Italian Word of the Day: Fruscio (rustle / rustling)

The word fruscio (masculine) in Italian is a noun that usually describes the following kinds of subdued sounds: In most cases, it equates in meaning to the words rustle or rustling in English. The plural form is fruscii with the double “i” at the end. You can hear the singular and plural pronunciations below. Fruscio …

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Italian Word of the Day: Coperta (blanket)

The Italian word for blanket is coperta (feminine, plural: coperte). It derives from the past participle of the verb coprire (to cover) which is coperto (covered). There are many different kinds of blankets, including: Note: pile is pronounced /pˈail/ and comes from the English word of the same spelling. Not to be confused with the …

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Italian Word of the Day: Gironzolare (to wander / to hang around)

Today we’re going to be taking a look at the verb gironzolare, which describes the act of walking or moving around a place without any particular aim. Some possible English translations include to wander, to hang around or to loiter. As you might have guessed, gironzolare derives from the verb girare which means to turn …

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Italian Word of the Day: Calamaro (squid)

The word for squid in Italian is the masculine noun calamaro. Technically speaking, calamaro is actually the term for the European squid but in everyday Italian, it has come to refer to the entire squid family. If this word sounds familiar, that’s because in English, we use the plural form calamari to refer to squid …

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Italian Word of the Day: Pappa (mush / baby food)

The word pappa (feminine, plural: pappe) in Italian traditionally refers to a thick minestra (soup) cooked in water, broth or milk, containing bread or semolina. It is used as food for newly weaned babies or for adults who have difficulty chewing. These days, pappa refers more broadly to any dish with a mushy texture, including …

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Italian Word of the Day: Purché (as long as / provided that)

Purché is a conjunction that introduces a conditional clause, much like the expressions as long as or provided that in English. It is the combination of pure, in the archaic sense of ‘only’, and che (that). The verb that follows purché is normally in the subjunctive mood, as you can see from the following example …

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