The Comasco dialect evolved as a consequence of its origins and influences. In ancient times, the
Lake Como area was inhabited by
Orobi,
Leponzi, and
Etruscan tribes. As with the rest of the
Po Valley, the area was subject to invasions by the Gauls. In Roman times, the Latin spoken in the Lake Como area was influenced by the Celtic substratum, contributing to the phonetic and lexical formation of today's dialect. In the early Middle Ages, the area was occupied by the
Lombards, who probably spoke a dialect of the Saxon language and brought a further, albeit small, lexical contribution. In the late Middle Ages, the Lake Como territory became part of the
Duchy of Milan. == Characteristics ==