The Contribution to the English Vocabulary from Italian

The contribution made by Italy to Anglo-Saxon civiliza­tion began in the days of the Romans, continued throughout the so-called Dark Ages, attained certain heights in the centuries of the Italian Renaissance, and goes on in unvaried rhythm, in our own times.

An actual word count of the English vocabulary shows that the Italian element in English is outstripped only by the native Anglo-Saxon and Scandinavian, the French of the Normans, and the revivified Latin and Greek that make up so large a part of both our common and our scientific vocabularies. With these four exceptions, the Italian participation surpasses all others: German, Dutch, and modern Scandinavian, which are most closely related to Anglo-Saxon; Spanish and Portuguese whose contributions have been considerable; Slavic and Semitic; and all other Asian, as well as African, Pacific and native American Indian languages put together.

The Italian contingent extends from Renaissance borrowings that have assumed a thoroughly English form, such as “sonnet”, “gasette”, “balcony”, and “infantry” to words in which the Italian form has remained intact: incognito, impresario, marina. It includes not merely words of Latin stock, but words originally stemming from oriental languages such as cotton, taffeta, bergamot.

From the loftiest areas of art, music, literature, and science to the most vulgar regions or colloquialism and slang, from the innermost recesses of the home and kitchen to the stately functions of the court we find the English vocabula­ry pervaded by the influence of Italy.

The field of art is one in which Italy has ever excelled. Here the contribution of Italian to the English vocabulary is as extensive and varied as has been Italy’s contribution to the world’s artistic endowment. Words denoting forms, styles, or methods of painting, such as chiaroscuro, fresco, acquarelle, miniature, profile, sketch have been generalized. There are words of general artistic connotation, such as dilettante, dilettantism, replica, model, studio and two proper adjectives that have won their place in Webster’s: Raphaelite and Sistine. The vast extension of meaning these words have acquired testifies to their popular use and penetrative power. We speak today not merely of an artist’s model and an artist’s studio, but of a “model” son, an example on which to model our behaviour, a Hollywood motion-picture studio, and a photographic studio. It is characteristic of many Italian loan words that although originally adopted with a specific, technical meaning, they have acquired such vogue as to become current in everyday speech.

Passing from the field of art to that of music we are faced with a unique situation. The English musical vocabula­ry is over three-fourths Italian, and the words, for the most part, have been permitted to retain their Italian form without anglicization. Almost every known form of musical composition bears an Italian name: concert, opera, operetta, barcarolle, serenade, oratorio, sonata, scherzo, caprice (capriccio), aria, largo, intermezzo, recitative, finale. Practically the same situation exists in the field of musical instruments. The Greek orchestra, passing through Italy has given rise to its English counterpart and derivatives, orchestral, orchestrate, orchestration. The Italian spinet has given way to the equally Italian piano (or pianoforte) which is accompanied by the Italian piccolo, trombone, viola, violoncello, mandolin, violin, concertina. As for the performers, they are all Italian: basso, contralto, soprano (colorature or otherwise), mezzosoprano, tenor. The Prima Donna who is a Diva and a virtuosa has been trained by an Italian MAESTRO and is directed by an Italian impresario. Her trills, and cadences are hailed by shouts of Bravo! and viva! I No matter in what formation the performers choose to sing, the group will receive an Italian name: solo, duo, duet, trio, quartet, quintet, sextet. Musical directions are 90 per cent Italian: adagio, allegro, andante, crescendo, con brio, diminuendo, forte, fortissimo, legato, maestoso, moderato, piano, pianissimo, presto, staccato, tremolo, etc.

Among musical terms that defy classification are lib­retto, scenario, tempo, counterpoint and the verb improvise with its many derivatives. Many of the Italian musical terms have received an extension of meaning that makes them cur­rent words in field other than music. We speak of the con­cert of powers and concerted action, a crescendo of noise, the staccato rattling of a machine gun, presto self-rising flour, a tremolo quaver in a person’s voice, a trio of ras­cals, a falsetto shrick, the scenario of a photoplay, the tempo of recovery, the cadence of a dialect, the improvising of a speech.

In the theatrical field we find in English a lot of words of the Italian Commedia dell’Arte into England: ballet, prima ballerina, burlesque, buffoon, buffoonery, mountebank, fiasco, harlequin, colombine, scaramouche, pantaloon, Punchinello (the latter gives rise to England’s favourite humorous periodical “punch”) are typical examples of this penetration.

Italian influence in the vocabulary of literature is con­siderable. From typically Italian forms, such as canto, stan­za, inferno we go to thoroughly anglicized words: lampoon, novel, sonnet, madrigal.

To what extent the architectural world is indebted to Italy is shown by the most of Italian words that enter every phrase of present-day construction from

cellar to roof: portico, arcade, banister, colonnade, corridor, cornice, facade, gallery, mezzanine, balcony, casement, rotunda among the details of architectural construction; dado, niche, pedestal, pilaster among forms of decoration; camposanto, campanile, cupola in religious building; belvedere, casino, pergola, terrazzo, piazza, villa, esplanade, in rural construction; baroque, Romanesque, Moresque, arabesque, in the domain of style stucco and mosaic among the building materials, vista among the beneficial results of well-planed architecture the English language owes to Italian.

In the field of military construction and fortification we have barrack, barricade, camp, canteen, citadel, parapet, post, redoubt, stockade and the originally Arabic arsenal. Among styles of combat, we find ambush and ambuscade, attack and campaign, espionage and reprisal. The cannon and its byproducts, cannonade and salvo, the carbine, the musket are of Italian origin. So are battalion, regiment, brigade, cavalry, infantry, escadrille, squad, squadron, sentinel, carbineer, musketeer; even the Hungarian Hussar may be an outgrowth of Italian corsaro. Army ranks from corporal through captain and colonel to brigadier and generalissimo are Italian. The originally military alert has been extended far beyond its primary meaning, and we have only to refer to televised speeches of prospective candidates to realize how far campaign and attack have strayed from their once straight and narrow path; commando is perhaps the most recent of this type, passing from Italian to Dutch at the time of the Boer War in South Africa, then gaining big vogue in the Second World War.

The country life of Renaissance Italy has given rise to festive terms that today form part of our common linguistic heritage: confetti, costume, rocket, gala, motto, compliment, vogue, salon, saloon, tarantella, masquerade, carrousel, carnival, travesty, cortege, cavalier, majordomo, paladin, page, marquis, escort, all come directly or indirectly from Italy.

Many of our games and gaming terms: come from Italy, from the gambit of chess to the card game called casino, from the innocent dominoes and lotto to the lottery until recently illegal. To select three widely different fields we have the racket of the tennis player the duel of the swordsman, and the regatta of the boating club.

It is only natural that Italy, home and center of the Christian religion, should have given us many of our religious terms: limbo, Madonna, catacomb, cassock come from Italy as well as various ranks of the church hierarchy, from frater to monsignor and from nuncio to cardinal.

The art of printing did not originate in Italy, but many of our most current press terms did. In the printer’s shop we have agate and PARAGON type, italics and italicize. Among the finished products of the printing industry we have gazette, bulletin, magazine, cartoon, caricature.

A large number of terms pertain to politics and states­manship. Ambassador and embassy are of world-wide applica­tion, as is league. Manifesto and portfolio retain in whole or in part their Italian form, but ballot, partisan, revolt have been anglicized almost beyond recognition.

In the field of crime, the vocabulary contribution is considerable; linguistically, practically every field of crime shows traces of Italian influence: vagabond, charlatan, ruffian, brigand, bandit, corsair, assassin (originally Ara­bic), contraband, vendetta; from the exclusively Italian camorra, and mafia to the American mano nera, cosa nostra, and racket; from the stiletto that serves to penetrate a cri­me to the bagnio that punishes it.

It is not surprising that many of the current words of the banking world are of Italian origin since modern system of banking, credit and finance is rooted in the great medie­val merchant centers of Florence, Genoa, Venice, Milan. Many of the current words of the banking world have a similar ori­gin: cash, cashier, debit, credit, deposit, bank, banker, bankrupt. In the related words of business we have accredit, firm, mercantile, mercantilism and the originally Arabic ta­riff.

International trade is heavily endowed with Italian terms: bark, brig, brigantine, frigate, galley, skiff, pilot. Navigation and commerce go hand in hand with industry. Italy, land of textiles, has given not only the imported Persian taffeta and Arabic cotton but also plush and poplin, satin, shagreen, velvet, floss along with a colour beige that is peculiar to woven goods. Among the finer, semiartistic pro­ducts we find terra cotta, majolica, porcelain, filigrain, filigree. The carton in which our cigarettes come, the laund­ry to which we send our wash, the cafeteria where we eat lunch, along with its manager and management are also Italian as is the artisan who works at skilled trades, and the mil­liner.

The food industry is the one in which Italian has made the vastest and most durable impact, particularly in Ameri­ca: ravioli, spaghetti, vermicelli, macaroni, pizza, pizzeria, chianti (the best known of Italian wines), moscato (muscatel), bologna sausage has really penetrated the American vocabula­ry, to the extent of giving rise to boloney even in a slangy sense.

Italy’s contribution to the world of science is often neglected. Yet a mere glance at the dictionary shows us its extent and range. In minerology (agate, granite, lava, tufa, soda, sodium, manganese), geography (cape, volcano, grotto, lagoon), zoology (buffalo, parrot, tarantula, jackanapes), physical sciences (torricellian, marconigram, galvanic, gal­vanize, volt, voltmeter, voltage) words bear witness of their Italian origin.

Italian influence does not stop at mere words. There are two productive Italian suffixes: -ade, -esque.

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