Dante's exploration of language during the 14th century reveals his quest for a literary vernacular that could rival Latin. He analyzed various Italian dialects, finding them inadequate for a common literary standard. His solution was the volgare illustre, an idealized language transcending regional differences. The treatise De vulgari eloquentia, while overshadowed by his more famous Commedia, laid the groundwork for future discussions about language, gaining recognition two centuries later among intellectuals debating linguistic identity.
