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: 01-04-2007 01:18:57
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