Dizionario del dialetto ostunese

The Dizionario del dialetto ostunese, authored by Tommaso Nobile and published by M. Congedo in 1999, serves as a comprehensive linguistic record of the vernacular spoken in Ostuni, a city in the Puglia region of Italy. It was created to preserve the local dialect, which, like many regional Italian tongues, faced the risk of erosion due to the increasing dominance of standard Italian in daily and public life. By cataloging vocabulary, idiomatic expressions, and local grammatical nuances, Nobile provided a scholarly anchor for the cultural heritage of the 'White City'.

The design and compilation reflect the tradition of Italian dialectology, where lexicographers often acted as cultural custodians during the late 20th century. M. Congedo, a publisher noted for its commitment to Salento and Pugliese historical and regional studies, facilitated the dissemination of this work to both local residents and researchers of Italo-Romance languages. The book is received as an essential reference for philologists and historians, acting as a bridge between the oral traditions of the past and the codified linguistic history of the region.