Becoming Italian Word by Word

Touring the Great Gardens of Italy in the Italian Language

I grandi giardini d’Italia

The Great Gardens of Italy 

a guest post by Barbara Philip

A while ago I bought the book Edith Wharton’s Italian Gardens, by Vivian Russell, and fell in love with the Renaissance gardens (giardini rinascimentali) that she described with such enthusiasm. But way back in 1904 Wharton wrote and published her own definitive book: Italian Villas and their Gardens (Le ville italiane e i loro giardini).

Since then thousands of travelers have set off to Italy clutching this book in search of the hidden treasures (i tesori nascosti) she described. I too would love to follow in their footsteps and take a painting tour (fare un tour pittorico) of Italian gardens. 

In her book, Wharton spoke of her delight at the ordered symmetry (la simmetria ordinata) that she noticed throughout Italy -- in the olive groves (olivi), the avenues of cypresses (viali di cipressi) and in the architecture (nell’architectura). I also love the formal structure (la struttura formale) that pervades Italy's gardens -- in the clipped box hedges (siepi di bosso tagliate), the balustraded terraces (le terrazze balaustrate) and the fountains and statues (le fontane e le statue).

Wharton understood that Italian gardens had almost nothing to do with the art of gardening (l'arte del giardinaggio) and everything to do with the garden as a work of art (il giardino come opera d'arte). Renaissance gardens are seeped with the symbolism (simbolismo), allegory (allegoria) and vision (visione) of the poets, philosophers and writers of Italy’s history.

Asked to name one thing that symbolized the Italian garden for her, Wharton said that it would not be the splashing fountains (le fontane spruzzanti), the lines of boxwoods (le linee dei bossi), or the statuary (la statuaria) but a single lemon tree (un albero di limone) planted in a terracotta pot (piantato in un vaso di terracotta). These lemon trees, the pride (l’orgoglio) of Italian gardens, poignantly evoke the glory of Italy’s past (la gloria del passato in Italia).

Here are some of my paintings inspired by the Boboli Gardens, behind the Pitti Palace in Florence:

 

I also admire the gardens of Villa Pamphili and Villa D’Este in Tivoli, Valsanzibio south of Padua, and the Giusti Gardens near Verona. Here is an image of Cetinale near Siena,

I can only dream of visiting the magnificent flamboyant Baroque showpiece island garden (magnifico esempio di sgargiante giardino barocco), Isola Bella, named after Count Borromeo’s wife Isabella, in the tranquil and picturesque (tranquillo e pittoresco) Lake Maggiore. That would be heaven indeed! (Mi sentirei proprio in paradiso!)

Words and Expressions

giardino zoologico -- zoo

giardino botanico -- botanical garden

giardino d’inverno-- literally a winter garden, a glass-roofed and walled greenhouse

giardino pubblico / privato -– public / private garden

Giardino dell’Eden –- Garden of Eden

Barbara Philip is an accomplished artist from South Africa who paid me the lovely tribute of collecting all my blog posts in a handbound book (below). Click here to view a sampling of her wonderful paintings and designs.

Giving Thanks in the Italian Language

Thank you

Italians don’t observe the all-American holiday of thanksgiving (la festa del ringraziamento). There are Italian words, but no cultural equivalents for the Pilgrim fathers (padri pellegrini) and the American Indians (Amerindi) who came together to celebrate the harvest (il raccolto) in the new world (il Nuovo Mondo). Italians do eat turkey (tacchino) and pumpkin (zucca) but not in the traditional way (modo tradizionale) that Americans prepare them on Thanksgiving.

Yet Italian has a wonderful array of ways to say thank you: grazie (thanks), grazie infinite (endless thanks), grazie mille (thanks a thousand, literally, but it translates as thanks a million), molte grazie (thank you very much), and grazie di cuore (thanks from the heart).

Italian appreciation (like everything else) becomes more effusive on paper. If you are writing a lettera di ringraziamento (a thank-you letter) for a gift, a meal, or a kindness, you might use phrases such as: 

*Non so come ringraziarLa -- I don’t know how to thank you (formal) 

*Grazie per la squisita ospitalità -- thank you for your exquisite hospitality 

*Grazie infinite per la Sua (formal)/ tua (informal) gentilezza -- thank you for your kindness 

*La ringrazio per tutto quello che ha fatto per me -- thank you for all that you have done for me (formal) 

*Il più affettuoso grazie per...la cena, il regalo, ecc -- most affectionate thanks for…the dinner, the gift, etc. 

*Le porgo i miei più sentiti ringraziamenti -- I profer to you my most heartfelt thanks (formal) 

*Non trovo parole per dirLe quanto ci ha fatto piacere -- I cannot find the words to tell you how much pleasure it gave me 

So what do you say when someone thanks you? Here are some options: 

*Prego -- please, not at all, comparable to "you're welcome"

*Di niente -- It’s nothing 

*Non c’è di che -- Not at all 

*Ma immaginati!  Ma figurati! -- That’s all right (literally, imagine or fancy that) –

*Non dirlo neanche -- Don’t even mention it 

*Non dire sciocchezze -- Don’t be silly (to friends) 

*È il minimo che potessi fare -- It is the least I can do 

*È stato un piacere -- It was a pleasure 

And then there's my husband's favorite: L'onore e tutto mio! -- The honor is all mine.

Words and Expressions 

ingraziarsi -- to curry favor 

grazie a Dio -- thank God 

Grazie, a buon rendere! -- Thank you, I owe you one! 

essere grato di –- to appreciate, to be grateful for

Dianne Hales is the author of LA BELLA LINGUA: My Love Affair with Italian, the World's Most Enchanting Language.  

If I could show my appreciation in a song, this is the one I'd choose. You can find the lyrics on the youtube site. 

 

Bad Weather in the Italian Language

l’alluvione, l'inondazione

the flood 

Un paese in ginocchio (a town on its knees). Manca tutto: luce, acqua, gas. (Lacking everything: light, water, gas).  Gli unici mezzi di trasporto gommoni e motoscafi (the only means of transportation dinghies and motorboats). I fiumi in piena (rivers cresting). I ponti sott’acqua (bridges under water). Le strade chiuse (roads closed).

Not long ago we were reading bulletins like these about flooded areas in the eastern United States. The latest reports come from Italy, where downpours (acquazzoni) have allagato (inundated) much of the country, from Venice in the East to the Maremma in the west.

“Albinia è disastrata,” a friend e-mails from the village in western Tuscany termed the "epicentro della catastrofe” (epicenter of the disaster). The entire town was “sommersa dopo l'eccezionale ondata d’acqua” (submerged by an exceptional wave of water).

Many people took refuge (si sono rifugiate) on roofs (sui tetti). Others barricaded themselves on the high floors of their houses (ai piani alti delle case). Some were rescued by Vigili del Fuoco (fire and rescue workers) in helicopters (elicotteri) that shuttled up and down (hanno fatto la spola) to reach people who remained isolated in their homes (per cercare le persone rimaste isolate nelle loro case). 


"L'acqua ci ha preso alle spalle" (the water hit us on the back), said one resident. Now la gente (the people), con una scopa in mano (with a broom in hand), are trying to ricacciare (drive back) l’acqua marrone (brown water) from their cucine e salotti (kitchens and living rooms).

The countryside in Umbria also has been alluvionata (flooded). In some places an ocean of mud (fango) swept away houses and shops. Volunteers called angeli del fango (mud angels) are working to help homeowners salvage their property.

Il Tevere (the Tiber) overflowed its banks in areas north of Rome. A kennel of dogs (gli ospiti di un canile) perished when the level of the river rose too quickly (il livello del fiume è salito troppo velocemente) for a rescue. Some bridges were damaged and roads flooded, leading to caos alla circolazione (traffic chaos).

In Venice high water (acqua alta) overtook 70 percent of the city, including Piazza San Marco, where a few tourists went swimming (hanno fatto il bagno). The flooding, which caused incalculable damage (danni incalcolabili) to the city known as La Serenissima, was the sixth-worst (il sesto peggiore fenomeno di allagamento) in its history.

“Hai bisogno di qualcosa?” (Do you need anything?) I asked a friend in the hard-hit Maremma, which declared un stato di emergenza (state of emergency).

“Si, un’arca!” she replied. (Yes, an ark!)

If the worldwide maltempo (bad weather) continues, sooner or later we all may end up in the same boat.

Words and Expressions

Protezione civile –- Civil Protection and Emergency planning organization 

operazioni di soccorso –- rescue operations

bollettino metereologico / bollettino meteo -- official weather information source  

Il diluvio universale –- the Deluge (in biblical times)

Dianne Hales is the author of LA BELLA LINGUA: My Love Affair with Italian, the World's Most Enchanting Language.

Noah's ark image ©Denis Kelly/Dreamstime.com

Click below for a news report in English on the flooding:

The Olive Harvest in the Italian Language

l'oliva

the olive

This is the time of the raccolta delle olive (olive harvest) in Italy, one of the world's top producers of olive oil. But to Italians, the olive (l’oliva) is far more than a crop.

According to an ancient legend, the gods Athena and Poseidon once argued over who would rule the city of Attica in Greece. Zeus, the father of the gods, declared that the new ruler would be the one who could present him with a discovery that would most benefit mankind. Athena commanded Mother Earth to grow a new tree whose fruit would have almost magical powers. Upon beholding the albero d’olivo or ulivo (olive tree), Zeus pronounced Athena the winner.

The olive became revered as a symbol of life and fertility, and olive groves (oliveti or uliveti) spread throughout the Mediterranean. In the time of the Roman empire, the arca olearia, or olive market, offered no fewer than 15 varieties of olives. Gladiators would rub their torsos with olive oil (olio d’oliva) before entering the arena.

Many olive trees withered in the Dark Ages following the fall of Rome, but the Catholic Church, which made the olive branch a symbol of peace and used olive oil in sacred rites, helped preserve this natural resource. In monasteries throughout the peninsula, monks continued to cultivate olive trees and to experiment with various uses of their fruit. Olive oil, they found, soothed itchy rashes, relieved headaches and stomach pain, and alleviated ear infections. Chewing olive leaves strengthened the gums and kept teeth white.

In the Renaissance, the influential de’Medici family promoted the cultivation of olives around Florence, while olive groves spread to other regions, including those around Siena, Arezzo, Pistoia, and Lucca.

Others may think of olives as simply black or green, but Italians recognize and appreciate regional varieties, such as moraiolo (a Tuscan olive that produces a fruity oil with an intense flavor), leccino (which produces an extremely mild, golden-yellow oil with a delicate almond flavor), frantoio (which yields a fruity green oil that is not aggressively olive-y) and taggiasca (a Ligurian olive that produces small fruit and a light aromatic oil).

My favorite olive oil comes from the 12,000 olive trees of Castello Monte Vibiano Vecchio in Umbria. In additional to producing traditional extra-virgin oil (olio extravergine) and olio aromatizzato (oil with balsamico or other flavors),  the azienda uses state-of-the-art technology to press, bottle, and immediately deep freeze unfiltered oil with no exposure to air. Because its natural properties remain unchanged, this oil,  kept frozen until 30 minutes before use, tastes so fresh that it truly qualifies as “liquid gold” (oro liquido).

Although Italians use olive oil in almost every type of dish, the elixir of the Mediterranean dazzles even in a simple salad--if you know how to mix one properly. Here is some classic Italian advice: Find un prodigo (a spendthrift) to pour the oil, un avaro (miser) to add the vinegar, un saggio (a wise man) to add the salt, and un pazzo (a crazy man) to mix them all together.

Words and Expressions

olivastro, olivigno -- brown, tanned, olive color

olio di gomito -- elbow grease

sott’olio -– in oil (e.g. carciofini sott’olio or baby artichokes in oil)

andare or filare liscio come l’olio -- to go or flow (smoothly) like oil

Dianne Hales is the author of LA BELLA LINGUA: My Love Affair with Italian, the World's Most Enchanting Language. 

The lovely video below captures the work and the spirit of an Italian olive harvest:

The American Election in the Italian Language: The Results

“Altri quattro anni!”

“Four More Years!”

“L’America ha scelto Obama,” the Italian press reported. The first words of the triumphant President came via twitter, un cinguettio che i democratici non dimenticheranno (a tweet that the Democrats will not forget): “Four more years.” (Altri quattro anni.)  His message to his supporters was simple: “You made this possible. Thank you.” (Voi lo avete reso possibile, grazie.)

After a long, costly and bitter campaign (una campagna lunga, costosa e aspra), America had prepared for il grande martedì delle elezioni (the great Tuesday of the elections). The polls (i sondaggi) continued to predict a dramatic head-to-head (testa a testa) contest between President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney, the Republican candidate (il candidato repubblicano).

In the last 48 hours of the political marathon (maratona politica), the campaigns hanno bruciato (“burned”) some three million dollars (tre miliardi di dollari) as the two candidates participated in fourteen events in eight states.

Dal Colorado alla Virginia, dal Wisconsin all'Ohio (from Colorado to Virginia, from Wisconsin to Ohio), the President took the advantage (vantaggio). Ultimately he ended up with a decisive majority of votes in tasca (in pocket), with strong support from minorities (le minoranze), women (le donne), and the young (i giovani).

Not all aspects of the American election translated into Italian. “Early vote,” for instance, remained “early vote” in Italian articles. One reporter described New Jersey’s hefty Governor Chris Christie as “il governatore extra large.” And in any language Bruce Springsteen remained “il Boss.”

The President ended the longest of days (la lunghissima giornata) in Chicago, his home town, with his wife Michelle and daughters Malia and Sasha. “Finirò quello che ho iniziato” ("I will finish what I started"), he promised in an emotional speech.

"Lo abbiamo realizzato insieme, ecco come abbiamo fatto campagna elettorale ed ecco chi siamo" ("We have achieved this together; this is how we campaigned and how we are”), he told the cheering crowd.  "Sarò più forte ed ispirato di prima" ("I will be stronger and more inspired than before").

For the United States, he predicted, “Il meglio deve ancora venire” (The best is yet to come).

Words and Expressions

i risultati –- the results

il vincitore –- the winner

stati-chiave -– key states

la rielezione –- the re-election

i sostenitori  –- the supporters

Dianne Hales is the author of LA BELLA LINGUA: My Love Affair with Italian, the World's Most Enchanting Language.

The American Election in the Italian Language: Voting

Un presidente da votare in garage

Voting (for President) in a Garage

One of the most charming accounts I’ve read on the American way of voting was written by the distinguished journalist Federico Rampini in his book San Francisco-Milano:

One Tuesday morning (martedì mattina) when he was living in San Francisco, Rampini awoke to discover a line of people (una fila di persone) in front of a garage (di fronte a un garage) in his neighborhood. He thought someone must have posted a “for rent” sign (un cartello “affittasi”) since whenever an apartment became available, eager renters would form lines in the street (si formano code per la strada).

“Invece, no” (instead, no), he discovered, “era una fila di elettori” (it was a line of voters). “Il vicino aveva messo a disposizione il garage come seggio per le presidenziali.” (A neighbor had made available his garage as a polling station for the presidential vote.)

Much to Rampini’s surprise, there was no poliziotto (police officer), only a sign stating that la propaganda elettorale (political advertising) was forbidden. Niente scuole requisite (no schools requisitioned), nessuna mobilitazione di forze dell’ordine (no mobilization of law enforcement officers).

In Milan Rampini had always voted in a middle school (scuola media), under the vigilance of soldiers in uniforms (sotto la vigilanza dei soldati in divisa). By comparison, the greatest democracy in the world (la più grande democrazia del mondo) held its elections without the outward appearance (esteriorità) -- somewhat alarming (un po’ allarmante) -- that gives a dramatic character (un carattere drammatico) to Italian elections.

Usually un’agenzia bancaria (a bank branch) in Rampini's neighborhood offered itself as a voting site (come sede elettorale). But on this particular Tuesday the employee (impiegato) who had the key forgot that voting began at 7:00 a.m. (alle sette). He showed up at 8:30 a.m. (alle otto e mezza), the opening hour (orario di apertura) for the bank.

For that hour and a half, the official in charge ha fatto votare all’aperto con le schede appoggiate sui cofani delle auto posteggiate (allowed voting in the open, with the ballots leaning on the hoods of the parked cars). Some may have grumbled (brontolato) about the limited privacy (la scarsa privacy), but the voting process went forward.

Rampini could not help but wonder: La superpotenza americana, campionessa nell’industria tecnologica, non potrebbe usare metodi un po’ meno arcaici? (Couldn’t the American superpower, champion of technological industry, use methods a little less archaic?)

In fact, some have proposed that everyone vote from home, online (votare da casa, online). But what if some anarchist hacker (hacker anarcoide) decided to sabotage the race to the White House (la corsa alla Casa Bianca)?

The next time that he voted in Milan, Rampini pledged, he would bring a photo to the middle school with its uniformed soldiers. It would show the garage where American voters (elettori americani) chose the President of the United States (il Presidente degli Stati Uniti)—and the bank that left the voters on the sidewalk (sul marciapiede).

Words and Expressions

giorno delle elezioni -- election day

il trionfatore –- the victor

deporre il voto nell’urna elettorale –- to place one’s vote into the ballot box

spoglio dell’urna –- vote counting

seggio elettorale –- polling station

Dianne Hales is the author of LA BELLA LINGUA: My Love Affair with Italian, the World's Most Enchanting Language.