The word for a fairy in Italian is fata. It comes from the Vulgar Latin fata, the neuter plural of fatum (destiny) that was later mistaken for the feminine singular form with the meaning “the deity of destiny” or “goddess of fate”. Only later did it assume the modern meaning of a mythical creature with magical powers.
Fata is a feminine noun whose plural form is fate.
la fata
the fairy
una fata
a fairy
le fate
the fairies
delle fate
(some) fairies
I racconti delle fate (fairy tales), more popularly known as le fiabe or le favole, are children’s tales about magical beings and lands. One of the most well-known tales, Pinocchio, features la Fata Turchina (the Blue Fairy) as one of the main characters, called as such due to her turquoise-coloured hair.
Fata Morgana is the Italian name for the Arthurian sorceress Morgan le Fay (lit. Morgan the Fairy). It is also the name given to a complex form of superior mirage, periodically observed in the Strait of Messina, in which objects, such as ships, appear to float just above the horizon. People used to believe that these mirages were floating castles, conjured up by Morgan le Fay’s witchcraft to lure sailors to their deaths.
In a figurative sense, you may see fata used to depict a providential, extremely capable, or remarkably beautiful woman. From this meaning, we also get the expression mani di fata (fairy hands), used to describe a woman with great skill in sewing and embroidery.
Come sei brava a ricamare. Hai delle mani di fata!
You’re so good at embroidery. You have nimble fingers!
Of course, we mustn’t forget to mention the diminutive form fatina (lit. little fairy) which appears in the names fatina dei dentini (tooth fairy) and fatina buona (fairy godmother).
Heather Broster is a graduate with honours in linguistics from the University of Western Ontario. She is an aspiring polyglot, proficient in English and Italian, as well as Japanese, Welsh, and French to varying degrees of fluency. Originally from Toronto, Heather has resided in various countries, notably Italy for a period of six years. Her primary focus lies in the fields of language acquisition, education, and bilingual instruction.
