, Slavomolisano
na-našu, na-našo
Native to	Italy
Region	Molise
Ethnicity	Molise Croats
Native speakers	< 1,000 (2012)[1]
Language family	Indo-European Balto-Slavic Slavic South Slavic Western South Slavic [ru] Shtokavian Neo-Shtokavian Younger Ikavian Molise Slavic
Writing system	Latin script[2]
Official status
Recognised minority language in	Italy
Language codes
ISO 639-3	svm
Glottolog	slav1254

Slavomolisano, also known as Molise Slavic or Molise Croatian (Croatian: Moliški hrvatski; Italian: croata molisana), is a variety of Shtokavian Croatian spoken by Italian Croats in three villages – Montemitro (Mundimitar), Acquaviva Collecroce (Živavoda Kruč) and San Felice del Molise (Štifilić) – in the province of Campobasso, in the Molise Region of southern Italy. There are fewer than 1,000 active speakers, and fewer than 2,000 passive speakers.^[1]

It has been preserved since a group of Croats emigrated from Dalmatia due to the advancing Ottoman Turks. The residents of these villages speak a Shtokavian Younger Ikavian dialect with a strong Southern Chakavian adstratum. The Molise Croats consider themselves to be Slavic Italians, with South Slavic heritage and who speak a Slavic language, rather than simply ethnic Slavs or Croats.^[1] Some speakers call themselves Zlavi or Harvati and call their language simply na našo ("our language").