{"id":16945,"date":"2023-03-28T11:45:00","date_gmt":"2023-03-28T11:45:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/danteinlinea.com\/?p=16945"},"modified":"2023-10-03T23:03:42","modified_gmt":"2023-10-03T23:03:42","slug":"latin-words-used-in-italian","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/danteinlinea.com\/blog\/en\/latin-words-used-in-italian\/","title":{"rendered":"Latin words and expression used in Italian"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Since Italian derives from Latin, <strong>it is important that you know the words and expressions used in Italian<\/strong>. In the language we speak today we still use many Latin expressions no matter how old-fashioned they may seem. As such, it should come as no surprise that many Latin words or even entire Latin phrases have become so naturalized in Italian that we use them in their entirety, without a second thought.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What are the words and expressions used in Italian? Here we made a short list, to satisfy your curiosity. Which ones are also used in English?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>A priori<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Literally \u201cform before\u201d: Italians use it to express something known before any experience.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Ex.<\/strong> Se avessi saputo<strong><em> a priori<\/em><\/strong> che mi avrebbe lasciato, non le avrei fatto la proposta di matrimonio! <em>(If I knew in advance she would have left me, I wouldn\u2019t have proposed)&nbsp;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>A posteriori<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>This locution is the exact opposite of \u201c<em>a priori<\/em>\u201d. \u201c<em>A posteriori<\/em>\u201d indicates that something was achieved or acquired through experience.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Ex.<\/strong> <strong>A posteriori<\/strong> avrei fatto prima un safari in Africa. (<em>Knowing it now, I would have done an African safari sooner)&nbsp;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Ad hoc<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cFor this reason\u201d. Ad hoc is used in Italian when something has been made especially for a certain circumstance. For instance, when an architect designs a project per request of their client, in Italian we say that it\u2019s a project <strong><em>ad hoc<\/em><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Bis<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>For sure one of the most known Latin words. Usually, we hear <strong><em>bis <\/em><\/strong>after a concert, to show appreciation for the execution. Italians will say \u201c<em>Bravo, bene, bis!\u201d<\/em> to ask for a second performance (bis literally means twice or two).&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Carpe diem<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Is one of the most famous Lantin quotations. The first to use<strong><em> carpe diem <\/em><\/strong>was Oratio (Odi I, 11) and in Italian we can translate it as \u201c<em>cogli l\u2019attimo<\/em>\u201d (grab each moment). It is considered to be the manifesto of the \u201cTheory of pleasure\u201d, a popular literary movement, and it\u2019s an invitation to not let go of the opportunities life gives us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Curriculum vitae<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>There\u2019s another Latin expression that we all have used at least once in our life as grown ups, and that\u2019s<strong><em> Curriculum Vitae<\/em><\/strong>. Shortened in <em>Curriculum <\/em>or <em>CV<\/em>, is our r\u00e9sum\u00e9, the description of our work and education experiences. In the Italian language the most common version of this expression is CV or <em>curricolo<\/em>, directly in standard Italian.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Ex.<\/strong> Ho mandato il mio <strong>Curriculum Vitae<\/strong> ad un\u2019importante azienda farmaceutica! (<em>I sent my CV to a very famous pharmaceutical company!<\/em>)&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Deficit<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>This Latin word expresses a loss, an insufficiency. In Italian, but also in other languages, we use it as an economic, medical or relational term. From <strong><em>deficit <\/em><\/strong>derives, in Italian, the word <em>difetto <\/em>(defect).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Ex.<\/strong> Il dottore mi ha detto che ho un <strong>deficit<\/strong> di calcio. (<em>The doctor told me I have a deficiency in calcium<\/em>)&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Eccetera<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Often written as <em>ecc..<\/em> or <em>ect..<\/em> it is an adverb that in the extensive Latin form is expressed as et cetera (meaning \u201cand other stories\u201d). It is used to lengthen a concept and if reiterated it indicates \u201cand so on\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Ex.<\/strong> In questo zoo troverete elefanti, scimmie, tigri, <strong>eccetera<\/strong>. (<em>In this zoo you will find elephants, monkeys, tigers, and so on.<\/em>)&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Facsimile<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s a word that even the Latins could imagine the origin of: <strong><em>Facsimile <\/em><\/strong>(or<em> <\/em><strong><em>fac-simile<\/em><\/strong>)<strong><em> <\/em><\/strong>derives from the Latin verb<em> fac <\/em>(to make) and <em>simile<\/em> (similar). It is used, figuratively, to express an exact copy of something or someone.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Ex.<\/strong> Se non sai scrivere una lettera formale, puoi copiare il <strong>fac-simile<\/strong> sul mio computer. (<em>If you don\u2019t know how to write a formal letter, you can copy the fac-simile on my computer<\/em>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Gratis<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The Latin form was \u201cgratiis\u201d; in Italian this word expresses something for free.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Ex.<\/strong> Mi hanno detto che questa mostra d&#8217;arte contemporanea si pu\u00f2 visitare <strong>gratis<\/strong>. (<em>They told me that we can visit this contemporary art exhibition for free<\/em>)&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>In primis<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>We can translate it as first of all, primarily, firstly. In Italian it is commonly used to stress a specific concept or to indicate the beginning of a list.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Ex. In primis<\/strong> volevo ringraziare tutti per essere venuti. (<em>Firstly I wanted to thank you all for coming<\/em>) .<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Lapsus<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>It comes from a Latin word meaning \u201cto slip\u201d. We use this word in Italian to express something that slipped from our mind, or something we let \u201cslip out\u201d (like a secret for example).<br>Fun fact: an example of <em>lapsus<\/em> that Freud talks about in his philosophy is about foreign words we often forget!&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Ex.<\/strong> Ho avuto un<strong> lapsus<\/strong> freudiano! (I had a Freudian slip!)&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Pro bono<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>This expression refers to an activity that we do for free, or as a voluntary job. It is often related to the legal vocabulary or the medical one, since it\u2019s common to take care of a lawsuit or a surgery pro bono, for people (or group of people) who can\u2019t afford it.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Ex.<\/strong> Questo ospedale cura il labbro leporino <strong>pro bono<\/strong>. (<em>This hospital offers pro bono surgery for the cleft lip<\/em>)&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Qui<\/strong> <strong>pro quo<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Italians use this expression when something goes wrong and there\u2019s a misunderstanding. It seems that in the late Middle Age this expression was adopted by doctors and pharmacists to substitute or prescribe to sick people drugs with similar composition.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Ex.<\/strong> C\u2019\u00e8 stato un <strong>qui pro quo<\/strong> con la data di consegna. (<em>There was a misunderstanding with the delivery date<\/em>)&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Vademecum<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>Vademecum<\/em><\/strong> means literally \u201ccome with me\u201d, but in Italian with this term we indicate a publication, a short manual or a small book you can consult easily\u2026 just like this one!&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As you could see, in Italian we have many words and expressions we derive from Latin, that we still commonly use. It\u2019s important to keep using them and preserve them, because they connect Italians with their past history and origins.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Since Italian derives from Latin, it is important that you know the words and expressions used in Italian. In the language we speak today we still use many Latin expressions no matter how old-fashioned they may seem. As such, it should come as no surprise that many Latin words or even entire Latin phrases have [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":16992,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"off","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_joinchat":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-16945","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-english"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/danteinlinea.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16945","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/danteinlinea.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/danteinlinea.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/danteinlinea.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/danteinlinea.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16945"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/danteinlinea.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16945\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":22215,"href":"https:\/\/danteinlinea.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16945\/revisions\/22215"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/danteinlinea.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16992"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/danteinlinea.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16945"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/danteinlinea.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16945"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/danteinlinea.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16945"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}