List of English words of Italian origin

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

Music

Main article: Italian musical terms used in English

• Acciaccatura
• Adagio
• Allegretto
• Allegro
• Alto
• Andante
• Appoggiatura
• Aria
• Arpeggio
• Assolo
• Ballerina and prima ballerina
• Baritone (from Italian baritono – from Greek βαρύτονος – through French)
• Bass (from Latin bassus, influenced by Italian basso)
• Basso
• Bel canto
• Biennale
• Bravo
• Bravura
• Brio
• Cadenza
• Cantata
• Castrato
• Celesta
• Cello (from Italian violoncello)
• Coda
• Coloratura
• Concert (from Italian concerto through French)
• Concertante
• Concerto
• Continuo
• Contralto
• Contrapuntal (Italian: contrappuntistico)
• Cornetto
• Crescendo
• Diminuendo
• Diva
• Duet (from Italian duetto through French)
• Duo
• Falsetto
• Fantasia
• Fermata
• Fiasco (in Italian, it can also mean 'flask, bottle')
• Finale
• Forte
• Fortissimo
• Glissando
• Impresario
• Intermezzo
• Largo
• Legato
• Librettist (Italian: librettista)
• Libretto
• Madrigal (Italian: madrigale)
• Maestro
• Mandolin (from Italian mandolino through French)
• Mezzo-soprano (in Italian without hyphen)
• Obbligato
• Oboe
• Ocarina
• Opera
• Operetta
• Oratorio
• Ostinato
• Pianissimo
• Piano
• Piccolo (in Italian means 'small')
• Pizzicato
• Prestissimo
• Presto
• Prima ballerina
• Prima donna
• Quartet (from Italian quartetto through French)
• Quintet (Italian: quintetto)
• Scherzo (in Italian means 'joke')
• Semibreve
• Sextet (Italian: sestetto)
• Sol-fa, solfa, solfeggio, solfège (the last one through French)
• Solo (in Italian means 'alone')
• Soloist (Italian: solista)
• Sonata
• Soprano
• Sotto voce (in Italian it literally means 'under the voice' i.e. 'in a low voice'; often written without spaces)
• Staccato
• Tarantella (after the city of Taranto)
• Tempo (in Italian means 'time')
• Timpani (Italian timpano, pl. timpani)
• Toccata
• Tremolo
• Trio
• Trombone
• Vibrato
• Viola
• Violin (from Italian violino through French)
• Violoncello
• Virtuoso

Art and architecture

• Antics (from Italian antico, meaning 'old, ancient')
• Apartment (from Italian appartamento through French appartement)
• Arabesque (from Italian arabesco through French arabesque) ^[1]
• Architrave
• Archivolt (Italian: archivolto)
• Balcony (from Italian balcone)
• Bas-relief (from Italian bassorilievo through French)
• Belvedere (in Italian means a view point)
• Bust (from Italian busto through French)
• Cameo (Italian: cameo or cammeo)
• Campanile
• Caricature (from Italian caricatura through French)
• Carton (from Italian cartone through French)
• Cartoon (from Italian cartone through French)
• Chiaroscuro (from chiaro-oscuro 'light-dark', an art technique making strong use of bold shadow and harsh lighting) ^[2]
• Corridor (from Italian corridoio through French)
• Cupola
• Dado (in Italian meaning 'dice')
• Fresco (Italian: affresco from the expression a fresco)
• Gesso
• Graffiti (Italian: graffito, pl. graffiti)
• Grotto (in Italian grotta, meaning 'cave')
• Impasto
• Intaglio
• Loggia (from French loge)
• Madonna (in Medieval Italian meant Lady, in Modern Italian indicates Mary the Virgin)
• Magenta (after the Italian town)
• Mezzanine (Italian mezzanino, from mezzano 'middle')
• Modello (Italian modello 'model, sketch')
• Moresco
• Parapet (from Italian parapetto through French)
• Patina
• Patio
• Pergola
• Piazza
• Pietà (in Italian means 'pity')
• Portico
• Putto (Italian putto 'baby', 'cherub')
• Replica (in Italian means 'repeat performance')
• Sgraffito (Italian sgraffiare 'to scratch, write')
• Stucco (in Italian means 'plaster')
• Tempera
• Terra-cotta (in Italian without hyphen)
• Terrazza (in Italian means 'terrace', 'balcony')
• Torso
• Veranda
• Villa

Literature and language

• Canto (from canto 'song', originally from Latin. A section of a long or epic poem) ^[3]
• Ditto (Old Italian for 'said')
• Lingua franca (Italian lingua Franca, 'Frankish language', its usage to mean a common tongue originated from its meaning in Arabic and Greek during the Middle Ages, whereby all Western Europeans were called 'Franks' or Faranji in Arabic and Phrankoi in Greek) ^{[4] [5]}
• Motto (Italian motto 'word') ^[6]
• Novel (Italian novella 'tale')
• Ottava rima
• Rodomontade (from Rodomonte, a character in Italian Renaissance epic poems Orlando innamorato and its sequel Orlando furioso ) ^[7]
• Sestina
• Sonnet (from Italian sonetto through French)
• Stanza

Theatre and dramatic arts

• Buffoon (from Italian buffone "jester" via French) ^[8]
• Cantastoria (from canta historia 'sung story' or 'singing history', a theatrical form, ^[9] in modern Italian: cantastorie)
• Commedia dell'arte
• Extravaganza (in Italian stravaganza, meaning 'extravagance')
• Finale, Series finale
• Imbroglio (in Italian means 'cheat')
• Mask (from Italian maschera though Middle French masque, from Medieval Latin masca 'mask, specter, nightmare'. ^[10]
• Punch (from the Italian character Pulcinella)
• Scenario (in Italian also meaning 'scenery') ^[11]
• Sotto voce (Italian sottovoce 'in a low voice')

Arts in general and aesthetics

• 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

• Orange ^[15]
• Lava (color)
• Magenta ^[16]
• Rosso corsa
• Sepia (from Italian seppia, meaning 'cuttlefish')
• Sienna (from Italian terra di Siena 'soil of Siena')
• Terra cotta (color)
• Umber (from Latin umbra 'shadow', and the region of its origin, Umbria)

Cuisine

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]
• Conchiglie
• Dolcelatte
• Espresso (from espresso 'expressed')
• Farfalle
• 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
• Grissini
• 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
• Prosecco
• 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

• 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

• Archipelago (through Italian arcipelago, from Greek arkhipélagos)
• Lagoon (Italian: laguna)
• Littoral (Italian: litorale)
• Marina (from Italian mare 'sea')
• Riviera (from Italian "riviera", coming from Latin ripa 'coastline')
• Sirocco (Italian: scirocco, from Arabic)
• Terra rossa

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

• Aleppo
• Angora
• Cairo
• Crimea
• Monaco
• Monte Carlo
• Montenegro
• Negroponte
• Santorini
• Tripoli
• Valletta
• Vienna

territories named after Italian explorers:

• America after Amerigo Vespucci
• Colombia after Christopher Columbus
• British Columbia after Christopher Columbus

Commerce and finance

• 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

• 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

• 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

• Doge
• Fascism (Italian: fascismo)
• Fascist (Italian: fascista)
• Ghetto
• Machiavellian and Machiavellianism after Niccolò Machiavelli
• Manifesto (meaning 'poster' in Italian)
• Politico (meaning either 'political' or 'politician' in Italian)
• Propaganda

Love and sex

• 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

• Antenna
• Belladonna
• Cascade (from Italian cascata through French)
• Flu (from influenza)
• Influenza
• Lava
• Lazaret (Italian: lazzaretto)
• Manganese ^[48]
• Malaria
• Medico
• Neutrino
• Parma violet (Italian: violetta di Parma, after the city of Parma)
• Pellagra
• Quarantine (Italian: quarantena)
• Saliva
• Tarantula (through Medieval Latin from Italian tarantola, after the city of Taranto)
• Volcano (Italian: vulcano derived from the name of Vulcano, a volcanic island in the Aeolian Islands, which in turn derives from Vulcanus, the Roman god of fire)
• Zebra (through Portuguese)
• Zero (from Arabic)

words after Italian scientist names:

• Avogadro constant after Amedeo Avogadro
• Eustachian tube after Bartolomeo Eustachi
• Fermion, Fermium, Fermi (unit), Fermi level after Enrico Fermi
• Fibonacci series after Leonardo Fibonacci
• Galilean transformation after Galileo Galilei
• Galvanic, Galvanize after Luigi Galvani
• Marconi rig after Guglielmo Marconi
• Lagrangian after Giuseppe Luigi Lagrangia
• Pareto distribution after Vilfredo Pareto
• Ricci curvature after Gregorio Ricci-Curbastro
• Torr after Evangelista Torricelli
• Venturi tube after Giovanni Battista Venturi
• Volt after Alessandro Volta

Religion, rituals, holidays

• Biretta (Italian: berretta)
• Camerlengo
• Carnival (through French from Italian carnevale)
• Confetti (from Italian confetto, pl. confetti, meaning 'dragée'; in Italian confetti are called coriandoli)
• Intaglio (burial mound) (from the art usage)
• Masquerade (through French from Italian mascherata)
• Monsignor (Italian: monsignore)
• Padre (in Italian means 'father')
• Promession (Italian promessa 'promise')

Games and sports

• 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

• 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

• D. Harper, Online Etymology Dictionary

See also

• wiktionary:Category:English terms derived from Italian
• List of Italian musical terms used in English

References

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".