Abstract

The opinions of Alessandro Manzoni and Graziadio Isaia Ascoli regarding the best way of increasing the use of the Italian language within the newly formed Italian state diverged significantly. However, there was common ground on some points. First, they were more interested in what the best linguistic model would be rather than in how to spread it among the people. Second, they were focusing on the educated public rather than the common people. Third, they both tended to overestimate the success of the foreign models of linguistic unification that they were studying. As far as the first two points are concerned, a more pragmatic perspective was expressed by Raffaello Lambruschini, although his contribution lacked a constructive aspect.