Page 23 - Italian American Herald - October 2019

(La Vigilia d’Ogni Santo)
Eve
Zucca*
Festeggiamo! Intagliamo la zucca! pumpkin!
Indossiamo un costume costume.
Il gatto nero
Lo scheletro
Il fantasma
Il pipistrello
All Hallows’
Pumpkin Let’s party! Let’s carve the
We dress up in
Black cat Skeleton Ghost Bat
Italian-American Herald
Since October is the month when Italian- Americans celebrate Columbus Day and it
is the month officially recognized as Italian Heritage Month, this month’s surname column features an array of given names and surnames derived from Christopher Columbus, in Italian Cristoforo Columbo.
The English rendition of Colombo, Columbus, is actually 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 descendants. 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, similar to the English term “dear” and subsequently people began naming their children Colombian, Columella.
Getting back to the surname Colombo, over the centuries it and its related surnames have spread throughout Italy, some forms being analogous to a particular region.
Here are just a few: Colomba, Columbo, Colombro, Colombani, 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
Christopher 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 Lombardy 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.
Columbus didn’t get the Americas named after him. Another Italian explorer, Amerigo Vespucci, got that honor. So to give Vespucci some recognition in this special surname column, we included the etymology of the surname Vespucci. The name Vespucci is thought to derive from the Italian word vespa, wasp, and in all probability it was originally linked to the name of the Roman emperor Vespasiano. In 1309 a document was signed by a man called Vespino de Vespinello de Vespuccia and it is believed from then on the family was identified with the name Vespucci. They became the “wasps” of Florence as wasps characterized the
family coat of arms: golden wasps on a blue stripe placed on a red background. Today the surname is actively registered with vital statistics in 15 regions.
ITALIAN-AMERICAN HERALD
OCTOBER 2019 | ITALIANAMERICANHERALD.COM 23
ITALIAN MADE FUN&SIMPLE
A Halloween lesson just for fun
This issue’s lesson is dedicated to those readers who celebrate Halloween and would like
to add a little Italian “spirit” to their Halloween celebrations. In fact, though, the focus during that time in Italy is on All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day. More and more people young and old are celebrating this fun day in Italy. Without a doubt, it will continue to gain popularity on the boot-shaped peninsula.
Here are some common seasonal expressions in Italian. Buon Divertimento! (Enjoy!)
potatura, non si vedono né zii né nipoti.
English: When it’s time to make vine, uncles and nephews are there. When it’s time to clean up and prune, uncle and nephews make themselves not seen.
The significance being that those too lazy to make their own homemade wine will lend
a hand, until it’s cleanup time. Then they are nowhere to be seen.
This month’s falso amico
This month’s falso amico is libreria
which looks to mean library, but is Italian for bookshop. Library in Italian is biblioteca.
Halloween — among non-celebrants
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**** dead
Spider Spiderweb Autumn Mask Werewolf Pumpkin pie Vampire Candy Candied apple Apple cider Witch
Bones of the
Surnames and Their Origins
Let’s delve into Columbus and its variants
*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.
Here is a little fun ditty for this mid-fall celebration:
La Casa di Paura
1. Non lontano da casa mia,
C’e` una casa che e` una vera schifia. Quando e` notte e` molto scura, Vedendola ti fa avere una tremenda paura.
2. Pero` c’e` sempre qualche cretino, Chi osa andare li` vicino.
Se lo scemo si crede forte,
No avra` che cattiva sorte.
This month’s proverb
3. Halloween si puo` celebrare, Ma i fatti tuoi devi fare.
Se c’e` chi non crede intanto, Non vedra` l’alba d’Ogni Santo.
Can you answer this question?
To what type of building does this ditty refer? The answer and a simple translation will be in next month’s lesson.
This month’s proverb is from Calabria and celebrates the season of wine making, la vendemmia.
Calabrese: Quannu è tiampu di vendemmià, zii di cca e niputi di dda. Quannu è tiampu i tagli e puti, nun si vidanu ne zii ne niputi.
Italiano: Quando è tempo di vendemmia, ti aiutano zii e nipoti. Quando è tempo di pulizia e
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