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List of English words of Italian origin

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This is a partial list of known or supposed Italian loanwords in English. A separate list of terms used in music can be found at List of Italian musical terms used in English:

Music

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Main article: Italian musical terms used in English

Art and architecture

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Literature and language

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Theatre and dramatic arts

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Arts in general and aesthetics

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  • Burlesque (from Italian burlesco through French)
  • Capriccio: From capriccio 'sudden motion'. In music, a free composition; in art, a juxtaposing of elements to create a fantastic or imagined architecture[12]
  • Cinquecento (Italian Cinquecento from millecinquecento '1500') The culture of the 16th century[13]
  • Grotesque (from Italian grottesco through French)
  • Pastiche (from Italian pasticcio through French)
  • Picturesque (from Italian pittoresco through French)
  • Quattrocento (Italian Quattrocento from millequattrocento '1400') The culture of the 15th century[14]
  • Studio

Colours

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Cuisine

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Main article: List of Italian dishes
  • Al dente
  • Al fresco
  • Antipasto
  • Artichoke (from articiocco, Northern Italian variant of Old Italian arcicioffo)[17]
  • Baguette (through French baguette from Italian bacchetta)[18][19]
  • Banquet (from Italian banchetto through French)
  • Barista (from barista 'bartender'. A preparer of espresso-based coffee)[20]
  • Bergamot (Italian: bergamotto)
  • Biscuit (through French from Italian biscotto, meaning 'cooked twice')
  • Bologna (after the Italian city)
  • Bruschetta
  • Broccoli (Italian: broccolo, pl. broccoli)
  • Candy (from Middle English sugre candy, part translation of Middle French sucre candi, from Old French çucre candi, part translation of Italian zucchero candito, from zucchero sugar Arabic قاندل qandI candied, from Persian قند qand cane sugar; ultimately from Sanskrit खुड् khanda 'piece of sugar', perhaps from Dravidian)[21]
  • Cannelloni (Italian: cannellone, pl. cannelloni)
  • Cantaloupe (after the Italian village of Cantalupo in Sabina through French; in Italian the fruit is simply called melone or Cantalupo)
  • Canteen (from Italian cantina "wine cellar, vault" via French)[22]
  • Cappuccino (from cappuccino 'little hood' or 'Capuchin'. A reference to the similarity between the drink's colour and that of the brown hoods of Capuchin friars)[23]
  • Cauliflower (originally cole florye, from Italian cavolfiore meaning 'flowered cabbage'[24]
  • Chianti
  • Chipolata (from Italian cipolla, meaning 'onion')
  • Ciabatta (whose Italian basic meaning is 'slipper')
  • Coffee (from Italian caffè, from Turkish kahveh, and Arabic qahwah, perhaps from Kaffa region of Ethiopia, a home of the plant)[25]
  • Espresso (from espresso 'expressed')
  • Fava
  • Frascati
  • Fusilli (Italian: fusillo, pl. fusilli; a derivative form of the word fuso, meaning 'spindle')
  • Gelatine (from Italian gelatina through French)
  • Gnocchi (Italian: gnocco, pl. gnocchi)
  • Gorgonzola (after the village near Milan)
  • Granita
  • Grappa
  • Gusto
  • Lasagne (Italian: lasagna, pl. lasagne)
  • Latte or caffè latte (Italian: caffellatte or caffè e latte 'coffee and milk')
  • Latte macchiato (Italian latte macchiato 'stained milk')
  • Macaroni (Italian maccherone, pl. maccheroni)
  • Macchiato or "caffè macchiato" (from macchiato 'stained', espresso coffee with a small dash of milk)[26]
  • Maraschino
  • Marinate (Italian: marinare)
  • Marzipan (through German from Italian marzapane)
  • Martini cocktail (named after the famous brand of vermouth)
  • Minestrone
  • Mozzarella (from Italian mozzare 'to cut')
  • Muscat (through French from Italian moscato)
  • Orange (through French from Italian arancia, from Arabic naranj)[27][28]
  • Panini (Italian: panino, pl. panini)
  • Parmesan (through French from Italian parmigiano, meaning 'from the city of Parma')
  • Pasta
  • Pepperoni (from Italian peperone, pl. peperoni, meaning 'bell pepper')
  • Pesto (from Italian pestare 'to crush (with mortar and pestle)')[29]
  • Pistachio (Italian: pistacchio)
  • Pizza
  • Pizzeria
  • Polenta
  • Provolone
  • Radicchio
  • Ravioli
  • Risotto
  • Salami (Italian: salame, pl. salami)
  • Salumi (Italian pl. of salume 'salted meat')
  • Scampi (Italian: scampo, pl. scampi)
  • Semolina (Italian: semolino)
  • Sfogliatelle (Italian sfogliatella, pl. sfogliatelle; from sfoglia 'thin layer')
  • Sorbet (through French from Italian sorbetto, which in turn comes from Turkish, Persian and Arabic)
  • Spaghetti (Italian: spaghetto, pl. spaghetti)
  • Spumoni (Italian: spumone, pl. spumoni)
  • Sultana (in Italian is the female of 'sultan'; the grape is called sultanina)
  • Tagliatelle (from Italian tagliare 'to cut')
  • Tortellini (Italian tortellino, pl. tortellini)
  • Trattoria
  • Tutti frutti
  • Vermicelli
  • Vino
  • Zucchini (Italian: zucchina, pl. zucchine)

Clothes, accessories, furniture

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  • Baldachin (from Italian baldacchino; Baldacco is an old Italian name for Baghdad)
  • Brocade (from Italian broccato through Spanish)
  • Costume (through French)
  • Desk (perhaps via Italian desco)[30]
  • Jeans (after the city of Genoa through French Gênes)
  • Muslin (through French mousseline from Italian mussolina after the city of Mosul)
  • Organza (after the city of Urgenč)
  • Parasol (from Italian parasole through French)
  • Stiletto (in Italian it means 'little stylus' and refers to a type of thin, needle-pointed dagger, while the shoes are called tacchi a spillo, literally 'needle heels')
  • Umbrella (from Italian ombrello)
  • Valise (from Italian valigia through French)

Geography and geology

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Some toponyms of Latin, Greek, Slavic or Arabic origin referring to non-Italian places entered English through Italian:

territories named after Italian explorers:

Commerce and finance

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  • Bank (Italian: banco or banca) [31]
  • Bankrupt (Italian: bancarotta) [32]
  • Carat / karat (from Italian carato – from Arabic – through French) [33]
  • Career (from Old Provençal or Italian carriera via French, ultimately of Gaulish origin)[34]
  • Cartel (through French and German, from Italian cartello, meaning 'poster') [35]
  • Cash (from Italian cassa through French caisse and Provençal) [36]
  • Credit (from Italian credito through French) [37]
  • Del credere (Italian: star del credere)
  • Ducat (from Italian ducato, whose main meaning is 'duchy') [38]
  • Florin (through French from Italian fiorino) [39]
  • Lira[40]
  • Lombard (through French, from Italian lombardo meaning an inhabitant of Lombardy or also Northern Italy) [41]
  • Mercantile (through French) [42]
  • Management (from Italian mano for maneggiamento, meaning 'hand' for "handlement") [43]
  • Ponzi scheme (from Charles Ponzi)
  • Post (from Italian posta through French poste[44])

Military and weaponry

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  • Alert (from Italian à l'erte "on the watch" via French)[45]
  • Arsenal (Italian arsenale, from Arabic)
  • Brigade (through French from Italian brigata)
  • Brigand (through French from Italian brigante)
  • Camouflage (from Italian camuffare "to disguise" via French)[46]
  • Cannon (through French from Italian cannone)
  • Cavalier (from Italian cavaliere)
  • Cavalry (through French cavalerie from Italian cavalleria)
  • Catapult (through Latin catapulta from Italian catapulta)
  • Citadel (through French citadelle from Italian cittadella)
  • Colonel (through French from Italian colonnello)
  • Condottieri (Italian condottiero, pl. condottieri)
  • Infantry (through French infanterie from Italian infanteria, Modern Italian: fanteria)
  • Generalissimo
  • Salvo (Italian salva)
  • Scimitar (through Italian scimitarra from ancient Persian shamshir)
  • Stiletto (Italian stiletto 'little stylus', an engraving tool)
  • Stratagem (through French stratagème from Italian stratagemma, in its turn from Latin and Greek)
  • Venture (Italian ventura)

Crime and immorality

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  • Assassination (from Italian assassinio. The first to use this Italian word was William Shakespeare in Macbeth. Shakespeare introduced a lot of Italian or Latin words into the English language. Assassin and assassination derive from the word hashshashin (Arabic: حشّاشين, ħashshāshīyīn, also hashishin, hashashiyyin, means Assassins), and shares its etymological roots with hashish. It referred to a group of Nizari Shia Persians who worked against various Arab and Persian targets.
  • Assassin (from Italian assassino)
  • Attack (from Florentine Italian attaccare via French)[47]
  • Bandit (from Italian bandito)
  • Bordello
  • Casino (in Italian means 'hunting cottage' or 'brothel', and – figuratively – 'mess' or 'a lot')
  • Charlatan (through French from Italian ciarlatano)
  • Cosa nostra
  • Mafia and mafioso

Politics

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Love and sex

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  • Bimbo (from Italian bimbo 'child')
  • Casanova
  • Dildo (from Italian diletto, meaning 'pleasure')
  • Inamorata (from Italian innamorata, a female lover)
  • Ruffian (Italian: m. ruffiano, f. ruffiana)

Science and nature

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words after Italian scientist names:

Religion, rituals, holidays

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Games and sports

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  • Arcade (from Italian arcata "arch of a bridge" via French)[49]
  • Carousel (from Italian carusiello via French. Etymologically related to "car".)[50]
  • Catenaccio (from catenaccio 'door-bolt', a defensive tactic in association football)[51]
  • Curva (a curved stadium grandstand)
  • Fianchetto (Italian fianchetto 'little flank', a chess tactic)
  • Lottery (Italian: lotteria)
  • Tarot (through French) and taroc (Italian tarocco)
  • Tifo (literally meaning 'typhus') and tifosi (from Italian tifosi 'sports fans', 'supporters')
  • Ultras (from Latin "ultra", fanatical fans)
  • Tombola
  • Zona mista (literally meaning 'mixed zone'; often referred to as "Gioco all'italiana" or "The Game in the Italian style")
  • Libero (from Italian libero 'free', a defensive specialist posit position in modern volleyball)

Others

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  • Antenna
  • Armature (through Italian plural armature singular armatura, in English rebar, short for reinforcing bar)
  • Balloon (from Italian pallone "large ball" from a Germanic source)[52]
  • Berlinetta (from berlinetta 'little saloon', a two-seater sports car)[53]
  • Bravado (through French bravade from Italian bravata)
  • Brave (through French from Italian bravo)
  • Capisce ('understand', third-person hortatory subjunctive form of capire, often misspelled kapish, or kapeesh)
  • Ciao (from ciao, an informal greeting or valediction, originally from Venetian sciavo '(your humble) servant'[54]
  • de)
  • Cognoscente (from Italian conoscente, Italian: conoscitore)
  • Dilemma (Italian dilemma from Greek dilemmaton)
  • Dilettante (in Italian means 'amateur')
  • Ditto
  • Genoa after the city
  • Gonzo (in Italian means 'simpleton', 'diddled')
  • Humanist (through French from Italian umanista)
  • Inferno (in Italian means 'hell')
  • Latrine (through Italian plural latrine from Latin lavatrina)
  • Lido (in Italian means 'coast', usually 'sandy coast')
  • Lipizzan (Italian: lipizzano)
  • Major-domo (Italian: maggiordomo)
  • Mizzen (through French misaine from Italian mezzana)
  • Mustache (from Italian mostaccio via French and ultimately from Greek)[55]
  • Nostalgia (with the same meaning in Italian)
  • Paparazzi (Italian paparazzi, plural of paparazzo, the name of a character in the film La Dolce Vita)
  • Pococurante (from poco 'little' and curante 'caring')
  • Poltroon (through French poltron from Italian poltrona)
  • Pronto
  • Regatta (Italian: regata)
  • Vendetta (in Italian means 'vengeance')
  • Vista (in Italian means 'sight')
  • Viva

Sources

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  • D. Harper, Online Etymology Dictionary

See also

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Notes

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References

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  1. ^ Harper Collins, Online Etymology Dictionary, 2010
  2. ^ "Chiaroscuro | Search Online Etymology Dictionary".
  3. ^ "Canto | Search Online Etymology Dictionary".
  4. ^ http://www.komvos.edu.gr/dictonlineplsql/simple_search.display_full_lemma?the_lemma_id=16800&target_dict=1, Lexico Triantaphyllide online dictionary, Greek Language Center (Kentro Hellenikes Glossas), lemma Franc ( Φράγκος Phrankos), Lexico tes Neas Hellenikes Glossas, G.Babiniotes, Kentro Lexikologias(Legicology Center) LTD Publications, ISBN 960-86190-1-7, lemma Franc and (prefix) franco- (Φράγκος Phrankos and φράγκο- phranko-).
  5. ^ Douglas Harper Etymology Dictionary (2001)
  6. ^ "Oxford Languages | the Home of Language Data". Archived from the original on May 14, 2013.
  7. ^ "World Wide Words: Rodomontade".
  8. ^ "Buffoon | Etymology of buffoon by etymonline".
  9. ^ "Cantastoria: Centuries-Old Performance Style Making a Comeback", The L Magazine. 21 June 2011. Retrieved 20 May 2013
  10. ^ "Mask (noun)". Etymology Online.
  11. ^ Article title[usurped]
  12. ^ "Capriccio | Search Online Etymology Dictionary".
  13. ^ "Cinquecento | Search Online Etymology Dictionary".
  14. ^ "Quattrocento | Search Online Etymology Dictionary".
  15. ^ "Orange | Search Online Etymology Dictionary".
  16. ^ "Magenta | Search Online Etymology Dictionary".
  17. ^ "Artichoke | Origin and meaning of artichoke by Online Etymology Dictionary".
  18. ^ "BAGUETTE : Etymologie de BAGUETTE".
  19. ^ "Baguette | Search Online Etymology Dictionary".
  20. ^ "Barista | Origin and meaning of barista by Online Etymology Dictionary".
  21. ^ Harper, Douglas. "candy". Online Etymology Dictionary.
  22. ^ "Canteen | Etymology of canteen by etymonline".
  23. ^ "Cappuccino | Search Online Etymology Dictionary".
  24. ^ "Cauliflower | Search Online Etymology Dictionary".
  25. ^ "Coffee | Origin and meaning of coffee by Online Etymology Dictionary".
  26. ^ http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/macchiato
  27. ^ "Orange | Search Online Etymology Dictionary".
  28. ^ "orange n.1 and adj.1". Oxford English Dictionary online. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 2013. Retrieved 2013-09-30.(subscription required)
  29. ^ "Pesto | Search Online Etymology Dictionary".
  30. ^ "Desk | Etymology of desk by etymonline".
  31. ^ D. Harper, Online Etymology Dictionary, 2010
  32. ^ D. Harper, Online Etymology Dictionary, 2010
  33. ^ D. Harper, Online Etymology Dictionary, 2010
  34. ^ "Career | Etymology of career by etymonline".
  35. ^ D. Harper, Online Etymology Dictionary, 2010
  36. ^ D. Harper, Online Etymology Dictionary, 2010
  37. ^ D. Harper, Online Etymology Dictionary, 2010
  38. ^ D. Harper, Online Etymology Dictionary, 2010
  39. ^ D. Harper, Online Etymology Dictionary, 2010
  40. ^ D. Harper, Online Etymology Dictionary, 2010
  41. ^ D. Harper, Online Etymology Dictionary, 2010
  42. ^ D. Harper, Online Etymology Dictionary, 2010
  43. ^ D. Harper, Online Etymology Dictionary, 2010
  44. ^ Le Petit Robert
  45. ^ "Alert | Etymology of alert by etymonline".
  46. ^ "Camouflage | Etymology of camouflage by etymonline".
  47. ^ "Attack | Etymology of attack by etymonline".
  48. ^ "Manganese | Search Online Etymology Dictionary".
  49. ^ "Arcade | Etymology of arcade by etymonline".
  50. ^ "Carousel | Etymology of carousel by etymonline".
  51. ^ "Catenaccio Archived 2013-05-07 at the Wayback Machine" at worldsoccer.com
  52. ^ "Balloon | Etymology of balloon by etymonline".
  53. ^ Laban, Brian. The Ultimate History of Ferrari. Bath: Parragon, 2002. ISBN 978-0-7525-8873-5.
  54. ^ "Ciao | Search Online Etymology Dictionary".
  55. ^ "Mustache | Etymology of mustache by etymonline".
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