Page 17 - Italian American Herald - October 2021

18 ITALIANAMERICANHERALD.COM | OCTOBER2021 ITALIAN-AMERICANHERALD ITALIAN MADE FUN & SIMPLE
As in past October issues, the Herald will dedicate this issue’s lesson to Halloween. Halloween has become a big celebration in Italy. Although it is
regarded by some as another invasion of American culture into Italy, its origins go back to Europe and the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain,
when people would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off roaming ghosts. In the 8th century, Pope Gregory III designated Nov. 1 as a time
to honor all saints and martyrs. The holiday All Saints’ Day incorporated some of the traditions of Samhain. The evening before was
known as All Hallows’ Eve and later Halloween. Now getting back to modern times and the secular, community-based event characterized by child-friendly activities such as trick-or-treating, this lesson is for those of you who celebrate Halloween and want to throw some Italian into the mix.
Here are some common seasonal expressions in Italian. Buon Divertimento! (Enjoy!)
Zucca*
Festeggiamo! Intagliamo la zucca! Indossiamo un costume. Il gatto nero
Lo scheletro
Il fantasma
Il pipistrello
Il ragno
La ragnatela
Autunno
La maschera
Lupo mannaro
La crostata di zucca**
Il Vampiro
La caramella
La mela caramellata**
Il sidro di mela
La strega***
Ossa di morte****
Pumpkin
Let’s party!
Let’s carve the pumpkin! We dress up in costume. Black cat
Skeleton
Ghost
Bat
Spider
Spiderweb
Autumn
Mask
Werewolf
Pumpkin pie
Vampire
Candy
Candied apple
Apple cider
Witch
Bones of the dead
You can research your surname on these two websites:
• surnames.behindthename.com/names/usage/italian/ • cognomix.it/mappe-dei-cognomi-italiani.
*Zucca derives from the Italian word “zucchina” (squash or courgette) used to best define our American pumpkin associated with the fall season. In its purest form “zucca” as in the phrase “testa di zucca,” refers to person who lacks intelligence and/or common sense. However, for the purpose of describing the pumpkin, removing the “hin” from” zucchina,” gives the meaning of a large squash, which is what a pumpkin really is.
**These fall dessert delicacies haven’t caught on yet in the “old country,” but given the path to acceptance hot dogs, fries, and hamburgers have taken, it won’t be long before these items, too, will be available at the neighborhood “supermercato.”
***Unfortunately, the use of the witch symbolism at Halloween has also been included
in Italian celebrations. Unfortunate in that the famous witch, La Befana, the good Epiphany Witch is slowly taking a back seat to the Santa Claus as the gift giver of the Christmas holiday season. Equating witches to the spooky mystique of Halloween might be another step away from the beautiful Italian celebration of Epiphany.
****These are Italian seasonal cookies. Kids as well as adults who prefer the religious “Day of the Dead” over Halloween find their sweet treat in this traditional Italian favorite.
This month’s proverb
Milanese: Quaant se gh’a fam, la puleenta la paar salama.
Italiano: Quando si ha fame la polenta sembra salame.
English literal: When one is famished, even cornmeal mush seems like salami. Figuratively: When one is famished, even mediocre food seems gourmet.
This month’s falso amico
It is capitol. It does not mean capitol as the English capitol, a building in which a legislative body meets, and/or the dome of that government building. In Italian, Capitolo translates as chapter, as in the chapter of a book.
This month’s surname column features surnames that start with the letter C, and for a special reason. Since October is the month that Italian-Americans celebrate Columbus Day and it is the month officially recognized as Italian Heritage Month, this month we look at an array of given names and surnames derived from the famous navigator’s name, Christopher Columbus, in Italian Cristoforo Columbo.
The English rendition of Colombo, Columbus, is as it would have been written in ancient Rome. The word Columbus
means dove in Latin. Because the Latin –us ending becomes -o in Italian, his Italian name becomes Colombo and found on any Italian legal document bearing his name. As
a surname, it started as being associated with merchants that raised and sold doves and then passed on as a surname to their descen- dants. The spread of forms of Colombo as
a given name is attributed to the religious association of the dove as the symbol of the “Holy Spirit.” It became a term of endearment and love, like the English term “dear” and subsequently people began naming their children Colombina, Columbella.
Over the centuries, the surname Columbo and its related surnames have spread throughout Italy, some forms being analogous to a region. Here are just a few: Colomba, Columbo, Colombro, Colom- bani, Colombetti, Colombrino, Colombini, Colombazzi.
Columbus’ first name Christopher means Christ-bearer. It was used by early Christians
as a way of expressing that they carried Christ in their hearts. By the Middle Ages, literal interpretations of the name's etymology led to legends about a St. Christopher who carried the young Jesus across a river. He had come to be regarded as the patron saint of travelers.
Given that Latin came into usage centuries before Christ’s birth, the word or name Chris- topher does not trace roots to Latin. However, once Emperor Constantine issued the “Edict of Milan” in 313 A.D. declaring Christianity legal and official in the Roman Empire, the word Christopher began to see a spread of its Latinized and Italianized versions. Given that Italian would never use a ph combination
to get an f sound, and h in Italian in cases is optional, in Italian the word and given name usage, evolved into Cristofaro.
As for its current-day presence in Italy, Colombo is the seventh most common surname in Italy. It is registered with
the Bureau of Statistics in all 20 regions. However, it is most common in the Lombar- dia region, not Christopher Columbus’ native Liguria. Liguria ranks third after second- ranking Piedmont. It is least common in Abruzzo. The six surnames in order that
are more common than Colombo are Rossi, Russo, Ferrari, Esposito, Bianchi, and Romano.
The status of the surname of the Italian for whom America is named Amerigo Vespucci. The surname still exists in Italy, but sparsely in 15 regions. Mostly in Puglia. It is not present in Basilicata, Marche, Molise, Trenti- no-alto Adige or Val d’Aosta.