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 …
Marachella is a lovely-sounding Italian word that denotes a forbidden action, carried out in secret, that can be considered forgivable once discovered. In English, we can translate this word as mischief, prank or trick depending on the context. marachella mischief / prank / trick Marachella is a feminine noun, so it takes the following definite and …
Today we’re going to be looking at the Italian word schiera, which can be traced all the way back to the Franconian skara. It entered the language via the ancient French eschiere and the Provençal esquiera. schiera Schiera is a feminine noun whose plural form is schiere. It takes the following definite and indefinite articles: …
When something large and heavy falls on the ground or into the water, it’s likely to produce a thudding sound, a phenomenon that in Italian can be described using the noun tonfo. tonfo It is derived from the Lombardic *tumpf meaning the sound of a fall, and has an onomatopoeic origin. Tonfo is a masculine …
If an individual displays rude and arrogant behaviour, demonstrating a total lack of respect, you could characterise them as sfacciato in Italian, which translates to insolent, brash, brazen or impudent in English. sfacciato The term sfacciato originates from the root faccia (face), employed figuratively to convey notions of honor or respect. The s- prefix, in …
While it’s perfectly acceptable to use the word problema in Italian to talk about your issues, incorporating the term grattacapo will add a touch of fluency to your speech! grattacapo problem / headache / worry Grattacapo is composed of two words: the verb grattare (to scratch) and the noun capo (head). In other words, it …