Heather Broster
When we see our favorite actors on the big screen or hear the most popular singers belting out a catchy tune on the radio, we rarely stop to consider that they might be bilingual or even multilingual. As it turns out, many celebrities speak more than one language, and a surprisingly number speak Italian fluently …
Occhiata, which is the combination of the word occhio (eye) with the noun-forming suffix -ata, may not be the most profound word in Italian but it is used very frequently in everyday conversation. occhiata glance / quick look It translates to glance, glimpse, quick look or peek depending on the context, and as you’ve probably …
Today’s word of the day, bagnato (wet), is inspired by the dreadful weather we’ve been experiencing here in Wales. We’ve barely seen a couple of weeks of sunshine in nearly nine months! bagnato wet Bagnato is an adjective that is also the past participle of the verb bagnare (to wet / to water). Bagnare, in …
If you live in a region with unpredictable weather patterns, you likely understand the importance of layering your clothing. In Italian, this practice of donning multiple layers is aptly described as vestirsi a cipolla. vestirsi a cipolla to dress in layers The phrase vestirsi a cipolla literally means “to dress like an onion.” This expression …
The monkey, known as scimmia in Italian, is one of the closest relatives to gli essere umani (human beings). In fact, we share over 90% of our DNA with our primate cousins! scimmia monkey The word is derived from the Latin simia, which in turn comes from simus, derived from the Greek simós meaning ‘”snub-nosed.” …
Some Italian words lend themselves to exploration, and putiferio is one such gem. It’s the perfect term for describing a commotion, uproar, or rumpus in Italian. putiferio commotion / uproar / rumpus This word, according to the Devoto-Oli dictionary, is a deformation of the word vituperio, meaning bitter or abusive language. It is derived from …