Page 12 - Italian American Herald - August 2019

12 ITALIANAMERICANHERALD.COM | AUGUST 2019 ITALIAN-AMERICANHERALD
ITALIAN MADE FUN&SIMPLE Conversational Italian for festival-goers
This issue’s lesson is about Ferragosto. If you have ever been to Italy you know that the period known as Ferragosto (Aug. 15-Sept. 1), is a time that figuratively Italy shuts down. All but essential services, tourist-oriented businesses and malls are closed. It all starts out with the lead-up to the summer:
Very good/good/congratulations What is this?
Where is it/where?
You are very kind
Who knows?
What is your name
My name is ...
Greetings
Hello/hi
Good morning/good day
Good afternoon or good evening evening Good night
Goodbye
Farewell
How are you?
This month’s falso amico:
Bravo, complimenti
Che cos’è questo?
Dov’è?
Sei molto gentile
Chi lo sa? (or simply “Chi sa?”) Come ti chiami?
Mi chiamo ...
Ciao, salve Buon giorno Buona sera Buona notte Arrivederci Addio Come stai?
Dove vai?
Quanto stai?
Ma che bello.
Beh, divertiti, riposati. Ci vediamo a settembre.
Where are you going? How long are you staying? How lovely.
Have fun/relax.
See you in September.
Then summer itself comes along, the weekday/weekend back and forth from the spiaggie (beaches) increase steadily, kids often staying there with grandparents. By Aug. 15, some psychic shift takes place and all obligations are off, entire cities (and their chaos) simply relocate to the beach ... yet life during le ferie (vacation) takes on that suspended time-out-of- time cadence that characterizes holidays the world over.
Like any play worthy of the name, these two acts finish with a third ... il rientro (the return). And so before you know it, you’re in a park on lunch break, noticing everyone playing their part. Grandparents out for a stroll with their grandkids (parents are already back at work; kids not in school yet), friends catching up over a cup of coffee...
Dove sei stata? Where did you go?
Ti sei riposato/a? Did you manage to rest/relax? Hai mangiato bene? Did you eat well?
Ma quanto sei abbronzata! Wow, you’re really tan!
This is the time known as il rientro, the 10-day period when life shifts back from Italian summer holiday to your usual Italian daily life.
Buon rientro a tutti. Happy return to all.
Now let’s get down to learning fundamental vocabulary and everyday phrases needed to have a basic dialogue in Italian. In the next lesson we will put together a few dialogues to start you off with speaking basic Italian.
This lesson’s “false friend” is messa, which doesn’t mean to mess as it might appear. It means Mass as it refers to the celebration of the Catholic Mass. Mess in Italian is pasticcio. Che pasticcio! What a mess!
This month’s proverb:
Venetian: Dopo i confeti, se vede i difeti
Italian: Dopo i confetti, si vedono i difetti.
English literal: After the good fun, out comes the disappointment.
English figurative: Only after the wedding do the spouse’s defects become truly apparent.
Surnames and Their Origins
English
Yes
No
You
I
Please/as a favor
Thank you
Thank you very much Pleased/you’re welcome/nothing to it Sorry
I don’t understand or I didn’t understand Good luck
How many?
How much?
Iam Really/truly Keep quiet Let’s go Please, repeat
Italian
Si
No
Tu / Lei (formal) voi (plural)
Io
Per favore
Grazie
Grazie tante
Prego or non c’è di che
Mi dispiace, scusa, scusi (formal) Non capisco or non ho capito Buona fortuna
Quanti?
Quanto?
Io sono
Davvero
Silenzio
Andiamo
Per favore, ripeta
MARRUCINI — This surname derives from the name of a pre-Roman population that lived in the Chieti area, who with the Samnites gave the origin to the Abruzzese people. It is not among the most common of Italian surnames. In fact, it is found in very small numbers only in the Abruzzo region.
MARSI — This surname derives the name of a pre-Roman population that lived in the Fucino area, who with the Samnites also gave the origin to the Abruzzese people. Again, it is not among the most common of Italian surnames. However, unlike Marrucini, it is found in six regions. Most present in
WHO ARE YOU?
Readers who wish to research surnames can do so on the visiting two websites: https://www.italyheritage.com/genealogy/surnames/etymology/ and https://cognomix.it/mappe-dei-cognomi-italiani.
Come visit the first Italian national parish in America. Discover our rich history and marvel over our two strikingly beautiful churches. Seated in the heart of the Italian Market in South Philadelphia.
Celebrate 10am Sunday Mass at St. Mary Magdalen or 12 noon Mass at St. Paul Church. For more information go to our website: www.stpaulparish.net
Saint Paul Church
923 Christian Street
St. Mary Magdalen de’ Pazzi Church
712 Montrose Street