Page 21 - Italian-American Herald - April 2023

ITALIAN-AMERICAN HERALD
APRIL2023 | ITALIANAMERICANHERALD.COM 21
ITALIAN MADE FUN & SIMPLE
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On the ninth of this month, Christians around the world will celebrate Easter. Therefore, it’s time to review a few practical expressions that you may have forgotten or might like to learn that are good to know to celebrate the holiday. Easter time is known in Italian as il periodo Pasquale and is still firmly rooted in religious traditions. If you think che manca qualche parola (important words are missing) then they probably don’t yet play a significant role in Italy during the Pascal season. We’ll start at Lent, then check out useful expressions used during this time.
However, a search through an Italian dictionary reveals no such word as pastiera in Italian. It can best be described as an Easter sweet grain pie.
This month’s proverb
This month’s proverb is a sort of unwritten law on celebrating Easter:
Italiano: Pasqua con i tuoi, Pasquetta con chi vuoi.
English: Literally – Easter with yours, Easter Monday with whomever you want. Figuratively – Easter is a holy day when you should be with family, Easter Monday is a
secular public holiday usually reserved for picnics to celebrate with whomever you want.
This month’s falso amico
This month our falso amico is busta. It doesn’t mean “bust.” It means envelope. The word for bust in Italian can translate to as rompere, a verb meaning to bust or to break.
Important days of Lent:
Domenica delle Palme Giovedì Santo
Venerdì Santo
Sabato Santo
Pasqua Pasquetta Pentecoste
Words associated with Easter:
La processione La ceremonia La Santa Messa Il Falò
La Passione La croce
Il Cenacolo or L’Ultima Cena Il discepolo Ponzio Pilato
Palm Sunday
Holy Thursday
Good Friday
Holy Saturday or Vigil of Easter Easter Sunday
Easter Monday or Little Easter Pentecost
Procession Ceremony Mass Bonfire
The Passion Cross
The Last Supper
Disciple Pontius Pilate
In this issue, we continue with Italian surnames that begin with the letter R.
RIZIERO – A surname which can be considered exclusive as it is one of Italy’s least common. There are only three families listed on official vital statistic records, one in Veneto, one
in Umbria and one in Lombardy. This unusual last name derives from the first name Risio, related to a dialect word meaning someone who has curly hair. Related surnames: RISIO.
ROVITO – This is a surname that has its origins in the town of the same name in the province of Cosenza in Calabria. From there its usage spread to neighboring Campania. What is strange is that it doesn’t appear in Calabria’s closest neighboring region of Basilicata. Today it is heard across 15 of 20 regions. Calabria remains the No. 1 spot where people have this last name. Related surnames: NONE.
RUBINO – A surname that derives from the Italian word “rubino” meaning ruby. It is most prevalent
in the south, especially in Puglia,
and least common in Umbria and Val D’Aosta. Related surnames: RUBBINI, RUBBINO.
RUFFINO – This last name is
a derivative of the Latin first name Rufinus which came from the Roman family name “Rufus” from “ruber” meaning red. It generally referred to someone with red hair or a beard. The Latin first name eventually evolved into the Italian first name Ruffino or Rufino, already wide spread in the
5th century. Ruffino is heard in all 18 regions with no recorded presence
in Basilicata or Abruzzi. Strangely its
heaviest presence is at opposite ends of Italy, in Piedmont and Sicily. It is least heard in Trentino Alto-Adige, Umbria, and Molise. Related surnames: RUFFO, RUFFINI, RUFINI, RUFINO, RUFFINELLI, RUFFINONI, RUFFINENGO.
RUSCITTI – From the Italian dialect word “ruscetto, ruscetta,” meaning a man or woman with red hair. It is present in 17 regions but most prevalent in Abruzzi while its neighbor Molise has the least amount of people with this cognome. Related surnames: RUSCITTO.
RUSTICHELLI – A last name
that derives from the Latin word “rusticus,” meaning one who lives in the country or on a farm. It evolved into a surname that has been passed to descendants of farmers and other country dwellers. It is found in 15
of Italy’s regions, most prevalent in Emilia-Romagna and least in Trentino Alto-Adige. Related surnames: RUSTICI.
RUVO – This surname is strictly attributed to two towns of the same name. One is in Puglia and the
other is in the neighboring region of Basilicata. From these two regions it spread to four other regions. It is most common in Puglia and then Basilicata. For whatever reason the surname is then found sparsely going northward into Le Marche, Lazio, Lombardy and Tuscany. Related surnames: NONE.
In the next issue we begin with Italian surnames starting with the letter S.
As always, food takes center stage in any Italian celebration and Easter is no exception. Here is vocabulary for some Easter foods.
Il pane Bread L’agnello Lamb
Il cioccolato L’uovo
Chocolate Egg
At this time of year chocolate is almost always in the shape of an egg followed by chocolate crosses.
Breads made during Easter are beyond the imagination with almost every region boasting one or two specialties.
The one bread that is common to the entire country is the traditional columba, a sweet bread shaped like a dove.
The seasonal greeting is Buona Pasqua (Happy Easter).
Here in the United States there are certain Easter words and traditions that Italians maintain and others that have fallen by the wayside because of assimilation. Much of what is retained
in the United States has a food connection to a particular region and the associated vocabulary is in dialect. Let’s look at two of these food items that you may have heard and explain their significance.
The first is the Sicilian cuddura cu l’ova. Once you leave Sicily, it is almost impossible
to find a bakery on the Italian mainland that bakes this Sicilian Easter favorite. Here in the United States the tradition of the cuddura cu l’uva transcends the Sicilian Americans and is popular among Italian Americans at-large. In fact, it is easier to find the cuddura here than
on the Italian mainland. What exactly does this Sicilian word mean and what would be the Italian equivalent? The translation from Sicilian to English is best put like this, “Braided with eggs” which leaves us now with the proper Italian to be defined. Given this is not an item that crosses the Straits of Messina very often, there is no other way to refer to this short of a literal translation to Italian which would look something like this, Treccia con le ova. This expression would seem strange to an Italian in Italy.
Another popular food, la pastiera from Naples, is also popular in the United States not just among Neapolitan Americans. It has also become popular among many Italian Americans.
You can research your surname on these two websites:
• surnames.behindthename.com/names/usage/italian/ • cognomix.it/mappe-dei-cognomi-italiani.