Italian Word of the Day: Camicia (shirt)

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 …

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Italian Word of the Day: Piumino (down / duvet)

Some Italian words encompass multiple meanings, extending far beyond their original definitions, and our word of the day piumino is no exception! Piumino is a derivative of piuma meaning feather. It is a masculine noun that takes the following definite and indefinite articles: Originally, piumino designated the down of birds, which is the layer of …

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Italian Word of the Day: Abito (dress / suit / outfit)

In Italian, the word abito is used to denote any specific kind of garment worn over underwear, be that a gown, dress, suit or outfit. It derives from the Latin habitus, meaning demeanour or appearance. Because it is a masculine word beginning with a, it takes the following definite and indefinite articles: Mi piacciono molto …

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Italian Word of the Day: Pigiama (pyjamas)

cover image with the word “pigiama” and a a woman wearing a yellow pyjamas in the background

The Italian word for the loose-fitting garments we wear to bed is pigiama. It entered the language via English, but can be traced back to the Urdu and Persian words pāy (leg) + jāma (clothing). In English, we use the plural pyjamas to talk about a single pair of pyjamas, whereas Italian has a singular …

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Italian Word of the Day: Spilla (brooch / pin)

cover image with the word “spilla” and a brooch in the background

The word for an ornament that one fastens to clothing, either for decorative purposes or as a clasp, is spilla in Italian. It translates as either brooch or pin in English. Being a feminine noun, it takes the following definite and indefinite articles: la spillathe broochuna spillaa brooch le spillethe broochesdelle spille(some) brooches Some different …

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Italian Word of the Day: Felpa (fleece / sweatshirt)

The word felpa in Italian comes from the old French felpe. It is used to indicate, not only a sweatshirt or hoodie, but also the fleece from which it is made. Because it is a feminine noun, it takes the following definite and indefinite articles: la felpathe sweatshirtuna felpaa sweatshirt le felpethe sweatshirtsdelle felpe(some) sweatshirts …

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