Most successful cultural/linguistic assimilations?

Aoste and Sud-tirol may count as "some exception". Though you are generally right that Italy tends to be is a lot more tolerant about dialects and minority languages that France, distinct regional linguistic and cultural identities have been eroded considerably.

There’s also a bit of Venetian and Friulian language hanging around
 
Can anyone give examples of countries that were most successful at conquering other countries with distinct cultures/languages and assimilating them? Preferably by peaceful methods.
What Sweden did to Scania after 1658 is a good example. The common people were left untouched but the Swedes went after every Danish institution you could possibly think of, both secular and religious, and deposed and replaced them with Swedish ones. Within one generation the people went from being speaking Danish to speaking Swedish. Within two, the only way you would have known that Skåne wasn't always Swedish would be by looking in a history book. It assimilation was by all accounts extremely successful, dare I say more successful than many of the examples given so far on this thread, but no one seems to know or care because Scandinavian history "isn't important".
 
There’s also a bit of Venetian and Friulian language hanging around
Neapolitan and Sardinian are also alive and kicking. In general, I think that Italian vernacular languages are way better off than their French counterparts, however, the state managed to assimilate most Italians in that they largely identify as Italians and speak Italian with some exceptions (particularly the German minority in Southern Tirol; but this also partly applies to Venetians and some Sardinians indeed).
 
What Sweden did to Scania after 1658 is a good example. The common people were left untouched but the Swedes went after every Danish institution you could possibly think of, both secular and religious, and deposed and replaced them with Swedish ones. Within one generation the people went from being speaking Danish to speaking Swedish. Within two, the only way you would have known that Skåne wasn't always Swedish would be by looking in a history book. It assimilation was by all accounts extremely successful, dare I say more successful than many of the examples given so far on this thread, but no one seems to know or care because Scandinavian history "isn't important".
Well, Scania is also a tiny place. But yes.
 
Neapolitan and Sardinian are also alive and kicking. In general, I think that Italian vernacular languages are way better off than their French counterparts, however, the state managed to assimilate most Italians in that they largely identify as Italians and speak Italian with some exceptions (particularly the German minority in Southern Tirol; but this also partly applies to Venetians and some Sardinians indeed).
Anecdotally I heard of people going in Sardinia and not hearing the local language at all, in some places that might be the case.

Venetian and Sardinians are far from being alive and kicking, they are in a state of diglossia with the more prestigious and important Italian which isn't good long term.
 
Anecdotally I heard of people going in Sardinia and not hearing the local language at all, in some places that might be the case.

Venetian and Sardinians are far from being alive and kicking, they are in a state of diglossia with the more prestigious and important Italian which isn't good long term.
Indeed, Italian is more prestigious. However, there are many Venetians and Sardinans who care about the local language and there are serious efforts to preserve both. There are places in Veneto where people would not be able to answer in standard Italian to a question in that language (which they would mostly understand). This is far less the case, for instance, in Lombardy.
 
Indeed, Italian is more prestigious. However, there are many Venetians and Sardinans who care about the local language and there are serious efforts to preserve both. There are places in Veneto where people would not be able to answer in standard Italian to a question in that language (which they would mostly understand). This is far less the case, for instance, in Lombardy.
Well old and rural populations exist everywhere, I'm sure in Lombardy as well.

A majority of people in the island speak only Italian with their families(53%) and Italian is the prevalent language of social circles(77%)
Maybe people do care but seemingly not enough to change this trend.

Compared with France the situation in Corsica is not that different.
 
Indeed, Italian is more prestigious. However, there are many Venetians and Sardinans who care about the local language and there are serious efforts to preserve both. There are places in Veneto where people would not be able to answer in standard Italian to a question in that language (which they would mostly understand). This is far less the case, for instance, in Lombardy.

Well old and rural populations exist everywhere, I'm sure in Lombardy as well.

IIRC the Lombard language is really not doing well in Italy at all, barely present at all. The only place that it’s held on in any real form is actually Ticino canton in Switzerland...
 
Well old and rural populations exist everywhere, I'm sure in Lombardy as well.

A majority of people in the island speak only Italian with their families(53%) and Italian is the prevalent language of social circles(77%)
Maybe people do care but seemingly not enough to change this trend.

Compared with France the situation in Corsica is not that different.
Sardinian is officially recognized by the Italian state, while I understand Corsican is not (not to the same degree). It is true however that Sardinian is in decline. Regarding Veneto, I was not referring to old rural populations but relatively young and urban ones. Venetian exists as the lesser partner of a diglossic situation, but is hardly on the way out.
 
IIRC the Lombard language is really not doing well in Italy at all, barely present at all. The only place that it’s held on in any real form is actually Ticino canton in Switzerland...
It is not that bad, but yes, it has declined fast. Some attempt at revitalization has been half-hearted and not much effective.
 
Sardinian is officially recognized by the Italian state, while I understand Corsican is not (not to the same degree). It is true however that Sardinian is in decline. Regarding Veneto, I was not referring to old rural populations but relatively young and urban ones. Venetian exists as the lesser partner of a diglossic situation, but is hardly on the way out.
If Sardinian is declining, I can't see how Venetian is thriving, I would have to look.
 
Latin America.

Spanish language was able to engulf most Amerindian languages by the beginning of 20th century. In Brazil, Portuguese became a default language by the beginning of 19th century.

Spanish and Portuguese languages grip in Latin America was amplified by mandatory public school system, European immigration, and urbanization.
 
, the UK destroyed Irish, most of Welsh and Scottish Gaelic as well.
Not in the same level than in France, which included a destruction of "indentitarian" linguistics. Bilingual announces and indications are relatively common in, say, Wales. It's definitely less so in France (altough attempted) and even fought against by a part of local population.
 
Not in the same level than in France, which included a destruction of "indentitarian" linguistics. Bilingual announces and indications are relatively common in, say, Wales. It's definitely less so in France (altough attempted) and even fought against by a part of local population.
Is that the case for more diverging(linguistically speaking at least) regions like Brittany, French Vasconia and Corsica? Do the locals resist promotion of the local language?
 
Is that the case for more diverging(linguistically speaking at least) regions like Brittany, French Vasconia and Corsica? Do the locals resist promotion of the local language?
Thing is, it's hard to consider "locals" as one entity, would it be only due to inner French migrations in these regions since centuries and outer migrations since the XIXth.
Basque Country (Vasconia is more of an historical term, a bit like calling English Midlands "Mercia") and Corsica are the main preservers of a regional identity that include language. Basque language use remains essentially limited to both more aged populations and to school for the younger ones, with less than 1/4 in French Basque Country overall (much less between 25/49, which is roughly around 15%) able to understand it, which is (contrary to Spanish Basque Country) in constant decline.
Corsican language is in a better shape, with nearly 1/2 of the population claiming to understand it. But it's in similar decline nevertheless (UNESCO pointing that it's in danger of extinction).
Breton might be spoken by a bit more than 10 000 persons, understood by 300 000 persons.

Overall, while language plays an important regional identitarian role, they're not exactly thrilling and no one knows the demographical rise in use that Welsh does knows.
 
Thing is, it's hard to consider "locals" as one entity, would it be only due to inner French migrations in these regions since centuries and outer migrations since the XIXth.
Basque Country (Vasconia is more of an historical term, a bit like calling English Midlands "Mercia") and Corsica are the main preservers of a regional identity that include language. Basque language use remains essentially limited to both more aged populations and to school for the younger ones, with less than 1/4 in French Basque Country overall (much less between 25/49, which is roughly around 15%) able to understand it, which is (contrary to Spanish Basque Country) in constant decline.
Corsican language is in a better shape, with nearly 1/2 of the population claiming to understand it. But it's in similar decline nevertheless (UNESCO pointing that it's in danger of extinction).
Breton might be spoken by a bit more than 10 000 persons, understood by 300 000 persons.

Overall, while language plays an important regional identitarian role, they're not exactly thrilling and no one knows the demographical rise in use that Welsh does knows.
How is Alsatian faring?
 
How is Alsatian faring?
It's actually one of the languages that manages to do a bit better. There's roughly 1/3 of the population claiming to understand it (the others thirds being people not understanding it at all, and people understanding it a little). That said, most of the locutors are aged, and young population that is at least partially understanding it is meager : less than a fifth under 30 years old. Occitan does seems to manage better, but the sheer number of locutors is a bit of a statistical illusion. Note that regional identity is far less politic than in Basque County or Corsica.
 
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