Italian Word of the Day: Barba (beard)

Whether you love them or hate them, many men choose to grow a beard at some point in their lives. In Italian, the word for this type of peli del volto (facial hair) is barba. barba beard The word comes from the Latin barba of the same spelling and meaning. Barba is a feminine noun, …

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Italian Word of the Day: Piscina (swimming pool)

Since the birth of our son, my husband and I have made a joint commitment to prioritise fitness in our lives. While I hit the gym and regularly attend spin classes, my husband has chosen to focus on running and swimming at our local piscina (swimming pool). Six months in and we’re seeing pretty good …

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Italian Word of the Day: Primavera (spring)

If you ask someone about their favourite of the four seasons, chances are they’ll say spring, or primavera in Italian. Sadly, this lovely time of year is coming to an end! primavera spring It derives from the Late Latin primavera, which goes back to the Classical Latin ablative primo vere, signifying “at the beginning of …

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Italian Word of the Day: Pelo (hair / fur)

Italian word "pelo"

Anyone who owns a dog or cat knows the constant struggle of keeping sofas free of pet hair. In Italian, the word for hair or fur is pelo. pelo hair / fur Pelo is a masculine noun whose origin can be traced back to the Latin pilum of the same meaning. It takes the following …

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Italian Word of the Day: Stivale (boot)

One of my son’s favourite pastimes, like many kids his age, is jumping in muddy puddles (pozzanghere). Unfortunately, he’ll sometimes run into a puddle even without his boots (stivali) on! stivale boot According to Treccani, the origin of stivale dates back to Old French estival, but beyond that, its etymology is uncertain. However, Devoto-Oli suggests …

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Italian Word of the Day: Benessere (well-being)

Along with health, happiness, and other essentials, we seek physical and mental well-being to feel fulfilled in our lives. benessere well-being The Italian word for well-being is benessere, which is the mirror image of the English term – bene means well, and essere means being (as a noun) or to be (as a verb). Another …

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