List of English words of Italian origin

Many Words of Italian origin have entered other languages. A large part of musical terminology is Italian, as are popular foodstuff from Italian cuisine.

Contents

1 Art and Architecture 2 Food and culinary terms 3 Language and literature 4 Music 5 Politics 6 Science and medicine 7 Other words

Art and Architecture

balcony 

from balcone

belvedere, a kind of gazebo 

from belvedere ="nice view"

cameo 

from cameo

cartoon 

from cartone, ="cardboard", augmentative of carta, ="paper"

chiaroscuro 

from chiaro, ="clear, light coloured" and scuro, "dark"

cupola 

from cupola, ="little cask"

fascia 

from fascia, ="band or strip"

fresco 

from fresco, ="fresh, cool". The Italian word for a painting on wet plaster is affresco

galleria 

from galleria, ="arcade"

gesso 

from gesso, ="chalk"

impasto 

from impasto, ="dough, paste"

intaglio 

from intaglio, ="cutting, engraving"

intarsia 

from intarsio, ="inlaying, marquetry"

loggia 

from loggia

magenta 

from the town of Magenta, Italy

mezzanine 

from mezzanino

mezzotint 

from mezzo, ="half", and tinto, ="dyed, stained"

piazza 

from piazza, ="square, marketplace"

pilaster 

from pilastro

portico 

from portico

replica 

from replica

sepia 

from sepia, ="cuttlefish"

sfumato 

from sfumato, ="shaded, toned down"

soffit 

from soffito, ="ceiling"

studio 

from studio, ="study"

tempera 

from tempera

Food and culinary terms

See also:Italian cuisine

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)

al fresco 

from al and fresco, ="fresh, cool", hence ="in a cool place". In Italian al fresco is a slang term for being in jail.

arugula 

from the Neapolian dialect rugula ="rocket"

bologna or baloney 

from Bologna

broccoli 

from plural of broccolo, ="cabbage-sprout or top"

cauliflower 

from cavolfiore

espresso 

from espresso

lasagna 

from lasagne

latte 

from latte, ="milk". Coffee with lots of milk is called caffelatte in Italy

macaroni 

from maccheroni, plural of maccherone

panini 

from panini, plural of panino, ="bread roll"

parmesan 

from dialect word parmesan ="from Parma", parmiggiano in standard Italian

pasta 

from pasta ="dough"

pesto 

from pesto, ="crushed"

pizza 

from pizza

radicchio 

from radicchio, ="chicory"

ravioli 

from ravioli

spaghetti 

from spaghetti, plural of spaghetto, ="little string"

tortellini 

from tortellino, ="little cake"

vermicelli 

from vermicelli, ="little worms"

zabaglione 

from zabaglione, zabaione (actual Italian form)

zucchini 

from zucchini, plural of zucchino, ="small gourd"

Language and literature

canto, subdivision of a long poem 

from canto ="song, singing"

novel 

from novella, ="short story, tale".

sonnet 

from sonetto

stanza 

from stanza, ="room"

Music

See also: Musical terminology

capriccio 

from capriccio ="sudden start, motion, or freak"

folio 

from folio, ="leaf"

fantasia 

from fantasia, ="fancy"

forte, a musical direction for 'loud' 

from forte ="strong, loud"

obbligato 

from obbligare, ="to oblige"

oboe 

from oboè, òboe (actual Italian form)

opera 

from opera, ="a work produced"

operetta 

from operetta, ="little opera"

piano 

from piano, ="soft"

pianoforte 

from pianoforte, ="soft-strong"

piccolo 

from piccolo, ="small"

timpani 

from timpani, plural of timpano, ="kettledrum"

trombone 

from trombone, ="large trumpet"

viola 

from viola

violin 

from violino

Politics

ballot 

from ballote

bandit 

from bandito

fascism 

from fascismo

imbroglio 

from imbroglio, "an entangling, an enwrapping, a garboile"

incognito 

from incognito (from Latin in + cognitus), ="unknown"

machiavellian 

from Niccolò Machiavelli

manifesto 

from manifesto, ="manifest"

propaganda 

from propaganda, ="congregation for propagating the faith"

Science and medicine

breccia 

from breccia

granite 

from granito ,derivative of grano, ="grain"

gonzo 

from gonzo, ="fool(ish)"

influenza 

from influenza

lava 

from lava

malaria 

from malaria, contraction of mala, ="bad" and aria, "air"

neutrino 

from neutrino, ="little neutron"

pellagra from pellagra, contraction of pelle, ="skin" and agra, "acid, sour"

scalpel 

from scalpello, ="chisel"

torso 

from torso, ="stalk, stump"

tufa 

from tufa

volcano 

from vulcano (from Latin vulcanus)

Other words

bank 

from banco or banca, ="bench"

bankrupt 

from banco or banca, ="bench" and rotto, ="broken"

bordello 

from bordello

bravo 

from bravo, ="skillful, good (at something), brave (not very common in current Italian)"

casino 

from casino, ="small house", diminutive of casa In current Italian, it means a lot of noise, a mess, or a brothel.

credit 

from credito, ="credit, belief, or balance"

debit 

from debito, ="debt"

giraffe 

from giraffa

Harlequin 

from Arlecchino

Madonna 

from madonna, ="my lady"

mafia 

from mafia

paparazzi 

from paparazzi, plural of paparazzo

poltroon 

from poltrone, ="lazy person, idler

pontoon 

from pontone, augmentative of ponte, ="bridge"

stiletto 

from stiletto, ="little dagger"

tariff 

from tariffa

tinge 

from tingere, ="to dye or to colour"

umbrella 

from ombrello, diminutive of ombra, ="shade"

vendetta 

from vendetta, ="vengeance"

zany 

from Zanni a dialectal form of Giovanni, a Commedia dell'arte character

This list is incomplete.

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