gattu

From the sonorization of Late Latin cattus.

A domesticated species (Felis catus) of feline animal, commonly kept as a house pet.


gatta

From the sonorization of Late Latin catta.

A cat, regardless of whether male or female.


piru

Inherited from Latin pirus (“pear tree”) and pirum (“pear”).

inh+

dari li pira


lapa

→ Italian: lapa

From the proclisis of the definite article la + Vulgar Latin *apa, from Latin apis. Compare Sicilian loppiu.


virdura

virdi (“green”) + -ura. Compare Italian verdura.

nu stufàtu dâ virdura


cipudda

From Late Latin cēpulla, diminutive of Latin cēpa.


accia

Borrowed from Old French ache (otherwise from Occitan), ultimately from Latin apium. Compare facci, sacciu, siccia for similiar morphological developments into Sicilian.

Jìi a 'ccattari l'accia.


basilicò

From Ancient Greek βασιλικόν (basilikón), βασιλικός (basilikós) or Latin basilicum.


chiavi

→ Maltese: ċavi, ⇒ ċavu

From Latin clāvis, clāvem (“key”). Cognate with Italian chiave.

(equestrianism) metal ring the reins go through


cani

From Latin canis, canem. Compare Aromanian cãni.


spàraciu

From Latin sparagus, asparagus, from Ancient Greek ἀσπάραγος (aspáragos).


aceddu

From Late Latin aucellus m (“little bird”), a diminutive ultimately based on Latin avis f (“bird”). Compare Italian uccello, Neapolitan auciello.


serpenti

From Italian serpente, from Latin serpēns.


rettili

head

rettili (feminine singular rettili, masculine and feminine plural rettili)

rettili (feminine singular)
rettili (feminine masculine plural)


rizza

→ Maltese: rizza

desc

→ Tunisian Arabic: ريتزي (rītzi, “sea urchin, Echinus”)


cirasa

→ Maltese: ċirasa


sferra

From Vulgar Latin *exferra. By surface analysis, sfirrari (“to unshoe (a horse)”) + -a. For clearer semantic evolution see Italian sferra, and compare Neapolitan sferra. Doublet of scerra.

surf

(farriery) broken old exhausted horseshoe after it is taken from the hoof of the horse


pumu

From Latin pōmum (“fruit”), from Proto-Italic *poomos. Cognate with Italian pomo, French pomme, Ladin pom, Lombard pomm and others.


sceccu

→ Italian: scecco

Likely borrowed from Ottoman Turkish اشك (eşek, “donkey”).


racina

[ʐä.ˈʃiː.nä]

[ɾä.ˈʃiː.nä]

Borrowed from Old French raisine (“grape”).


cunigghiu

Ultimately from Latin cunīculus. Judging by its consonantism, borrowed from some Western Romance dialect, perhaps Gallo-Italic. Compare Italian coniglio.


vurpi

desc

from the form <i class="Latn mention" lang="scn">gulpi</i>

→ Maltese: gilpa (from the form gulpi)

Vulpes vulpes
Vulpes vulpes#Translingual

A red fox, small carnivore (Vulpes vulpes), related to dogs and wolves, with red or silver fur and a bushy tail.


jattu

From the iotacism of gattu, already sonorized from Late Latin cattus.


pècura

From Latin pecora, neuter plural of pecus (“cattle”).


cìciru

→ Italian: Cicero

→ English: Cicero

Inherited from Latin cicer (as if via a Vulgar Latin *cicerum). Compare Italian cece.


ovu

Inherited from Vulgar Latin (*)ŏvum, from Classical Latin ōvum n. Compare Italian uovo.
The plural l'ova reflects a continuation of the Latin plural with /-a/,
like many other Sicilian and Old Italian words.
These, in Italian, are all declined as feminine plurals, even though they were masculine in the singular.
Compare Italian le uova.

unni càcanu i palummi e fannu l'ova tunni tunni

Anything shaped like an egg, such as an Easter egg or a chocolate egg.


surci

Sicilian: surgi (sonorized)

Italian: Sorge (italianized surname)

From Latin sōr(i)cem, accusative singular of sōrex.

Quannu a jatta nun cc'è, i surci a-bàllanu.


liuni

→ Maltese: ljun


ficu

Italian: la fico (Sicily)

Italian: la fica (Salento)


ficu d'Innia

From Latin ficus and Latin India. Compare Italian fico d'India and Spanish higo de pala.

Any of various spiny cacti of the genus Opuntia.

The fruit, often edible, of such a plant.


babbaluci

From a conflation of
* babbucia, from Maghrebi Arabic بَبُّوش (babbūš, “snail”), from a Berber language. Compare Maltese bebbux (“snail”).
* buvalaci, from Ancient Greek βουβαλάκιον (boubalákion), from βούβαλος (boúbalos, “buffalo”) + -άκιον (-ákion, diminutive suffix). Literally, “small buffalo”, with a semantic shift to “snail”.
An outdated folk etymology derives this from vava (“spit, saliva”) + luci (“light”), because of the shining trail the animal leaves.

af

scala a babbaluci

spiral staircase (literally, “staircase like a snail”)

babbaluci d'acqua

marine/fluvial mollusk (literally, “water snail”)

babbaluci cilesti

lu babbaluci trizzìa la tartuca

pot calling the kettle black (literally, “the snail makes fun of the turtle”)

Quisti assimiglanu a quilli li quali non ausanu intrari in lu senteri sive violu per li babaluchi ki li mostranu li corna, et pichulilli ki non ausanu andari per via per li ocki ki cridanu.

14th century, chapter 42, in Libru di li vitii et di li virtuti, page 38, line 5:

These like like those who don't dare to take the path or track because of the snails that show them the horns, and kids who don't dare to go because of the geese who squawk.


milinciana

Possibly from Medieval Latin melongena, ultimately from Arabic باذنجان, from Persian بادنجان.
Cognate with Italian melanzana, Greek μελιτζάνα (melitzána).

der

Arabic باذنجان

Persian بادنجان


jencu

→ English: Genco

→ Italian: Genco

From Latin juvencus, iuvencus (“bullock”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂yuh₁n̥ḱós, from *h₂yuh₁en- (“young”). Compare Aromanian giuncu, Romanian junc, Italian giovenco, Spanish and Portuguese juvenco, Galician xuvenco.

calf (young cow or bull); bullock or heifer


ciareddu

/t͡ʃaˈɾɛɖɖu/

Borrowed from Old French chevrel (modern chevreau (“kid”)).


rèttili

head

rèttili (feminine singular rèttili, masculine and feminine plural rèttili)

rèttili (feminine singular)
rèttili (feminine masculine plural)


agugghia

From Old Occitan agulha, from Late Latin acūcula, diminutive of Latin acus (“needle”). Compare French and English aiguille, Italian aguglia.

Belone belone
Belone belone#Translingual

(zoology)
broadnosed pipefish (Syngnathus typhle)


pisci spata

Xiphias gladius
Xiphias gladius#Translingual


furmicula

furmìcula (canonical feminine)
furmìculi (plural)

From furmica + -ula, from Latin formīca. Or from Late Latin formicula, a diminutive form (compare Italian formicola).


quagghia

E 'nti ssa strada cci abita 'na quagghia, / La vannu cacciannu li spriveri; / [...]

1874, Lionardo Vigo, Raccolta amplissima di canti popolari siciliani, page 369:


palumma

From Vulgar Latin palumba, from Latin palumbus. Akin to Italian colomba.

'Na jurnata mentri si pittinava, trasi na palumma, afferrasi la pittinissa e scappa.

1875, Giuseppe Pitrè, Fiabe, novelle e racconti popolari siciliani, page 346:

One day while she combed her hair, a dove entered, snatched the comb and escaped.


anciova

→ Italian: anciova (regional)

[a̠n̠ʲˈt͡ʃɔːva̠]

Possibly from Spanish anchova, anchoa, ultimately from Ligurian anciôa, from Vulgar Latin *apiuva, from Latin aphyē (“small fry”), from Ancient Greek ἀφύη (aphúē). The nasal consonant remains unexplained; however, this is an epenthesis, not originally attested, commonly popping up in many non-Greek borrowings. Compare English anchovy, for more.


pitrusinu

[pɪʈ͡ʂʊˈsiːnʊ]

From Vulgar Latin *petrosīnu (compare Old French persin, whence French persil), from Latin petroselīnum or petroselīnon, from Ancient Greek πετροσέλῑνον (petrosélīnon, “parsley”), from πέτρος (pétros, “rock, stone”) + σέλῑνον (sélīnon, “celery”).

der

πετροσέλῑνον


porcu

Inherited from Latin porcus. Cognate with Italian and Portuguese porco and Corsican and Sardinian porcu.


rizzu

→ Albanian: rric — Arbëresh

desc

→ Italiot Greek: [Term?] (/ríttso/, “hedgehog”)

From Latin ēricius (“hedgehog”). Cognate with Italian riccio. Doublet of rizza.

fari comu lu rizzu

to deceive with humble manners, to then betray or assault (literally, “to act like the hedgehog”)

Erinaceus europaeus
Erinaceus europaeus#Translingual


jatta

From the iotacism of gatta, already sonorized from Late Latin catta.


biccaccia

From Latin beccus (“beak”), further history unknown. Compare Italian beccaccia.


puddaru

[pʊ̠ɖˈɖäː.ɾʊ̠]

From Late Latin pullārium, from Latin pullārius (“pertaining to young animals or chicks”), from pullus (“young animal, chick”) from Proto-Indo-European *polH- (“animal young”). Compare Italian pollaio, Spanish pollero, Portuguese poleiro.

der

henhouse, hencoop, chicken coop, chicken run, roost


puddastra

/puɖˈɖaʂːɽa/

[pʊ̠ɖˈɖäʂ.ʂɽɑ̝]

From Late Latin pullastra, from Latin pullus (“chick, chicken”) + -aster, from Proto-Indo-European *polH- (“animal young”). Compare Italian pollastro, pollastra.


mènnula

→ Italian: mennula, mendola (regional)

→ Italian: Amendola, Mendola, Mendolia

From Latin *amendula, from Latin amygdala, from Ancient Greek ἀμυγδάλη (amugdálē), of uncertain origin.

almond:

(uncountable) The colour of the kernel of an almond without its shell and thin seed coat, a creamy off-white colour.


àsinu

Latin asinus, like Italian asino. See the Latin entry for more cognates.


miluni

From Late Latin melonem, from Latin melopeponem (“type of pumpkin”), from Ancient Greek μηλοπέπων (mēlopépōn), from μῆλον (mêlon, “apple”) + πέπων (pépōn, “ripe”).


puma d'amuri

[ˌpumä ɾ‿äˈmuːɾɪ]

Literally “love apple”, but a possible corruption of Spanish poma de moros (literally “fruit of Moors”). See Italian pomodoro and French pomme d’amour.


cacumbaru

From Ancient Greek κόμαρος (kómaros, “strawberry tree”).

Arbutus unedo
Arbutus unedo#Translingual

strawberry tree, Arbutus unedo (regional, Calabrian)


pumadoru

Alternative form of pummadoru (“tomato”)


zàgara

Italian: zagara

From Arabic زَهْرَة (zahra, “flower, blossom”), from the same root as زَهَرَ (zahara, “to shine, to sparkle white”). Cognate to Spanish azahar and Galician azar.

der

an orange blossom or, rarely, any citrus tree blossom


càvulu

From Late Latin caulus, Latin caulis (“stem, cabbage”), or from Ancient Greek καυλός (kaulós). Compare Italian cavolo.


cuccumeli

Borrowed from Ancient Greek κοκκύμηλον (kokkúmēlon), from κόκκῠξ (kókkŭx, “cuckoo”) + μῆλον (mêlon, “apple, any fruit from a tree”). The ending in -i could be a consequence of contamination with meli (“honey”).


cànnavu

From Late Latin cannabum (or cānabum), from Latin cannabis, from Ancient Greek κάνναβις (kánnabis); see there for more. Doublet of cannabis. Compare Italian canapa and English canvas.

Cannabis sativa
Cannabis sativa#Translingual


cànnava

From Late Latin cannaba (or cānaba), from Latin cannabis, from Ancient Greek κάνναβις (kánnabis); see there for more. Doublet of cannabis. Compare Italian canapa and English canvas.


ciàula

→ Maltese: ċawl

Unknown. Compare Neapolitan ciàula, Tarantino ciola, Friulian çore. Compare also Romanian cioară, Albanian sorrë.
Pasqualino suggests cià, onomatopoeia imitating the bird's sound, + -ula (diminutive suffix), and compares it to the similarly formed Latin grāculus (“jackdaw”).

Various black cawing birds:
crow (Corvus corone)

Corvus corone
Corvus corone#Translingual

Various black cawing birds:
magpie (Pica pica)

Various black cawing birds:
jackdaw (Coloeus monedula)

Coloeus monedula
Coloeus monedula#Translingual

’Avi […] li capiddi a culuri di li ciauli[…].

1785 – 1787, Giovanni Meli, Don Chisciotti e Sanciu Panza 7.71


carcarazza

Borrowed from Byzantine Greek καρακάξα (karakáxa, “jay”), influenced by carcariari (“to cackle, squawk, of birds”).

bor+

vuci di carcarazza ― discordant voice (literally, “magpie's voice”)


mammaluccu

Ultimately from Arabic مَمْلُوك (mamlūk). Compare Italian mammalucco, French mamelouk.

Coordinate term: babbaluci (“snail”)


alciuni

From Latin alcyōn, from Ancient Greek ἀλκυών (alkuṓn, “kingfisher”). Compare Italian alcione (“kingfisher, seagull”).


sfirrari

sfirratu (participle past)
sfirrari (infinitive)
sfirrannu (gerund)
sfirratu (participle past)
sferru (first-person indicative present singular)
sferri (indicative present second-person singular)
sferra (indicative present singular third-person)
sfirramu (first-person indicative plural present)
sfirrati (indicative plural present second-person)
sfèrranu (indicative plural present third-person)
sfèrrunu (indicative plural present third-person)
sfirrava (first-person imperfect indicative singular)
sfirravu (first-person imperfect indicative singular)
sfirravi (imperfect indicative second-person singular)
sfirrava (imperfect indicative singular third-person)
sfirràvamu (first-person imperfect indicative plural)
sfirràvavu (imperfect indicative plural second-person)
sfirràvanu (imperfect indicative plural third-person)
sfirràvunu (imperfect indicative plural third-person)
sfirrai (first-person indicative preterite singular)
sfirrasti (indicative preterite second-person singular)
sfirrau (indicative preterite singular third-person)
sfirrò (indicative preterite singular third-person)
sfirrammu (first-person indicative plural preterite)
sfirramu (first-person indicative plural preterite)
sfirràstivu (indicative plural preterite second-person)
sfirràrunu (indicative plural preterite third-person)
sfirraru (indicative plural preterite third-person)
sfirrirò (first-person future indicative singular)
sfirrirogghiu (first-person future indicative singular)
sfirrirai (future indicative second-person singular)
sfirrirà (future indicative singular third-person)
sfirriremu (first-person future indicative plural)
sfirrireti (future indicative plural second-person)
sfirririti (future indicative plural second-person)
sfirrirannu (future indicative plural third-person)
sfirrirìa (first-person indicative singular)
sfirririssi (indicative second-person singular)
sfirrirìa (indicative singular third-person)
sfirrirìamu (first-person indicative plural)
sfirrirìavu (indicative plural second-person)
sfirrirìanu (indicative plural third-person)
sferru (first-person present singular subjunctive)
sferri (present second-person singular subjunctive)
sferra (present singular subjunctive third-person)
sfirramu (first-person plural present subjunctive)
sfirrati (plural present second-person subjunctive)
sfèrranu (plural present subjunctive third-person)
sfèrrunu (plural present subjunctive third-person)
sfirrassi (first-person imperfect singular subjunctive)
sfirrassi (imperfect second-person singular subjunctive)
sfirrassi (imperfect singular subjunctive third-person)
sfirràssimu (first-person imperfect plural subjunctive)
sfirràssivu (imperfect plural second-person subjunctive)
sfirràssiru (imperfect plural subjunctive third-person)
sferra (imperative second-person singular)
sfirrassi (imperative singular third-person)
sfirramu (first-person imperative plural)
sfirrati (imperative plural second-person)

From Vulgar Latin *exferrō, *exferrāre. Compare Italian sferrare. By surface analysis, s- + ferru + -ari. Compare Italian perdere le staffe. Cfr. also firrijari~furrijari.

E sachi ki quantu plui si ferra lu cavallu iuvini tantu plui li soi unghi diventanu debili e molli, kí lu usu di andari sferatu genera da la sua iuvintuti li soi unghi duri e grandi.

a. 1368, De Cruyllis–Spatafora, “Di la guardia et di la doctrina di lu cavallu”, in Libru di la Mascalchia […], translation of De Medicina equorum by Giordano Ruffo, page 11v:

And know that the younger the horse is shoed the more his hooves become weak and soft, because the practice of going unshoed yields big and strong hooves from his youth.

(transitive, farriery) to unshoe (a horse)


cuncutrigghiu

Inherited from Latin crocodilus. Compare Italian coccodrillo.

chiantu di cuncutrigghiu


gesiminu

desc

→ Maltese: ġiżimin, ġiżmin, ġesmina, ġeżmina

Etymology tree
Middle Persian yʾsmn'
Classical Persian یَاسَمِین (yāsamīn)bor.
Arabic يَاسَمِين (yāsamīn)bor.
Sicilian gesiminu
From Arabic يَاسَمِين (yāsamīn), via Siculo-Arabic. Cognate with Italian gelsomino.

etymon

gesuminu cidratu / di l'Arabbia / di Malta

gesuminu di Nàpuli

Jasminum officinale
Jasminum officinale#Translingual


cacicia

Reseda luteola
Reseda luteola#Translingual


granciu

→ Maltese: granċ

desc

→ Tunisian Arabic: قرنجو (granju, “Carcinus aestuarii”)

Ultimately from Latin cancer, cancrum (“crab”). Cognate with Italian granchio.

Dormi patedda, ca lu granciu vigghia!

Sleep, limpet, while the crab stays awake!


crapistu

Inherited from Latin capistrum. Cognate with Italian capestro.

Prisu e misuli lu capistru in testa minissi ad unu locu ki si adusi ad adumari […]

a. 1368, De Cruyllis–Spatafora, “lu modu di piglari di infrinari e di adumari li cavalli”, in Libru di la Mascalchia […], translation of De Medicina equorum by Giordano Ruffo, page 10r:

After taking and attaching the halter to its head, it shall be brought in a place suitable for taming.


cufuruna

An alternation of bufuruna, likely from Latin būfō (“toad/turtle (?)”), whence also buffa (“toad”). Derivation from Ancient Greek κυφός (kuphós, “bent forward”) is to be deemed outdated.

ncog

[…] la virtù di questa pietra senza dubio è cotale, che contraposta dinanzi a gl'occhi di ciascuno animale serpente velenoso, o di suo simigliante, o vero di quello, il quale volgarmente buforona in Cicilia si chiama […]

[1324, Filippo Ceffi, Historia destructionis Troiae (in Italian), translation of original by Guido delle Colonne, L. 3 pag. 38:

The power of this gem is with no doubt such that, placed before the eyes of any animal venomous serpent, or its similar, that is of the one that is vernacularly called buforona in Sicily...

turtle, more specifically Hermann's tortoise (Testudo hermanni)


picciuni

scn-noun

picciuni m (plural picciuna or picciuni)

→ Maltese: beċċun

From Latin pīpiō, pīpiōnem (“chirping bird”).

A la morti si spinna lu picciuni.

(literally, “The feathers of the pigeon are plucked when it died.”)

Someone's will goes into effect once they die.


itria

From a conflation of Latin lutra (“otter”) and Ancient Greek ἔνυδρις (énudris, “otter”).


curveddu

→ Maltese: gurbell

From corvu (“crow”) + -eddu, because of its dark colour. Compare Italian corvello.


mulinciana

Possibly from Vulgar Latin *molengena, from the metathesis of Medieval Latin melongena, ultimately from Arabic باذنجان, from Persian بادنجان.
Cognate with Italian melanzana, Greek μελιτζάνα (melitzána).

Arabic باذنجان

Persian بادنجان


garanciu

→ Maltese: granċ

Epenthetic variant of the earlier granciu. Possibly from an Occitan and/or Norman stratum, because of the palatalization and sonorization of the initial /k-/ sound. Ultimately from Latin cancer, cancrum (“crab”). Cognate with Catalan cranc/carranc, Occitan cranc, Galician cáncaro, (cángaro, cancro, cangrio), French chancre, Spanish cangrejo, Portuguese carango, Italian granchio, Venetan cancaro. Doublet of agranciu.


agranciu

→ Maltese: granċ

Dieresis of the earlier granciu. Possibly from an Occitan and/or Norman stratum, because of the sonorization of the initial /k-/ sound and of the palatalization. Ultimately from Latin cancer, cancrum (“crab”). Cognate with Catalan cranc/carranc, Occitan cranc, Galician cáncaro, (cángaro, cancro, cangrio), French chancre, Spanish cangrejo, Portuguese carango, Italian granchio, Venetan cancaro. Doublet of garanciu, otherwise just an orthographical variant of this latter. Compare the morphology of agriḍḍu for more.

garanciu

silent ⟨g⟩ generates an epenthetic syllable


stummu

→ Italian: stummo (regional)

Uncertain. Possibly from an unattested intermediate Vulgar Latin *stumbu(m), from Latin scomber, from Ancient Greek σκόμβρος (skómbros), which is, according to Beekes, of Pre-Greek origin.
Compare for more Italian sgombro, Spanish escombro.

Scomber scombrus
Scomber scombrus#Translingual


liafanti

→ Italian: leofante (regional)

From the metathesis of an earlier alifanti, from Latin elephantem. See lijatina for the morphology. Cognate with Italian elefante.