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Tuone Udaina

1821 – 1898

Last known speaker of Dalmatian

Mail carrierSextonOrganist
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About Tuone Udaina

Lived 1821 – 1898 (aged 76). Tuone Udaina was an Austrian mail carrier, sexton, organist and construction worker, known for Terminal speaker.

Tuone "Burbur" Udaina (1823 – 10 June 1898; in Italian) was the last known speaker of Dalmatian, a Romance language that evolved from Latin along the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea. He was the main source of knowledge about his parents' dialect, that of the island of Veglia, for the linguist Matteo Bartoli, who recorded it in 1897.

Udaina bore the nickname Burbur, the etymology of which is uncertain. Bartoli tentatively associated it with , an Italian word for a surly, gruff, or ill-tempered person. Other interpretations include "barbarian" and "barber". He worked as a marine postman and as a sexton.

When Udaina was killed when he was 74 in an explosion during road work on June 10, 1898, the Dalmatian language is generally assumed to have become extinct as no other speakers of the language were found or known to have lived.

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Important facts

Birth century
Occupation
Mail carrier, sexton, organist, construction worker
Known for
Terminal speaker

People in Tuone Udaina's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Tuone Udaina's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Tuone Udaina?

Last known speaker of Dalmatian (1821–1898)

When was Tuone Udaina born?

Tuone Udaina was born on 27 September 1821 in Krk.

When did Tuone Udaina die?

Tuone Udaina died on 10 June 1898 in Krk.

What was Tuone Udaina's occupation?

Tuone Udaina was a mail carrier, sexton, organist and construction worker.

What was Tuone Udaina known for?

Tuone Udaina was known for Terminal speaker.

What nationality was Tuone Udaina?

Tuone Udaina was Austrian.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Tuone Udaina

· Wikidata: Q163644

· DBpedia: Tuone Udaina

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Tuone Udaina. https://biography.guide/tuone-udaina/

MLA: "Tuone Udaina." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/tuone-udaina/.

Chicago: "Tuone Udaina." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/tuone-udaina/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

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