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Alterati Diminutivi

Thu, 23 May 2013 10:57:40 +0000

In Italian, diminutives (alterati diminutivi) are a category of altered words (alterati) in which the meaning of the base word is attenuated or diminished in some sense. Examples include: sassolino (a pebble), spiaggetta (small beach), tastierina (keypad), and visitina (short visit).

Chiocciola

Thu, 23 May 2013 10:46:10 +0000

The chiocciola (snail), or chiocciolina (little snail), is the @ symbol—one of those Italian punctuation marks (segni d'interpunzione) that is ubiquitous nowadays given how e-mail has pervaded everyday life. Ironic, ...

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Alterati Accrescitivi

Tue, 21 May 2013 12:06:21 +0000

In Italian, augmentatives (alterati accrescitivi) are formed via the grammatical phenomenon alteration (alterazione). Examples include: librone, palazzone, coltellaccio, and azzurrognolo.

Esame di Stato

Tue, 21 May 2013 12:01:03 +0000

Nasce un nuovo blog dedicato all'Esame di Stato, ricco di materiali, spunti e preziosi consigli, dedicato a tutti coloro che fra pochi mesi dovranno affrontare l'esame di maturità.

Alterati Verbali

Wed, 15 May 2013 10:57:59 +0000

Modified Italian verbs (alterati verbali) are formed using suffixes. The resulting verbs are diminutive and augmentative, or can convey a sense of repetition. Examples include: bucherellare, scoppiettare, and mangiucchiare.

Sano Come un Pesce

Tue, 14 May 2013 11:07:29 +0000

Are you sano come un pesce? Transliterally, the Italian saying means "healthy (well, sound) as a fish"; in English, the idiomatic meaning is: "fit as a fiddle." There was a time when pollution was not as widespread as it is today, and it was unusual to see sick or dead fish floating or beached on riverbanks. Hence, the belief that fish had an iron constitution, were free of diseases, and never got sick.

Dantepoliglotta

Tue, 07 May 2013 17:13:05 +0000

Dantepoliglotta features over two hundred editions of translations of La Divina Commedia in sixty different languages and dialects. The project includes the frontispiece and one or more pages of each text.

King of the (Ill) Wind

Thu, 02 May 2013 15:45:00 +0000

There's an ill wind blowing in Sicily. As part of an investigation, the Direzione Investigativa Antimafia (DIA) seized record assets from a wind farm tycoon. Vito Nicastri, nicknamed re del vento (king of the wind) by the Italian press because of his vast wind farm holdings, was allegedly a front man for the Cosa Nostra, investing illegal earnings in his business empire.

Creating Adjectives from Verbs

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 16:14:15 +0000

Spin the suffixation wheel and watch nouns, verbs, and adjectives click by, paired up in almost every combination imaginable. Finally, the wheel stops at creating adjectives from verbs. Think of it as grammar tombola (a traditional Italian bingo-like game played at Christmas).

Costasera

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 12:32:52 +0000

If you're looking for an Italian wine to go with red meat, game, or well-aged cheeses, Masi Costasera Amarone della Valpolicella Classico is the benchmark for the Amarone category. Amarone della Valpolicella is a typically rich Italian dry red wine made from the partially dried grapes of the Corvina, Rondinella, and Molinara varieties from a specific growing zone of Italy's Veneto region. And what about the brand name Costasera? It refers to the slopes facing the sunset—costa (slope), sera (evening), which are the best ones in Valpolicella Classica for producing a high-quality Amarone. The day is longer so the vines, which overlook Lake Garda, benefit from the reflection of the light and its milder climate.