Page 14 - Italian American Herald - June 2021

14 ITALIANAMERICANHERALD.COM | JUNE2021 ITALIAN-AMERICANHERALD ITALIAN MADE FUN & SIMPLE
The previous lesson covered two verbs, avere and tenere. In that lesson, we learned the conjugations and how their usages are often used incorrectly. This sequel will stress the main usage of avere.
Besides being a foundational verb in its own right, the Italian verb avere, or "to have"
in English, has a particularly important role in Italian as an auxiliary verb. This second- conjugation irregular verb facilitates – together with partner essere – all compound tenses of all modes of all verbs: avere for many transitive and intransitive verbs, and essere for reflexive verbs, verbs of movement, and many other intransitive verbs as well.
You would not be able to say that you drank a lemonade (ho bevuto una limonata), you studied hard (ho studiato tanto!), you loved your old car (ho voluto molto bene la mia vecchia macchina), or that you had hoped to take a trip to Italy (avevo sperato di fare un viaggio in Italia!) without the verb avere (together, of course, with past participles).
Let’s move on now to learn about the other special ways in which the verb avere is used to express daily living in Italian.
Avere is used to express a series of important feelings, many of which are rendered in English with the verb "to be" or "to feel" and that are used very frequently.
Most important is the expression of a desire to do something: avere voglia di, or non avere voglia di. For example: Ho voglia di mangiare un panino (I feel like eating a sandwich); non abbiamo voglia di andare a scuola (we don't feel like going to school); mio figlio non ha voglia di andare dal medico (my son doesn't feel like going to the doctor). Avere voglia is subtly different from wanting or volere: a bit less resolved, more temporary and a bit capricious.
You also use avere to express your age: Ho dieci anni (I am 10 years old), or mio zio ha novanta anni (my uncle is 90).
Here are the other most important ones:
avere (qualcosa) per le mani to be dealing with something
avere cura di to take care of someone or something averla a male to be offended
avere in odio to hate
avere un diavolo per capello to be furious (to have a devil for each hair)
A reminder about tenere in relation to avere: In Southern Italy tenere is often used in the place of avere. You hear people say, tengo due figli (I have two children) and even tengo fame (I am hungry), or tengo trent'anni (I am 30 years old). This is a widespread but regional use of the verb. The verb tenere means to hold, keep, maintain, hold onto.
This month’s proverb
Italiano: Al bisogno si conosce l’amico. English: A friend in need is a friend indeed.
This month’s falso amico
It is argomento, meaning topic, subject, theme or evidence. Argument in Italian is expressed by the words discussion or litigio.
Avere freddo to be cold Avere caldo to be hot
Avere sete to be thirsty Avere fame to be hungry Avere paura di to be afraid Avere sonno to be sleepy Avere fretta tobeinahurry Avere bisogno di tobeinneedof Avere torto to be wrong Avere ragione to be right Avere piacere di to be pleased
Fuori ho freddo. Outside I am cold.
Dentro ho caldo. Inside I am hot.
Ho sete! I am thirsty!
Abbiamo fame! We are hungry!
Ho paura del buio. I am afraid of the dark.
I bambini hanno sonno. The children are sleepy. Ho fretta: devo andare. I am in a hurry: I need to go. Ho bisogno di un dottore. I need a doctor.
With this issue we continue with surnames starting with the letter P.
PALMIERI – This surname derives
from the old French first name Palmiere, derived from Palma; nickname given during the Middle Ages to the pilgrims to the
Holy Land. It is a very common surname registered in all 20 regions. It is most prevalent in Campania and least registered in Valle D’Aosta. Variations: Palmero, Palmiero, Palmerino, Palmarino, Palmerucci.
PALUMBO – This surname derives from dialect word "palumbo," meaning dove, used as a nickname for a quiet person. It is a very common surname also registered in all 20 regions. It is most prevalent in Campania and least registered in Valle D’Aosta. Variations: Palombo, Palomba, Palombi, Palombella, Palombino, Plumbieri, Palumberi.
PAOLUCCI – This surname derives from the first name Paolo, derived from the Latin word "Paulus," meaning small. It is a very common surname also registered in all 20 regions. It is most prevalent in Lazio and least registered in Valle D’Aosta. Variations: Paolo.
PANCRAZIO – This surname derives from the Greek "Pankrates.” As a surname it is not very common. It is more commonly recognized as the first name of two Italian saints, San Pancrazio diTaormina, a 1st-century bishop and martyr, and San Pancrazio di Roma, martyred circa 304 B.C.
PANELLA – This surname derives from the word "pane," meaning bread, to indicate the job of someone in the bakery business or also derived from the medieval nickname
pane, meaning good person. (Lui è un pezzo di pane, or literally “he is a piece of bread.”) Present-day families with this surname
had ancestors who were bread bakers. As a surname, it is registered in all 20 regions. It is most prevalent in Lazio and least registered in Sardegna. Variations: Panelli, Panello, Panetti, Panetta, Panozzo, Pani, Panebianco, Pancotto.
PANTALEO – This surname derives from the first name Pantaleone of Greek origin, consisting of "panta," meaning all, and the Italian "leone" meaning lion. It is present in 17 regions. It is most prevent in Puglia and not registered with Vital Statistics in Valle D’Aosta, Umbria, and Le Marche. Variations: Pantalone, Pantaleone, Pantaleoni, Pantaloni, Patalei.
PANZA – This surname derives from the word "panza," meaning belly. It is present in 17 regions. It is most prevalent in Lombardia and least in Molise. It is not registered with Vital Statistics in Val d’Aosta, Umbria, and Le Marche. Variations: Pancia, Panzetti, Pansini, Pancini, Panzarella, Panzacchi, Panzarino, Pansera, Pansardi, Pancera, Panzuti, Panzera.
PAPA – This surname derives from
the word "papa," that, according the local traditions has different meanings including father, bishop, priest. It is a very common surname registered in all 20 regions. It
is most prevalent in Campania and least registered in Valle D’Aosta.
In the July issue, we’ll continue Italian surnames beginning with the letter P.
You can research your surname on these two websites:
• surnames.behindthename.com/names/usage/italian/ • cognomix.it/mappe-dei-cognomi-italiani.
Hai torto.
Ho sempre ragione. I am always right.
Ho piacere di vederti. I am pleased to see you.
You are wrong.
Besides expressions of feeling, avere is used in a long list of idiomatic expressions, called locuzioni in Italian. Unabridged Italian dizionari are full of them. Here we do not cite the many that use avere literally and are similar to English ("to have in mind" or "to have a screw loose"), but this is a good sampling of the most interesting and frequently used:
avere del matto (del buono, del cattivo) to seeem a bit crazy (or good, or bad) avere l'aria di to seem (give off the air of)
avere la borsa piena to be rich (have a full purse)
avere caro to hold (something) dear
avere su (addosso) to have on (wear)
avere (or non avere) a che vedere to have something to do with
avere nulla da spartire to have nothing in common with somebody
avere a che dire to have something to say
avere (or non avere) a che fare con to have something to do with something or somebody avere a mente to remember
avere a cuore to hold dear
avere importanza to be important
avere luogo to take place
avere inizio to begin
avere presente to picture something clearly in one's mind
avere (qualcuno) sulla bocca to talk about someone often
avere per la testa to have something in one's head
avere da fare to be busy
avere le madonne tobeinabadmood
avere l'acquolina in bocca to salivate/to have a watering mouth
avere la meglio/la peggio to best/to lose
avere occhio to watch out/to have a good eye
avere le scatole piene tobefedup
avere (qualcuno) sullo stomaco to dislike someone
avere il diavolo addosso to be fidgety