Page 18 - Italian-American Herald - February 2023

18 ITALIANAMERICANHERALD.COM | FEBRUARY2023 ITALIAN-AMERICANHERALD ITALIAN MADE FUN & SIMPLE
Of course, this month’s lesson is dedicated to Valentine’s Day, Italian-style.
We begin by citing Italian lovers who are famous throughout history: Paolo and Francesca, the ill-fated pair described in Dante's “La Divina Commedia;” Romeo and Juliet, the two young lovers from Verona immortalized by Shakespeare; and Renzo and Lucia in “I Promessi Sposi,” written by Alessandro Manzoni from 1825-27, who succeeded in marrying each other only after overcoming many difficulties and obstacles.
In classical history, the Roman holiday Lupercalia was a pagan spring celebration. Priests called luperci participated in ritual sacrifices and fertility rites during the wild, chaotic festivities.
So with all this history of love and romance, spring lust and eros, debauchery and revelry, it would only seem natural that Italy, the purported land of romance, would celebrate Valentine's Day with great passion and joy.
Truth is that although Italy may be the country of love and lovers, the holiday as is celebrated today in Italy has taken on an American flavor, much like Halloween or Mother's Day. The big difference is that in Italy it is exclusively a celebration for couples or lovers. Children, family members, and friends do not exchange cards or presents.
However, for those who are in love Valentine's Day in Italy, it is an important one to show their beloved how much they care. Depending on the age of the pair, gifts could include red roses or perfume, diamonds, or the traditional box of cioccololatini.
The Italian language is rich in a vocabulary of expressions and idioms, and frasi d'amore on Valentine's Day are especially endearing. In English, the expression “I love you” is ubiquitous; while in Italian “Ti amo” is used only between lovers, never with friends, family, or inanimate objects. Instead, the expression “Ti voglio bene” are preferred.
Here are some words and key phrases to impress your “tesoro” this Valentine’s Day.
Italian surnames reflect the passion of love
We are skipping our regular alphabetical sequence to examine a few common Italian surnames that relate to Valentine’s Day and terms of love and endearment, for which Italians are well known.
It was the fall of Rome and the subsequent foreign invasions and occupations that
gave way to modern Italian names. Today
an Italian surname can be traced back not only to Old Latin, but to French, Spanish, Portuguese German, Greek, Arabic, and even
most found. It is least found on the other famous Italian island of Sardinia.
D’AMORE – This Italian surname is
fairly common throughout Italy. It translates to “of love.” Ancestors of these present-day families were probably known to be born to parents that demonstrated strong love and affection toward each other, hence D’Amore, out of love. It is most heard in the Campania region and least heard in the region of Emilia- Romagna.
DOLCI – This surname comes from the Italian word for sweet, “dolce.” In the form “dolci,” it means sweets. Does this mean that past relatives had sweet personalities? Not necessarily. The ancestors of these present- day families were probably in the candy or some sort of dessert business. The highest number of Dolci families is recorded in the Latium region, the lowest number is recorded as being in the neighboring Umbria region.
INNAMORATA – For most, this word brings to mind a song title rather than an Italian surname. “Innamorata” is a song written in 1955 for the Martin and Lewis film “Artists and Models.” In Italian, the word innamorata means “my love”. The biggest selling recording of the song was sung by Dean Martin in the same year. On the Cash Box magazine Best-Selling Records chart, which combined all versions of the song,
it reached position No. 17. As an Italian surname, it doesn’t rank anywhere close to the recognition or popularity of the song title. There is little documentation on the evolution of Innamorata as a surname and this is evident by the fact that there are only two regions in Italy that have a very small number of families registered with this surname, Campania and Friuli Venezia-Giulia.
VALENTINO – Of the surnames that we can associate with Valentine’s Day, none are as widespread as the surname Valentino. It is a surname owned by families in all 20 regions. In fact who hasn’t heard of the 20th century silver screen’s best known actor/ lover Rudolph Valentino? It is most frequent in Campania and least heard in Val D’Aosta. Its evolution into a surname is attributed to ancestors that were devoted to St. Valentine or to an ancestor born on Valentine’s Day.
Next month it’s back to our regular format as we continue with the letter G. IAH
b
b
t
blical Hebrew. Examples being Sicilian i
• gli abbracci hugs
• affettuoso affectionate
• l'amante lover
• i baci kisses
• la cartolina d'auguri per San Valentino Valentine's Day card
• i cioccolatini chocolates
• il diamante diamond
• la festa di San Valentino the festival of St. Valentine
• il/la fidanzato/a fiancé/fiancée
• i fiori flowers
• gli innamorati lovers
This month’s proverb
• provocante provocative, sexy
• sedurre to seduce
• sessuale sexual
• le smancerie over-wrought, cloying sentiments
• il mio tesoro my darling
• Ti penso sempre
I always think of you.
• Mi manchi I miss you.
• Come sei bella
How beautiful you are.
• Voglio vederti stasera
I want to see you tonight.
• Tu sei una stella ... la mia stella
b
b
i
i
b
urnames starting with “calta” from Arabic s
s
s
u
u
al`at, meaning fortress or Nazzari which Q
Q
Q
a
a
erives from nazzareno, an inhabitant of d
d
d
D
e
e
azareth or some the Fruili-Venezia Giulia N
N
N
a
a
nd Trentino-Alto Adige sounding more a
a
S
a
S
n
l
l
avic or Germanic Now onto our Valentine’s
D
ay related Italian surnames..
AMATO – This surname is from the
a
L
L
atin amatus, meaning loved by God. It
a
r
nks among the most common of Italian
r
n
a
a
s
s
urnames and is registered in all 20 regions,
u
m
most heavily in Sicily and least common in
t
he Aosta Valley. Variations: Amata, Amatucci,
h
A
A
matulli.
AMORETTI – One possible derivation is
m
f
o
f
r
r
om the nickname given at times to children
orn out of wedlock: child of love. This b
b
s
o
urname is found in 16 of Italy’s 20 regions, s
m
mostly in Liguria and least in Sardinia.
u
ariations: Amorelli, Amorese, Amori. V
AMOROSO – This word as most might
now in English translates to the adjective k
V
k
l
a
n
“
oving” or as a noun beau or sweetheart. l
o
“
It of course also can translate to amorous,
hough it Italian this meaning is mildly erotic. th
You are a star ...
Ho
H
g
ge
owever before people with this surname
.m
my
ys
st
ta
ar
r.
.
et to thinking they descend from a line of
Casanovas,” the probability is more likely that they had ancestors who were simply known for their act of loving kindness.
ANELLO – In English this translates
to “ring.” The origin of this as a surname is clear, which accounts for the fact that it is not among the most common of surnames. At best the name is connected to the jewelry trade. In is most found in Sicily and least found in the Marche region.
CARO – In English this translates to “dear.” Italian letters as English letters always start out with “caro.” As a surname, it is not common. Once again, Sicily is where it is
“
• Cara mia, ti voglio bene My darling, I love you.
“C
It is from one of many Neapolitan proverbs dedicated to love.
Napoletano: Ammore sincero dura na vita e renne allere.
Italiano: L'amore sincero dura tutta la vita e riempie l'amante di buon umore. English: Love that is sincere lasts a lifetime and fills the lover with high spirits.
This month’s falso amico
It is romanzo, which doesn’t necessarily translate to the English word “romance.” Romanzo more often refers to a “love story.”
Next lesson: Carnival and lent.
You can research your surname on these two websites:
• surnames.behindthename.com/names/usage/italian/ • cognomix.it/mappe-dei-cognomi-italiani.