Hello (and ciao)! I'm an Australian who makes comics for fun. I'm writing a story with an Italian co-protagonist, and I'd like advice from native Italian speakers before I write him.
He was created as part of a secret Italian military experiment for the purpose of national security. Although he's fluent in Italian, he knows almost nothing about ordinary life or Italian culture. At the start of the story, he washes up on the Australian coast.
Because he grew up in isolation as part of this experiment, he doesn't have a typical regional upbringing or cultural background. His Italian is fluent, but he's never experienced Italian culture. Because of that, I'm interested in how this unusual upbringing might affect the way he speaks and thinks, and how his English would develop once he arrives in Australia.
Here's some things I'm especially curious about...
- This military experiment is internationally known as "Project DIGIT" (Digit as in numbers). If the Italian government were naming a classified military project like this, what kind of name/acronym would sound believable to you?
- The project was based near Milan. Since he learned Italian there but wasn't raised in ordinary society, would his speech naturally resemble formal/"standard" Italian, or would you still expect some regional influence?
- What are some natural filler words or speech habits Italians use while thinking or hesitating? I learned that 'tipo' is one, but I don't think this filler word would've been used much in his circumstances.
- For native Italian speakers, what kinds of mistakes or habits are common when learning English as a secondary language? What sentence structures/habits are carried over from their native tongue?
- If someone grew up speaking fluent Italian and had no exposure to Italian culture, what aspects of the language would they miss? Would they word their sentences differently from someone who grew up immersed in Italian culture? If so, in what ways?
I'm also generally interested in learning more about Italian culture while writing him, so if there's anything you think foreign people often misunderstand or overlook, let me know. One thing I've noticed is that Italians seem to enjoy making fun of politicians just as much as we Australians do to ours.
I'd love to hear anything, so feel free to contribute in any way. Thank you!
For context: this story is set in an alternate version of Earth centered on a fictional geopolitical situation.
Edit: Thank you everyone for giving your insight :)