Italian Word of the Day: Coltello (knife)

The word for knife in Italian is coltello. It comes from the Latin cultellus which in turn is the diminutive form of the word culter (knife). Here are the definite and indefinite articles that must be used with this masculine noun: il coltellothe knife un coltelloa knife i coltellithe knives dei coltelli(some) knives A few …

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Italian Word of the Day: Cucchiaio (spoon)

The word for spoon in Italian is cucchiaio. Its origin can be traced back to the Latin cochlearium, a derivative of cochlea, which was the tool originally used to eat snails! Here are the definite and indefinite articles that accompany this masculine noun: il cucchiaiothe spoon un cucchiaioa spoon i cucchiaithe spoons dei cucchiai(some) spoons …

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Italian Word of the Day: Limone (lemon)

The Italian word for lemon is limone, which comes from the Arabic līmūn, the collective term for fruits of this kind. Limone is a masculine noun, and its plural form is limoni. il limonethe lemon un limonea lemon i limonithe lemons dei limoni(some) lemons Interestingly, limone is also the name given to the lemon tree, …

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Italian Word of the Day: Specchio (mirror)

The Italian word for a mirror is specchio. It comes from the Latin speculum, which is a derivative of the Latin verb specere meaning to look. Specchio is a masculine noun. Take away the final -o and you have the plural, specchi. uno specchiolo specchio degli specchigli specchi There are two ways to express the …

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Italian Word of the Day: Lago (lake)

The word for lake in Italian in lago, which derives from the Latin lacum of the same meaning. Lago is a masculine noun whose plural form in laghi. Remember to insert the letter ‘h’ between ‘g’ and ‘i’ to preserve the hardness of the ‘g’! il lago = the lakeun lago = a lake i …

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Italian Word of the Day: Sbaglio (mistake / error)

The noun sbaglio in Italian, which means mistake or error, is a derivative of the verb sbagliare (to make a mistake), which itself is a combination of the subtractive prefix s- and abbagliare (to blind, to dazzle). Sbaglio is a masculine noun, but because it starts with s + consonant, the definite and indefinite articles …

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