List of English words of Italian origin - Your Art History Reference Guide!

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List of English words of Italian origin

Words of Italian origin have entered other languages.

al dente 
from al (a preposition + il article) and dente, ="tooth" (al dente could be translated as "slightly underdone"; it's used particularly to specify the clicking consistency of properly done pasta)
balcony 
from balcone
ballot 
from ballote
bandit 
from bandito
belvedere, a kind of gazebo 
from belvedere ="nice view"
bordello 
from bordello
bravo 
from bravo, ="skillful, good (at something), brave (not very common in current Italian)"
broccoli 
from plural of broccolo, ="cabbage-sprout or top"
cameo 
from caméo
canto, subdivision of a long poem 
from canto ="song, singing"
capriccio 
from capriccio ="sudden start, motion, or freak"
casino 
from casino, ="small house", diminutive of casa
cupola 
from cupola, ="little cask"
fantasia 
from fantasia, ="fancy"
folio 
from folio, ="leaf"
forte, a musical direction for 'loud' 
from forte ="strong, loud"
galleria 
from galleria, ="arcade"
giraffe 
from giraffa
gonzo 
from gonzo, ="fool(ish)"
imbroglio 
from imbroglio, "an entangling, an enwrapping, a garboile"
incognito 
from incognito (from Latin in + cognitus), ="unknown"
influenza 
from influenza
lava 
from lava
macaroni 
from maccheroni, plural of maccherone
Madonna 
from madonna, ="my lady"
malaria 
from malaria
manifesto 
from manifesto, ="manifest"
neutrino 
from neutrino, ="little neutron"
obbligato 
from obbligare, ="to oblige"
oboe 
from oboè, òboe (actual Italian form)
opera 
from opera, ="a work produced"
operetta 
from operetta, ="little opera"
panini 
from panini, plural of panino, ="bread roll"
paparazzi 
from paparazzi, plural of paparazzo
pasta 
from pasta
pesto 
from pesto, ="crushed"
piano 
from piano, ="soft"
pianoforte 
from pianoforte, ="soft-strong"
piazza 
from piazza, ="square, marketplace"
piccolo 
from piccolo, ="small"
propaganda 
from propaganda, ="congregation for propagating the faith"
pizza 
from pizza
radicchio 
from radicchio, ="chicory"
replica  
from replica
spaghetti 
from spaghetti, plural of spaghetto, ="little string"
stanza 
from stanza, ="room"
stiletto 
from stiletto, ="little dagger"
studio 
from studio, ="study"
tariff 
from tariffa
timpani 
from timpani, plural of timpano, ="kettledrum"
torso 
from torso, ="stalk, stump"
tortellini 
from tortellino, ="little cake"
umbrella 
from ombrello
vendetta 
from vendetta, ="vengeance"
vermicelli 
from vermicelli, ="little worms"
volcano 
from vulcano (from Latin vulcanus)
zabaglione 
from zabaglione, zabaione (actual Italian form)
zucchini 
from zucchini, plural of zucchino, ="small gourd"
Last updated: 08-25-2005 22:29:21
Last updated: 01-04-2007 01:18:57
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