A Comparative Analysis of Lexical Similarities in French, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish: Reassessing the Language-Dialect Divide

This study examines the lexical similarities among French, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish, members of the Romance branch of the Indo-European language family, to explore the distinction between languages and dialects. Using a comparative method and data sourced from bilingual dictionaries and linguistic texts, the paper analyzes the form, meaning, and behavior of selected nominal, verbal, adjectival, and adverbial items across these languages. The findings reveal a remarkable uniformity in spelling, pronunciation, and meaning, indicating high mutual intelligibility in core vocabulary. While socio-political boundaries define these as separate languages, the study demonstrates that, linguistically, they function as a continuum of dialectal variants derived from Latin. Integrating insights from the literature on language as particle, wave, and field, the study highlights the interplay between linguistic, historical, and socio-political factors in language classification. The research underscores the importance of considering both structural similarities and extralinguistic influences when distinguishing languages from dialects, offering a nuanced perspective on the Romance language continuum.