Baraonda is an evocative Italian word used to describe the confusion caused by the comings and goings of numerous people.
The word entered the Italian language from the Spanish barahunda, which likely had onomatopoeic origins.
Baraonda is a feminine noun whose plural form is baraonde. Here are the definite and indefinite articles it takes:
la baraonda
una baraonda
le baraonde
delle baraonde
C’era una baraonda di gente al centro commerciale. Erano tutti lì per fare acquisti dell’ultimo minuto prima di Natale.
There was chaos at the mall. Everybody was there to do some last minute shopping before Christmas.
By extension, it can also denote any state of chaos or disorder.
Che baraonda in questa stanza! Ti conviene metterla in ordine prima di stasera!
What a state this room is in! You’d better clean it up before tonight!
Some synonyms you may encounter include:
- chiasso = uproar, racket
- baccano = noise, bedlam
- confusione = confusion
- macello = mess
- disordine = chaos, mess
- sarabanda = bedlam, chaos
Heather Broster is a graduate with honours in linguistics from the University of Western Ontario. She is an aspiring polyglot, proficient in English and Italian, as well as Japanese, Welsh, and French to varying degrees of fluency. Originally from Toronto, Heather has resided in various countries, notably Italy for a period of six years. Her primary focus lies in the fields of language acquisition, education, and bilingual instruction.
