The word for bank in Italian is banca (feminine, plural: banche). Banca and its masculine form banco are two Italian words that derive from the same etymology: the Germanic bank meaning bench. While banco has more or less retained its original meaning throughout the centuries (desk, work bench), the feminine banca came to be used …
The word for what we call a stroller, baby buggy or pushchair in English is simply passeggino (masculine, plural: passeggini) in Italian. It is a derivative of the word passeggio meaning walk or stroll. Unlike a carrozzina (pram, baby carriage), which is essentially a baby cot on four wheels, a passeggino is an upright seat …
The word for both clock and watch in Italian is orologio (masculine, plural: orologi). It comes from the Latin horologium which in turn derives from the Greek ὡρολόγιον (hōrológion), a combination of the words ὥρα (ora – hour) and λέγω (dire – to say/tell). If you want to specify that you are talking about a …
The word for bicycle in Italian is bicicletta (feminine, plural: biciclette). Both the English and Italian terms were borrowed from the original French word for bicycle which was, you guessed it, bicycle. (These days the French prefer the words bicyclette and vélo.) Just as the English word bicycle is normally abbreviated to bike, so too …
Broccoli is one of a handful of Italian words that was imported into the English language in its plural form to denote the singular, much like panini, pepperoni and zucchini. The proper singular is actually broccolo with an o rather than an i at the end of the word. It is the diminutive of brocco, …
When English speakers (or more specifically Americans and Canadians) hear the word bar, they tend to think of an establishment that primarily serves alcohol, or alternatively, the counter in a pub or restaurant where one can order refreshments. The term derives from the metal or wooden barrier that is located along the length of the …