Italian Words Commonly Used in English

Question: Which Italian word literally meaning “baked earth” can also refer to a type of fired clay?

Answer: In Italian, terracotta literally means “baked earth” and can also refer to fired clay; in English, terra-cotta refers to fired clay or its colour.

Question: Which Italian noun adopted into English derives from a preposition that can mean “over” or “above”?

Answer: Soprano derives from the Italian preposition sopra, which can mean “over” or “above”; in both English and Italian, a soprano is someone who sings in a high register.

Question: Which Italian word, when adopted into English in the 19th century, was associated with Italian opera?

Answer: By the time it was adopted into English in the 19th century, the Italian word scenario, from a Latin word meaning “a place for erecting stages,” had become associated with Italian opera and could refer to a stage, a set or backdrop, or the outline of a plot.

Question: Which Italian word taken into English literally means “bottle” and figuratively means “a failure in performance”?

Answer: In Italian, fiasco literally means “bottle” and figuratively means “a failure in performance.” Its first recorded use in English dates to 1854.

Question: Which English word, from the Italian literally meaning “thin strings,” was first used in English text in 1849?

Answer: Spaghetti is an Italian noodle dish. The first recorded use of spaghetti in English dates to 1849 and refers to pasta made into long thin strings.

Question: Which Italian word, first used in English text in 1724, means “the last part of a piece of music or an event”?

Answer: The Italian word finale means “the last part of a piece of music or an event.” Its first recorded use in English dates to 1724.

Question: Which English word, adopted from the Italian for alone, means “a musical composition or passage for one voice or instrument”?

Answer: Solo, a word derived from the Italian for alone, means “a musical composition or passage for one voice or instrument.”

Question: Which word is defined as a “vent in the crust of Earth or another planet or satellite, from which issue eruptions of molten rock, hot rock fragments, and hot gases”?

Answer: Volcano is defined as a “vent in the crust of Earth or another planet or satellite, from which issue eruptions of molten rock, hot rock fragments, and hot gases.”

Question: First used in English text in 1750, which Neapolitan dialect word originally referred to a kind of stream that sometimes “washes” or “washes down” the slopes of Mount Vesuvius?

Answer: First used in English text in 1750, lava was a Neapolitan dialect word originally referring to a stream of molten rock that sometimes “washes” or “washes down” the slopes of Mount Vesuvius.

Question: Which Italian word, now used in English for a type of Italian bread, literally means “slipper”?

Answer: The Italian word ciabatta literally means “slipper,” though it can also refer to bread that somewhat resembles a slipper. In English, refers to a flat oblong Italian bread with a crispy crust.

Question: In Italian, which word adopted into English literally means “frozen” or “chilled”?

Answer: In Italian, gelato literally means “frozen” or “chilled.” In English, it refers to Italian-style ice cream.

Question: Which Italian word means “goddess” or “prima donna” and was taken into English to mean the latter?

Answer: In Italian, diva means “goddess” or “prima donna.” In English, it means only “prima donna.”

Question: In Italian, which word means “oddness,” “wild fancy or imagining,” “freak of nature,” or “something lacking in restraint”?

Answer: In Italian, extravaganza, a variant spelling of stravaganza, means “oddness,” “wild fancy or imagining,” “freak of nature,” or “something lacking in restraint.” Its first recorded use in English, in 1754, referred to lack of restraint in someone’s behaviour; later it came to also mean “an elaborate entertainment.”

Question: Which Italian word, when adopted into English in the 1700s, could refer to a “visitation” or an “outbreak” of any epidemic disease?

Answer: The Italian word influenza, when adopted into English in the 1700s, could refer to a “visitation,” or an “outbreak” of any epidemic disease.

Question: Which English word derives from the Italian and Latin words for bread?

Answer: Panini derives from the Italian and Latin words for bread; in English, it refers to a sandwich made with Italian bread and usually grilled or toasted.

Question: Which Italian word originally referring to a short dagger is more likely to refer to a style of shoe in English?

Answer: Stiletto originally referred to a short dagger in Italian but is more likely to describe a style of high-heeled shoe in English.

Question: Which Italian word, first appearing in English text in 1699, referred to “a variety of cabbage with heads of green and purple buds”?

Answer: In Italian and English, broccoli has the same spelling and meaning: “a variety of cabbage with heads of green and purple buds.” In Italian, broccoli is the plural form of broccolo.

Question: In Italian, which word refers specifically to Dublin Bay prawns, also called langoustines or Norway lobsters?

Answer: In Italian, scampi refers specifically to Dublin Bay prawns, also called langoustines or Norway lobsters; in both English and Italian, scampi can also refer to a dish of such crustaceans fried and served with a garlic sauce.