Heather Broster
Today’s word of the day sounds just like the action it is describing: the verb ringhiare (to growl). It comes from the Latin ringulare. Although it is principally used to describe the low guttural sound of hostility emitted by dogs (cani), it can also apply to other animals such as wolves (lupi) or bears (orsi). …
Whereas in English, we distinguish between the words paradise and heaven, there is just one word in Italian: paradiso (masculine, plural: paradisi). It comes from the Latin word paradisus which in turn derives from the Greek paradisos. Paradiso, in the sense of heaven, is the place regarded in various religions as the abode of God, …
One of my favourite berries (frutti di bosco) is the raspberry, which is called a lampone (masculine, plural: lamponi) in Italian. In addition to the fruit, it is also the name given to the raspberry bush. In Italy, there are various areas where raspberries are cultivated successfully, with the main production regions being Trentino, Veneto …
November, or novembre in Italian, is the month that heralds the arrival of winter in Italy, although it doesn’t officially start until December. Despite the days being short and the weather variable, it is a wonderful time to visit Italy due to fewer crowds and the spectacular autumn (autunno) landscapes. And let’s not forget that …
In the USA and Canada, the changing of the clocks for winter time took place this past weekend. At 2 a.m. on Sunday November 6th, the clocks went back one hour, giving people one hour less of daylight in the evening but an extra hour in bed. But did you know that in Italy, the …
Today’s ‘phrase of the week’ is part of our Italian Halloween Word series. On the days leading up to Halloween, we’ll post a word that is related to this spooky time of year. Enjoy! 🦇 Despite being an American invention, Halloween (which is pronounced ‘alloween without the initial ‘h‘ in Italian) has become increasingly popular …