Heather Broster
Across the globe, the concept of independence holds a significant place in the historical narratives of numerous nations. Whether it is the 4th of July in the United States, Bastille Day in France, or La Festa della Repubblica in Italy, these national holidays provide a collective opportunity for citizens to reflect upon their shared history, …
Are you ready to start learning Italian? You’re in good company! Embarking on the journey of learning a new language, be it Italian or any other of the world’s 6000+ tongues, can be both exhilarating and challenging at the same time. Italian is currently one of the most popular choices for language enthusiasts, and for …
Stravolto is an adjective you can expect to hear fairly often in daily Italian conversation, but what does it mean? Let’s take a look now! Stravolto comes from the verb stravolgere which means “to turn something on its head” “to distort” or “to upset”, or in a more positive sense, “to revolutionise”. It is the …
What do the acts of prodding, poking, teasing and stimulating all have in common? They are all linked by the verb stuzzicare in Italian, as we’ll discover below! The origin of stuzzicare appears to be uncertain. Devoto-Oli claims it comes from the verb tuzzare meaning “to strike at the tip,” while Treccani suggests it is …
A camicia (shirt or button down shirt) is an item of clothing made of different fabrics like cotton, linen, silk, or flannel, that can have long or short sleeves. Camicia comes from the Latin term camisia, whose origins are uncertain. Unlike a maglietta (T-shirt) or a maglia (a shirt made with heavier cloth), a camicia …
Sopracciglio is a masculine noun that means eyebrow. Modelled on the Latin supercilium, it is the combination of ciglio (eyelash) and sopra (meaning ‘above‘). Before we begin, it’s important to clarify that this word has two possible plurals: the feminine plural le sopracciglia, which indicates a single pair of eyebrows, and the masculine plural i …