List of English words of Italian origin

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

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

Music

• A cappella
• Acciaccatura
• Adagio
• Allegretto
• Allegro
• Alto
• Andante
• Appoggiatura
• Aria
• Arpeggio
• Ballerina and Prima ballerina
• Baritone (from Italian baritono - from Greek βαρύτονος - through French)
• Bass (from Latin bassus, influenced by Italian basso)
• Basso
• Bel canto
• 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 (whose Italian basic meaning is "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
• Pianissimo
• Piano
• Piccolo (in Italian means "small")
• Pizzicato
• 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 literally means "under voice", i.e. "whisper")
• 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: 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 stadow 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 called after the Italian town
• Mezzanine (Italian 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 "graffiare", "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
• 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
• 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

• Cantastoria: From canta historia, "sung story" or "singing history". A theatrical form^[8] In modern Italian: cantastorie.
• Extravaganza (in Italian stravaganza, meaning "extravagance")
• Finale, Series finale
• Imbroglio (in Italian means "cheat")
• Punch (from the Italian character Pulcinella)
• Scenario (in Italian also meaning "scenery")^[9]
• Sotto voce (Italian sotto voce, "under 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 toc reate a fantastic or imagined architecture^[10]
• Cinquecento (Italian millecinquecento, "1500") The culture of the 16th century^[11]
• Grotesque (from Italian grottesco through French)
• Pastiche (from Italian pasticcio through French)
• Picturesque (from Italian pittoresco through French)
• Quattrocento (Italian quattrocento, or millequattrocento, "1400") The culture of the 15th century^[12]
• Studio

Colours

• Orange^[13]
• Lava (color)
• Magenta^[14]
• Rosso corsa
• Sepia (Italian: seppia, meaning "cuttlefish")
• Sienna (Italian terra di Siena, "dirt of Siena")
• Terra cotta (color)
• Umber (from Latin umbra, "shadow", and the region of its origin, Umbria)

Cuisine

• Al dente
• Al fresco
• Antipasto
• Artichoke from articiocco, Northern Italian variant of Italian arcicioffo^[15]
• Baguette (through French baguette from Italian bacchetta)^[16][17]
• Banquet (from Italian banchetto through French)
• Barista: From barista, "bartender". A preparer of esperesso-based coffee^[18]
• 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 candi, from zucchero sugar + Arabic قاندل qandI candied, from Persian قند qand cane sugar; ultimately from Sanskrit खुड् khanda="piece of sugar," perhaps from Dravidian.^[19]
• Cannelloni (Italian: cannellone, pl. cannelloni)
• Cantaloupe (after the Italian village of Cantalupa through French; in Italian the fruit is simply called melone)
• 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^[20]
• Cauliflower (originally cole florye, from Italian cavoli fiori meaning "flowered cabbage"^[21]
• 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)^[22]
• Espresso :from espresso, "expressed", which itself derives from the English express, in the sense of "rapid"^[23]
• Fava
• Fusilli (Italian fuso, "to spin")
• Gelatine (from Italian gelatina through French)
• Gnocchi (Italian: gnocco, pl. gnocchi)
• Gorgonzola after the village near Milan
• Granita
• Grappa
• Gusto
• Lasagne (Italian: lasagna, pl. lasagne)
• Latte (or "Caffè latte") (Italian: caffè latte, "milk coffee")
• 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^[24]
• 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)^[25][26]
• 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)")^[27]
• Pistachio (Italian: pistacchio)
• Pizza
• Pizzeria
• Polenta
• 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 sfogliatelle, "many layers")
• 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 (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)
• 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 means "thick 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 "rivo" which shares the same root of river and means "a little river")
• Sirocco (Italian: scirocco, from Arabic)

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

• Angora
• Cairo
• Crimea
• Montenegro
• Terra rossa
• Tripoli
• 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) ^[28]
• Bankrupt (Italian: bancarotta) ^[29]
• Capitalism (from Italian capitale)
• Carat / karat (from Italian carato - from Arabic - through French) ^[30]
• Cartel (through French and German, from Italian cartello, meaning "poster") ^[31]
• Cash (from Italian cassa through French caisse and Provençal) ^[32]
• Credit (from Italian credito through French) ^[33]
• Del credere (Italian: star del credere)
• Ducat (from Italian ducato, whose main meaning is "duchy") ^[34]
• Florin (through French from Italian fiorino) ^[35]
• Finance (from Italian affinare, meaning 'do something precisely' in economy)
• Lira ^[36]
• Lombard (through French, from Italian lombardo meaning an inhabitant of Lombardy) ^[37]
• Mercantile (through French) ^[38]
• Management (from Italian mano for "maneggiamento", meaning "hand" for 'handlement') ^[39]
• Merchandise (from Italian merce)
• Money (from Italian Moneta)
• Post (from Italian Posta through French "Poste"^[40])^[41]

• Sale (from Italian Salire, meaning "get out" merchandise)

Military and weaponry

• Arsenal (Italian: arsenale, from Arabic)
• Brigade (through French from Italian brigata)
• Brigand (through French from Italian brigante)
• Cannon (through French from Italian cannone)
• Cavalier (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 (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 use this italian world was William Shakespeare in Macbeth. Shakespeare introduced a lot of italian or latin words in english language. Assassin and assassination to 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 the first use this italian world was William Shakespeare in Macbeth. Shakespeare introduced many italian or latin words in english language)
• Bandit (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
• Discrimination (from Italian discriminazione)
• Embassy (through French embassée from Italian ambasciata)
• Fascism (Italian: fascismo)
• Fascist (Italian: fascista)
• Ghetto
• Machiavellian and Machiavellianism after Niccolò Machiavelli
• Manifesto (in Italian means "poster")
• Nuncio (Italian: nunzio)
• Politico (in Italian means "politician")
• Segregation (from Italian "segregazione")
• Sociology (from Italian "sociologia")

Love and sex

• Bimbo (Italian: bimba, m. bimbo)
• Casanova
• Dildo (from Italian diletto, meaning "pleasure")
• Innamorata
• Lothario (Italian: Lotario; however, in Italian it is a first name, but it doesn't mean "lady-killer")
• Ruffian (Italian: m. ruffiano, f. ruffiana)

Science and nature

• Belladonna
• Cascade (from Italian cascata through French)
• Flu (from influenza)
• Influenza
• Lava
• Lazaret (Italian: lazzaretto)
• Manganese^[42]
• Malaria
• Medico
• Neutrino
• Parma violet (Italian: violetta di Parma, after the city of Parma)
• Pellagra
• Quarantine (Italian: quarantena)
• 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)
• Zebra (through Portuguese)
• Zero

words after Italian scientist names:

• Eustachian tube after Bartolomeo Eustachi
• Fermium after Enrico Fermi
• Fibonacci series after Leonardo Fibonacci
• Galvanic after Luigi Galvani
• Galvanize after Luigi Galvani
• Volt after Alessandro Volta

Religion, rituals, holidays

• Biretta (Italian: berretta)
• Camerlengo
• Carnival (through French from Italian carnevale)
• Christian (Italian: Cristiano)
• christianity (Italian: cristianità)
• Cross (Italian: Croce)
• 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)
• Miracle (Italian: Miracolo)
• Mystic (Italian: Mistico)
• Monsignor (Italian: monsignore)
• Jesus Christ (Italian: Gesù Cristo)
• Padre (in Italian means "father")
• Promession (Italian promessa, "promise")
• Saint (Italian: Santo)
• Saracen (Italian: Saraceni)

Games and sports

• Catenaccio: From catenaccio, "door-bolt". A defensive tactic in association football^[43]
• Curva, a curved stadium grandstand
• Fianchetto (Italian fianchetto, "little flank") A chess tactic
• Lottery (Italian: lotteria)
• Tarot (through French) and Taroc (Italian tarocco)
• Tifo and Tifosi (literally meaning "typhus"; Italian tifosi, "sports fans", "supporters")
• 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

• Armature (through Italian plural armature in english = rebar that's short for reinforcing bar)
• Berlinetta: From berlinetta, "little saloon". A two-seater sports car^[44]
• Bravado (through French bravade from Italian bravata)
• Brave (through French from Italian bravo)
• Capisci ("understand", often misspelled kapish, or kapeesh)
• Ciao: From ciao, an informal greeting or valediction, originally from Venetian sciavo, "(your humble) servant". Goodbye.^[45]
• Cognoscente (in Italian conoscitore)
• Dilemma (in Italian means "alternativa tra due posizioni inaccettabili")
• 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 the Latin "lavatrina" )
• Lido (in Italian means "coast", usually "sandy coast")
• Lipizzan (Italian: lipizzano)
• Major-domo (Italian maggiordomo)
• Mizzen (through French misaine from Italian mezzana)
• Paparazzi (Italian paparazzi, plural of paparazzo, the name of a character in the film La Dolce Vita)
• Poltroon (through French poltron from Italian poltrone)
• Pronto
• Regatta (Italian: regata)
• Vendetta (in Italian means "vengeance")
• Vista (in Italian means "sight")
• Viva

Sources

• D. Harper, Online Etymology Dictionary
• Wiktionary

See also

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

Notes

References

1. Harper Collins, Online Etymology Dictionary, 2010
2. http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?allowed_in_frame=0&search=chiaroscuro
3. http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?allowed_in_frame=0&search=canto
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. http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/motto
7. http://www.worldwidewords.org/weirdwords/ww-rod1.htm
8. "Cantastoria: Centuries-Old Performance Style Making a Comeback", The L Magazine. 21 June 2011. Retrieved 20 May 2013
9. http://www.myetymology.com/english/scenery.html
10. http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?allowed_in_frame=0&search=Capriccio
11. http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?allowed_in_frame=0&search=Cinquecento
12. http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?allowed_in_frame=0&search=Quattrocento
13. http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?allowed_in_frame=0&search=Orange
14. http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?allowed_in_frame=0&search=Magenta
15. http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=artichoke&allowed_in_frame=0
16. http://www.cnrtl.fr/etymologie/baguette
17. http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?allowed_in_frame=0&search=baguette
18. http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=barista
19. Harper, Douglas. "candy". Online Etymology Dictionary.
20. http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?allowed_in_frame=0&search=Cappuccino
21. http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?allowed_in_frame=0&search=cauliflower
22. http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=coffee
23. Lo Zingarelli 2008.
24. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/macchiato
25. http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?allowed_in_frame=0&search=Orange
26. "orange n.1 and adj.1". Oxford English Dictionary online. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 2013. Retrieved 2013-09-30.(subscription required)
27. http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?allowed_in_frame=0&search=pesto&searchmode=none
28. D. Harper, Online Etymology Dictionary, 2010
29. D. Harper, Online Etymology Dictionary, 2010
30. D. Harper, Online Etymology Dictionary, 2010
31. D. Harper, Online Etymology Dictionary, 2010
32. D. Harper, Online Etymology Dictionary, 2010
33. D. Harper, Online Etymology Dictionary, 2010
34. D. Harper, Online Etymology Dictionary, 2010
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. Le Petit Robert
41. D. Harper, Online Etymology Dictionary, 2010
42. http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?allowed_in_frame=0&search=Manganese
43. "Catenaccio" at worldsoccer.com
44. Laban, Brian. The Ultimate History of Ferrari. Bath: Parragon, 2002. ISBN 978-0-7525-8873-5.
45. http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?allowed_in_frame=0&search=ciao