agghia

From an unattested Vulgar Latin *alia, from the femininization of Latin alium.
Compare Corsican aglia, Sardinian allu, Italian aglio, Neapolitan aglio, Catalan all, Spanish ajo, Aragonese allo, Portuguese alho.


sillabbazziuni

(linguistics) hyphenation, syllabification (division of a word into syllables)


tudiscu

From Medieval Latin or Late Latin theodiscus, from Proto-Germanic *þiudiskaz. Compare Italian tedesco.


cugghiuni

From Late Latin cōleōnem, derived from Latin cōleus (“sack, scrotum”). Compare Italian coglione.


pupulazzioni

populazioni (alternative)
populazzioni (alternative)
pupulazioni (alternative)


chiuppu

Populus tremula
Populus tremula#Translingual


àsinu

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


tàuru

tàvaru (alternative)
tàvuru (alternative)


jarrusu

From Arabic عَرُوسَة (ʕarūsa). Compare Maltese għarusa.

arrusu (alternative)
garrusu (alternative)
iarrusu (alternative)

(offensive, vulgar) A homosexual man, especially an effeminate one.

(offensive, vulgar) A man considered weak, effeminate, timid, pathetic, emotional, non-heteronormative in some way


arrusu

Alternative form of garrusu (Silent g is apheretic)


pripusizzioni

pripusizzioni (plural)
pripusizioni (alternative)


nùmmiru

nùmmira (plural)
nùmmaru (alternative)
nùmmuru (alternative)

→ Maltese: numru

From Old French nombre, nonbre, from Latin numerus, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *nem- (“to assign, allot; take”). Sicilian ùmmira and Sicilian mmiriacu.


cungiunzioni

cungiunzioni (plural)
cugnunzioni (alternative)
cuniunzioni (alternative)
cunjunzioni (alternative)

→ Maltese: konġunzjoni


àncilu

àncili (plural)
àngilu (alternative)
ànciulu (alternative)
àngiulu (alternative)

→ Maltese: anġlu

[ˈän̠ʲt͡ʃɪlʊ]

Latin angelus, from Ancient Greek ἄγγελος (ángelos, “messenger”). Cognate with Italian angelo.


ànciulu

[ˈän̠ʲt͡ʃʊlʊ]


àngilu

[ˈän̠ʲd͡ʒɪlʊ]


àngiulu

[ˈän̠ʲd͡ʒʊlʊ]


miluni

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


spillonga

spillonghi (plural)
spillunga (alternative)

Uncertain. Maybe variation of an earliest form spirlonga so that it can possibly come from Latin ex + perlongus (“very long, which lasts a long time”). Alternatively from a variation of Latin bis + longus (“long twice”). Compare Italian spilungone, Spanish pilongo, Portuguese pilungo.

large oval serving plate, usually made of ceramic


tannura

From Arabic تَنُّور (tannūr). Compare Catalan atanor, English athanor, Italian atanor, Spanish atanor.

cook stove, typically placed in front of a large oven


sausizza

sausizzi (plural)
sasizza (alternative)
sosizza (alternative)

From Late Latin [farta] salsīcia, ultimately from Latin sāl (“salt”).


sacra dâ sasizza

head

sacra dâ sasizza f (plural sacre dâ sasizza)

From the visual resemblance of the human penis to a sasizza.

(slang, derogatory) A gathering with many more men than women; sausage party


fera 'ô luni

feri 'ô luni (plural)
fera dû luni (alternative Standard-Sicilian)
fera o' luni (alternative)
fera o luni (alternative)

[ˈfɛːɾä ɔː ˈluːnɪ]

Literally “fair of the Monday”. The preposition dû, from di combined with the definite article u, becomes dô in the Eastern Sicilian dialects, often pronounced rhotically rô [ɾɔː] and even ô [ɔː], by apheresis.

A historical large, public market in the center of Catania, Sicily, originally held only on Mondays. It is now open on all working mornings.


pacchiu

Italian: pacchio

From Vulgar Latin *patlus, from Latin patulus (“open, spread out”). Cognate with Italian pacchia. Compare sticchiu.

(vulgar, slang) The female genitalia; the vulva and/or vagina

(vulgar, slang) sexually attractive woman


cabbasisi

From Arabic حَبّ الْعَزِيز (ḥabb al-ʕazīz, “chufa, tiger nut”).

der

حَبّ الْعَزِيز

Cci sta' scassannu i cabbasisi!


jiti

From an unattested Vulgar Latin *blēta, from Latin bēta (from which it takes the feminine gender) by contamination of blitum (a kind of spinach) (from which it changed the original ⟨bl-⟩ into ⟨j-⟩). Compare Sicilian gidi, Italian bieta, Catalan bleda~bledera, French blette.
The transition from bl- to j- in is typical in the south-eastern area of Sicily, compare also Sicilian jancu, jastimia and Jasi (“Blaise”).

ajiti (alternative)
agghiti (alternative)
gedi (alternative)
gidi (alternative)
geji (alternative)
nciti (alternative)
aiti (alternative)
iti (alternative)

Beta vulgaris
Beta vulgaris#Translingual


cucuzzeḍḍa 'i sonnu

From cucuzzeḍḍa (“zucchini”) + 'i (apheretical form of di (“of”)) + sonnu (“sleep”).

Papaver somniferum
Papaver somniferum#Translingual

Papaver somniferum, the species of plant from which opium and poppy seeds are extracted


cucuzzeḍḍa

[ˌkʊkʊtˈt͡sɛɖɖa]

From Sicilian cucuzza, derived from Late Latin cucutia, from Latin cucurbita. Compare Italian cocuzza, Italian zucca.


vermu

vermi (plural)
vermi (alternative)
viermi (alternative)
vjermi (alternative)
vemmu (alternative)
vemmi (alternative)

From Latin vermis (“worm”). Compare Italian, Portuguese, and Galician verme, Venetan vemmo.


cumpagnu

From Late Latin companiō, from Latin cum + panis. Cognates include Italian compagno and French copain and, more distantly, English companion.


staggiuni

staggiuni (plural)
stagiuni (alternative)
staciuni (alternative)

→ Maltese: staġun

From Latin stātiōnem, the accusative singular of stātiō. Doublet of stazzioni.


stazzioni

stazzioni (plural)
stazioni (alternative)

From Latin stātiōnem, the accusative singular of stātiō. Doublet of staggiuni.


scrotu

[ˈʃkrɔː.t̪ʊ̠]


travagghiu

travagghi (plural)
travagliu (alternative)

[ʈɽɑ̝ˈväɟ.ɟʊ̠]

job, duty; work, activity, labor, operation; workplace

travagghiu dulurusu

tiresome toil, grueling effort, exhausting exertion; travail


travagghi

/ʈɽaˈvaɡ̟.ɡ̟ʲi/

[ʈɽɑ̝ˈväɟ.ɟɪ̟]

[ʈ͡ʂɑ̝ˈväɟ.ɟɪ̟]

plural of travagghiu (“job, duty; work, labor; effort, exertion; toil, travail”)


mafiusu

→ Italian: mafioso

From mafia + -usu (-ose, -ous). Cfr. Italian bravo for a semantic analogy. Ser also smurfiusu.

Nun fari u mafiusu cu mia.

a Mafioso, a member of the Mafia, a mobster


puma d'amuri

pumi d'amuri (plural)
pumadamuri (alternative)
pumu d'amuri (alternative)
pumudamuri (alternative)

[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.


biḍḍizza

biḍḍizzi (plural)
biddizza (alternative)

[bɪˈɖːit͡ːsä]

From Vulgar Latin *bellitia, from Latin bellus, equivalent to beḍḍu + -izza. Compare Italian bellezza.

(uncountable or countable) beauty (all senses)


rijina

Italian: Riina, Reina


virvogna

virvogni (plural)
virivogna (alternative)
briogna (alternative)

From Late Latin *vereconnia, from Latin verecundia.
Compare Italian vergogna.


sirbizzu

sirbizza (plural)
surbizzu (alternative)
subbizzu (alternative)
sibbizzu (alternative)

From Latin servitium.
Compare Italian servizio, Portuguese serviço, Spanish servicio,


tzitzi

From Late Latin thia, from Ancient Greek θεία (theía).


munnizza

From Latin immunditia (“dirt, untidiness”), from immundus (“dirty”), from im- (“without, not”) + mundus (“clean, elegant”).


ghissu

Alternative form of jissu (“gypsum; chalk”)


nannu

→ Maltese: nannu

jiri comu li ganghi di me nannu

li cartuleggi di so nannu

Chi ura di chiànciri a me nannu!

Cu voli a so nannu si lu preja.

Si me nannu nun fussi mortu, ancora sarrìa vivu.

nannu (di) Carnilivari

mòriri lu nannu

Local folkloric figure personification of Carnival, a dummy resembling a devil that is lit up at the end of the festivities.

(colloquial) Term to address old men. grandpa, gramps


riflissioni

2017, Gaetano Cipolla, Arba Sicula XXXVIII, St. John's University, page 8

ARBA SICULA is, above all else, the overdue reflection of a felt need by an established ethnic community of the United States of America to define, preserve and disseminate our ancient heritage in order to assure its undistorted survival.

“ARBA SICULA, prima di tuttu, la riflissioni in ritardu, di na nicissità sintuta di na cumunità etnica stabiluta nni li Stati Uniti d’America pi difiniri, prisirvari e diffunniri la nostra antica eredità p’assicurari la so vera supravvivenza."


anticu

antichi (plural)
ânticu (alternative)
'nticu (alternative)
nticu (alternative)

Comu fìciru ântichi.

(mainly at plural) The ancient ones, the ancestors, forefathers


bicichetta

bicicretta (alternative)
bricigretta (alternative)
biscigretta (alternative)
bicigretta (alternative)


jaddu

jaddi (plural)
aḍḍu (alternative)
gaḍḍu (alternative)
jaḍḍu (alternative)


bigliettu

biglietti (plural)
bigghiettu (alternative)


cusunuvru

storax (liquid resin of the storax tree)


lumiuni

limiuni (alternative)
ddimiuni (alternative)


màrmuru

màrmura (plural)
màrmaru (alternative)
màrmiru (alternative)
màmmaru (alternative)
màmmiru (alternative)
màmmuru (alternative)
marmaru (alternative)
marmiru (alternative)
marmuru (alternative)
mammaru (alternative)
mammiru (alternative)
mammuru (alternative)

From the masculinization of Latin marmor, from Ancient Greek μάρμαρος (mármaros).
Compare Albanian marmur, Aromanian marmuri, English marble, Galician mármore, Italian marmo, Portuguese mármore, Romanian marmură, Sardinian màrmuri, Asturian and Spanish mármol, Venetan màrmaro.


direzzioni

→ Maltese: direzzjoni


ùmmira

Alternative form of ummra (dieretic variant)


lepru

→ Maltese: liebru

lebbru (alternative)
dièvuru (alternative)


cucùmmuru

cucùmmuri (plural)
cucùmmaru (alternative)
cucùmmiru (alternative)


diciaciu

disaciu (alternative)
disagiu (alternative)
disaggiu (alternative)


negoziu

negozziu (alternative)
nigozziu (alternative)
nigoziu (alternative)
nicozziu (alternative)
nicoziu (alternative)


cuntatinu

From cuntatu (“countryside”) + -inu, ultimately from Latin comitatus. Compare Italian contadino.


ciàguru

ciàguri (plural)
çàguru (alternative)
çauru (alternative)
çaru (alternative)
çâru (alternative)
ciauru (alternative)
ciaru (alternative)
ciàvuru (alternative)
ciairu (alternative)
ciàviru (alternative)
sciauru (alternative)
sciàuru (alternative)
sciairu (alternative)
sciàiru (alternative)
sciaru (alternative)
sciâru (alternative)
çiàguru (alternative)
hiàguru (alternative)
xhiàguru (alternative)
xhàguru (alternative)
xiàguru (alternative)
xàguru (alternative)
hjàguru (alternative)
xhjàguru (alternative)
xjàguru (alternative)

From Vulgar Latin *flag(u)rum, from Late Latin flāgrāre, by dissimilation from Latin frāgrō, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰreh₂gro-, from *bʰreh₂g- (“to smell”) + *-ro-. See also Latin flator and English flavour. Compare àguru, nìguru, màguru.


vuci

vuci (plural)
'uci (alternative)
uci (alternative)

A vuci umana è u cchiù anticu strummentu musicali dâ storia.

The human voice is the oldest musical instrument in history.

Àvi na vuci duci.

A so' 'uci vascia ci pirmisi di 'ddivintari u vasciu dû coru.H

is low voice allowed him to become a bass in the choir.

Sound uttered by the mouth, especially by human beings in speech or song; sound thus uttered considered as possessing some special quality or character

(phonetics) Sound made through vibration of the vocal cords; sonant, or intonated, utterance; tone; — distinguished from mere breath sound as heard in whispering and voiceless consonants.

That which is communicated; message; meaning.

(figurative) An expressed opinion, choice, will, desire, or wish; the right or ability to make such expression or to have it considered

(literature) A particular style or way of writing that expresses a certain tone or feeling.

U sistema virbali dû latinu àvi du' vuci, attiva e passiva.

The verbal system of Latin has two voices, active and passive.

(grammar) A particular way of inflecting or conjugating verbs, or a particular form of a verb, by means of which is indicated the relation of the subject of the verb to the action which the verb expresses.

U tema di stu pezzu passa sempri pî so' tri vuci.

The theme of this piece constantly migrates between the three voice parts.

(music) In harmony, an independent vocal or instrumental part in a piece of composition.


cacumbaru

cacumbari (plural)
cucummaràra (alternative)

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

Arbutus unedo
Arbutus unedo#Translingual

strawberry tree, Arbutus unedo (regional, Calabrian)


chiummu

chiummi (plural)
ghiummu (alternative)
chiumbu (alternative)

→ Maltese: ċomb

Inherited from Latin plumbum (“lead”). Compare Italian piombo and Neapolitan chiummo.

acchiummari

to plumb, to use a plumb bob as an aligning tool

caminari cu li pedi di chiummu

fari li cosi cu lu chiummu e lu cumpassu

to do things with the plumb bob and compass


sucu

From Latin sūcus (“juice”). Cognate with Italian succo~sugo.

(figuratively) strength, vitality, rigor, energy, life

(countable, uncountable) A thick sauce made from the fat (usually pork) or juices that come out from meat or vegetables as they are being cooked.

(uncountable, by extension, chiefly Italian-American) Sauce used for pasta.


taḍḍarita

taḍḍariti (plural)
taḍḍarica (alternative)
tutturiḍḍa (alternative)

→ Italian: Tallarita

→ Translingual: Tadarida

ta‧ḍḍa‧rì‧ta

From an earlier Vulgar Latin *tallarita, from the metathesis of λαχταρίδα (lachtarída), possibly through νυχτερίδα (nukhterída), from νυκτερίς (nukterís).

Any of the flying mammals of the order Chiroptera, usually small and nocturnal, insectivorous or frugivorous.


pumadoru

Alternative form of pummadoru (“tomato”)


pummadoru

scn-noun

pummadoru m (plural pummadori or pummadora)

pummadori (plural)
pummadora (plural)
pumaduoru (alternative)
pumaroru (alternative)
pumaruoru (alternative)
pumidoru (alternative)
pumadoru (alternative)
pummaroru (alternative)
pummaruoru (alternative)
pummidoru (alternative)
pummudoru (alternative)

Univerbation of pumu (“apple, fruit”) + d' (“of”) + oru (“gold”), literally “golden apple”. Possibly owing to the fact that the first varieties of tomatoes arriving in Europe and spreading from Spain to Italy and North Africa were yellow. Compare Italian pomodoro and Neapolitan pummarola.

univerbation

sarsa di pummadoru

pasta cû pummadoru

an Sicilian food typically prepared with pasta, olive oil, fresh tomatoes, basil, and various other fresh ingredients.


migghiu

Back-formation from the plural migghia (like Corsican migliu, Italian miglio), from Latin mīlia n pl (“thousand”) in the phrase mīlia passuum (“thousand paces”). Doublet of milli, middi.


burgu

From Late Latin burgus, see there for more. Compare Italian borgo, Sardinian burgu, Catalan burg, French bourg, Galician and Portuguese burgo, Spanish burgo, German Burg, English borough.

(originally) A fort or castle, especially a smaller one; a watchtower.

(generally) A fortified town; a walled town.

(by extension) A borough: a town specially incorporated and with special rights.


quagliu

Alternative form of quagghiu (dialectal, italianized)


tirminali

terminal (of an airport, train station, etc.)


cuvernu

cuviernu (alternative)
guvernu (alternative)
guviernu (alternative)


jìditu

jìdita (plural)
jitu (alternative)
jìritu (alternative)

From Vulgar Latin *giditus, metathesis of Latin digitus (“finger”).


zùccaru

zùccuru (alternative)
zùcchiru (alternative)
zuccaru (alternative)
zuccuru (alternative)


ciatu

ciati (plural)
çatu (alternative)
çiatu (alternative)
sciatu (alternative)
xiatu (alternative)

→ Italian: ciato, sciato

From Latin flātus, from flāre (“to blow”).

Marìa, a figghia cchiù nica, è u me ciatu.

Maria, my youngest daughter, is my darling.

Mâ passassi-tu a buttigghia di l'acqua, ciatu?

Would you pass me the bottle of water, dear?.


zàgara

zàgari (plural)
zàjira (alternative)
zagara (alternative)
zàara (alternative)
zara (alternative)

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


partugallu

partugalla (plural)
portugallu (alternative)
purtugallu (alternative)
portogallu (alternative)
partuallu (alternative)
pattuallu (alternative)

Borrowed from Catalan [taronja de] Portugal.


cuḍḍura

English: Collura

Italian: Collura

From Ancient Greek κολλύρα (kollúra), further etymology is unknown.
Cognate with Greek κουλούρα (kouloúra)/κουλούρι (kouloúri), Persian کلیچه (količe), Russian кулич (kulič). Compare for more Ancient Greek κόλλῐξ (kóllĭx).


agriḍḍu

agriḍḍi (plural)
gariḍḍu (alternative)
griḍḍu (alternative)
griddu (alternative)
grillu (alternative)
ariddu (alternative)
aridu (alternative)

Sicilian: Agriḍḍu

Italian: Agrillo, Grillo

English: Agrillo, Grillo

sleep (viscous substance found in the corner of the eye after sleeping)


pùippu

Alternative form of purpu (Iotization of the r)


cacòcciula

cacòcciuli (plural)
cacòcciulu (alternative)
carciòffula (alternative)

→ Italian: Cacocciola

→ Maltese: qaqoċċ

From older Sicilian *cacoccia, from Arabic خُرْشُوف (ḵuršūf). Based on the forms *carsoffa (*carsòffula) that gave palatized *carcioffa (carciòffula), then another metathetic *carcoccia (carcòcciula). Compare Spanish alcachofa, Portuguese alcachofra, Catalan carxofa, Italian carciofo.

bor

Arabic خُرْشُوف (ḵuršūf)


cacòcciulu

scn-noun

cacòcciulu m (plural cacòcciuli or cacòcciula)


scifu

scifi (plural)
ciffu (alternative)
sciffu (alternative)

Through Latin scyphus (“cup”), ultimately from Ancient Greek σκῠ́φος (skŭ́phos). Compare Italian scifo and English scyphus.

(agriculture) small limestone feeder, often reserved for pigs.


dieri

English: dieri

Italian: dieri

From Arabic ديار (diyār), plural of دَار (dār, “house, building, structure”).

(architecture) Sicilian rupestrian house carved into the limestone rock, found on the Hyblaean Mountains.


aḍḍevu

From Vulgar Latin *allevus, from Latin allevo. Compare Italian allievo.


baccalaru

From Dutch bakkeljauw, of uncertain origin. Possibly from Vulgar Latin *baccalarium (“the place of the [wooden] stick”), Latin baculum (“stick, staff”), referring to the way cod were split and dried on wooden sticks.
If the element *bak- is a metathesis of *kab- (compare French cabillaud and German Kabeljau from Dutch kabeljauw), then the original form of the word could have been *cabalao, maybe meaning "large-headed fish" (cf. Ibero-Romance words, such as Spanish cabo, cabal, from Latin caput (“head”)).
Cognate to Catalan bacallà, Portuguese bacalhau, Spanish bacalao.

der

Mi fici tuccari u baccalaru!

(vulgar, slang) The female genitalia; the vulva and/or vagina.


cavuliceḍḍu

cavuliceḍḍi (plural)
cavuliceddu (alternative)
cauliceḍḍu (alternative)

Diminutive of càvulu, Late Latin caulus, Latin caulis (“stem, cabbage”).

(botany) cole, or various plants in the brassica family (cabbages, mustards, rapes)

(please add an English translation of this quotation)

1875, Pitrè, Fiabe vol. 1, XIX Lu Scavu era un cavuciliḍḍaru (sic.),[…] jennu a cavuliceḍḍi, nun avìa pututu truvari mancu un filu d'erba (a broccoli-rabe-gatherer[…] searching for broccoli-rabe could not find a single leaf of the herb.)

generally any such edible plant, cultivated or gathered in the wild.


càvulu

càvuli (plural)
càvula (plural)
caulu (alternative)
cavulu (alternative)
càulu (alternative)

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


cavuliciḍḍaru

cavuliciḍḍari (plural)
cauliciḍḍaru (alternative)
cavulicciḍḍaru (alternative)
cauliciddaru (alternative)

From cavuliceḍḍu (“cole”) + -aru (“suffix fro agent nouns”), from càvulu, Late Latin caulus, Latin caulis (“stem, cabbage”).

suffix

1875, Pitrè, Fiabe vol. VII, glossary, p. 316

(please add an English translation of this quotation)

cavuliciḍḍaru or cauliciḍḍaru, i. a., s.m. cugghituri o vinnituri di cavuliceḍḍi e di autri erbi sarbaggi.

more generally a forager from the wild, or a peddler of, edible herbaceous plants, esp. of the family Brassicaceae (coles, mustards, rapes)


parrinu

→ Italian: Parrino

From an Occitan/Norman stratum (compare Old French pere), ultimately from Early Medieval Latin patrīnus.

(South-East) male baptismal sponsor of one's child, a godfather


vucceri

→ Maltese: biċċier

Borrowed from Old French bouchier, from bouc + -ier; compare English butcher.

bucceri (alternative)
buccieri (alternative)
ucceri (alternative)
vuccieri (alternative)


spacchiu

→ Italian: spacchio

(obsolete, slang, vulgar, uncountable) Female ejaculatory discharge.

(obsolete, vulgar, uncountable) An ejaculation.

Ma chi spacchiu ni sacciu?!

(vulgar, colloquial) Used as a placeholder.

Chi spacchiu voi?

(vulgar, colloquial) An intensifier, often applying more to the whole utterance than to the specific word it grammatically modifies.

Leva ssa spacchiu di màchina di 'n menzu â strata!

(vulgar) (+ di) Offensive, annoying or worthless.

Nun fari spacchiu!

(slang, vulgar, uncountable) Ostentation; ambitious display; vain show; display intended to excite admiration or applause.


viḍḍicu

viḍḍichi (plural)
viḍḍica (plural)
miḍḍicu (alternative)
middicu (alternative)

From Vulgar Latin *(um)billicus, from Latin umbilīcus.
Compare the regional variants of ombelico: bellìco, villìco.


feḍḍa

feḍḍi (plural)
fedda (alternative)
feda (alternative)

From Late Latin (of)fella, from Latin offa (“a morsel, a piece”). Cognate with Greek φελλί (fellí) and Romanian felie.
Compare also Italian fetta.

Talè, chi feḍḍa di sticchiu!


chìffili

Borrowed from German Kipfl (“croissant”) by Sicilian immigrants in Switzerland, which renders it as a doublet of zìppula.


gruppu

gruppa (plural)
'ruppu (alternative)
ruppu (alternative)

Derived from Vulgar Latin *cruppus, from Proto-Germanic *kruppaz (“lump, group, body, crop”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *grewb- (“to crumple, bend, crawl”).

der

group (of friends), cluster, party, team


çiàguru

çiaguru (canonical masculine)
çiaguri (plural)


hiàguru

hiaguru (canonical masculine)
hiaguri (plural)


donni di casa

From donni di casa (“masters of the house”). Compare Spanish duen de casa (“master of the house”). See more at doñas de fuera, Sicilian donni di fora, Latin Lares.

cog

donni 'i casa (alternative)
ronni 'i casa (alternative)
ronni di casa (alternative)

(Sicilian folklore) Supernatural creatures of Sicilian superstition and folklore, typically female, who invaded the streets and homes at night to carry out mischief and scare the residents.


ciraulu

cirauli (plural)
ciraula (plural)
ciràvulu (alternative)
ciaraulu (alternative)
ciaràvulu (alternative)

desc

Italian: Ceravola, Ceravolo, Ciraulo, Ciravola, Ciravolo, Ciaravola, Ciaravolo

From Ancient Greek κεραύλης (keraúlēs, “horn-blower”), from κέρας (kéras, “horn”) + αὐλός (aulós, “any pipe-shaped instrument”) + -ης (-ēs, “adjectival suffix”).

der

(Sicilian folklore) in the religious cult of St. Paul, in Palazzolo Acreide, a healer and thaumaturge able to cure snake bites

(Sicilian folklore) those born in the night between 24 and 25 January, who can heal snake bites


cuccumeli

cuccumeli (plural)
millicuccu (alternative)
minicuccu (alternative)

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”).


pìditu

pìditi (plural)
pìdita (plural)
pìritu (alternative)


pìritu

pìriti (plural)
pìrita (plural)
piritu (alternative)
piditu (alternative)


cànnavu

cànnavi (plural)
cànnava (plural)
cànnava (alternative)

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

(collective) the fibers of the hemp plant


cànnava

cànnavi (plural)
cànnava (plural)
cànnavu (alternative)

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.


coḍḍa

coḍḍi (plural)
codda (alternative pronunciation-spelling)
coda (alternative lenition)

From Vulgar Latin colla, from Ancient Greek κόλλα (kólla, “glue”).


coḍḍa

From Vulgar Latin *colla, from Latin cucūlla, variant of Latin cucūllus. Compare Latin culus and French coule.http://ducange.enc.sorbonne.fr/COLLAhttp://ducange.enc.sorbonne.fr/CUCULLUS1#CUCULLUS1-2

A coḍḍa 'i mònacu


maugeri

From Vulgar Latin *malgere(m), from Latin malga. Compare Italian malgaro and Sicilian marga.


mauceri

(Desonorized) Alternative form of maugeri


ciaramidaru

ciaramidarui (canonical masculine)
ciaramitaru (alternative)
ciaramiraru (alternative)

English: Ciaramitaro

Italian: Ciaramitaro

From ciaramida (“roof tile”), from Byzantine Greek κεραμίδα (keramída), from Ancient Greek κερᾰμῐ́ς (kerămĭ́s), from κέρᾰμος (kérămos, “pottery”) + -ίς (-ís).


ciaramida

ciaramidi (plural)
ciaramita (alternative)
ciaramira (alternative)

From Byzantine Greek κεραμίδα (keramída), from Ancient Greek κερᾰμῐ́ς (kerămĭ́s), from κέρᾰμος (kérămos, “pottery”) + -ίς (-ís).


crignu

Uncertain. Perhaps from an unattested Vulgar Latin *crēneus, from Latin crēna (“corrupted word”). See also English crevice, crenellation.

(vulgar, colloquial) a raised middle finger


muniḍḍu

muniḍḍi (plural)
muneḍḍu (alternative)
moneḍḍu (alternative)
monellu (alternative)

Uncertain. Perhaps from Vulgar Latin *monē(d)la, from Latin monēdula (“jackdaw (daw)”). Compare Italian monello.

(Referred to children) rascal, scoundrel

Veni cca, muniḍḍa!

(Referred to cats, only feminine) kitty, pussycat


stiḍḍa

stiḍḍi (plural)
stidda (alternative pronunciation-spelling)
steḍḍa (alternative)
stella (alternative)

→ Italian: Stidda

→ Maltese: stilla

From Latin stēlla, from Proto-Italic *stērolā, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂stḗr.

(astronomy) A luminous celestial body, made up of plasma (particularly hydrogen and helium) and having a spherical shape. Depending on context the sun may or may not be included.

(geometry) A concave polygon with regular, pointy protrusions and indentations, generally with five or six points.

Marìa, a figghia cchiù nica, era sempri a so stiḍḍa.

Mary, the youngest daughter, was always her darling.

A symbol used to rate hotels, films, etc. with a higher number of stars denoting better quality.

Stiḍḍa ca curri.

(astrology) A planet supposed to influence one's destiny.

(Organized crime) The Stiḍḍa, a Mafia-type criminal organization centered in the central-southern part of Sicily.

A star-shaped ornament worn on the breast to indicate rank or honour.


còppula

→ English: Coppola

→ Italian: coppula, coppola, Coppola

From Vulgar Latin coppa (“cup”), from Latin cuppa.


zazzamita

zazzamiti (plural)
zazzamira (alternative)
tuzzumita (alternative)

From Byzantine Greek σαμαμίθιον (samamíthion), a diminutive of σαμιάμινθος (samiáminthos). Compare Greek σαμιαμίδι (samiamídi).

der

Any lizard of the family Gekkonidae. They are small, carnivorous, mostly nocturnal animals with large eyes and adhesive toes enabling them to climb on vertical and upside-down surfaces.


movimentu

muvimentu (alternative)
muvumentu (alternative)


spaḍḍa

From Vulgar Latin *spatla, from Late Latin spatula, from classical Latin spatha (“straight sword”).


caḍḍu

caḍḍi (plural)
caddu (alternative)
callu (alternative)

From Latin callum (“A hard or thick substance”).

inh

The hardened, thick skin upon animal bodies, hide.

(figuratively) Hardness, callousness, insensibility, stupidity.


nzagareḍḍa

nzagareḍḍi (plural)
nzareḍḍa (alternative)
nzaareḍḍa (alternative)
nzajareḍḍa (alternative)
nzaredda (alternative)
nzaaredda (alternative)
nzajaredda (alternative)

Italian: nzareddi

/nˌt͡saːˈɾɛɖ.ɖa/

From 'n + zàgara (“orange blossom”) + -eḍḍu (diminutive suffix), from Arabic زَهْرَة (zahra, “flower, blossom”).

affix

(eastern Sicily) Rolled and colored paper strips, used during religious folk festivals, generally thrown through mortars in front of spectators.

Any object that once closed can later figuratively blossom


nzareḍḍa

nzareḍḍi (plural)
nzaareḍḍa (alternative)
nzajareḍḍa (alternative)
nzaredda (alternative)
nzaaredda (alternative)
nzajaredda (alternative)
nzareḍḍu (alternative)
nzareddu (alternative)

Italian: nzareddi (masculine plural)

/nˌt͡saːˈɾɛɖ.ɖa/


nzajareḍḍa

nzajareḍḍi (plural)
nzaareḍḍa (alternative)
nzareḍḍa (alternative)
nzaredda (alternative)
nzaaredda (alternative)
nzajaredda (alternative)
nzareḍḍu (alternative)
nzareddu (alternative)

Italian: nzareddi (masculine plural)


nzagareḍḍi

nzajareḍḍi (alternative)
nzareḍḍi (alternative)
nzareddi (alternative)


Cutrona

→ English: Cutrona

→ Italian: Cutrona, Tutrone

From Vulgar Latin *Cōtrona, from the metathesis of the accusative of Ancient Greek Κρότων (Krótōn).


javiu

Ioticized dialectal variant of an earlier gàuju (with the fricatization of the intermediate semiconsonants /ˈjaw.j(i).ʊ/ < /ˈja.vjʊ/), from an older unattested form *ga(u)j(i)u, from Latin gaudium (“joy”). Cognate with Portuguese goivo and Sardinian gaju.

Trìvulu 'n cumuni e menzu javiu.

(Prevalent in Eastern Sicily) joy, delight


mònacu

mònachi (plural)
mònicu (alternative)
mònucu (alternative)


cugnu

→ Italian: cugno, Cugno

From Latin cuneus. Compare Galician cuño, Portuguese cunho and cunha, Spanish cuño and cuña, Italian cuneo and conio.

(figurative) Something that creates a division, gap or distance between things.

, similar to

Stamu jennu ô cugnu di Prita.

(topography) part of a mountainous relief surrounded by the ditches of a canyon; hill

(by association) an extra-urban road situated over that mountainous or hilly stretch

Cci u 'zziccàssitu nu cugnu sutta â porta? Àvi ca cci sta susciannu ventu di sutta.

Stick a wedge under the door, will you? It keeps blowing shut.

One of the simple machines; a piece of material, such as metal or wood, thick at one edge and tapered to a thin edge at the other for insertion in a narrow crevice, used for splitting, tightening, securing, or levering.

(architecture) A voussoir, one of the wedge-shaped blocks forming an arch or vault.

One of the basic elements that make up cuneiform writing, a single triangular impression made with the corner of a reed stylus.

Any symbol shaped like a V in some given orientation.

(phonetics) The IPA character ʌ, which denotes an open-mid back unrounded vowel.

(mathematics) The symbol ∧, denoting a meet (infimum) operation or logical conjunction.

(music) A hairpin, an elongated horizontal V-shaped sign indicating a crescendo or decrescendo.

(finance) A market trend characterized by a contracting range in prices coupled with an upward trend in prices (a cugnu ca acchiana) or a downward trend in prices (a cugnu ca cala).


cugnata

→ Italian: La Cognata

From Latin cuneatus, the perfect passive participle of cuneō (“I wedge in”). See also from Sicilian cugnu and ncugnari.


cugnata

From Latin cognāta (“related by blood”), from cum (“with”) + nāta (“born”).

(figuratively) related, connected, like, similar


masciḍḍa

masciḍḍi (plural)
mascidda (alternative)

From Latin māxilla, from māla (“the cheekbone, jaw”) + -illa (diminutive nominal suffix). Compare with similarly formed āla–āxilla, hence Sicilian asciḍḍa.

af

(anatomy) the jaw, jawbone, bone of the upper jaw

Coordinate term: mantìbbula

(anatomy) the lower part of the face, the jaws


amareḍḍi

From an unattested Vulgar Latin *amārelli, from amārus (“bitter”) + -ellus (“suffix added to an adjective forming a diminutive of that adjective”). Possibly by contamination of Ancient Greek μαρούλιον (maroúlion, a kind of lettuce), which is derived itself from an earlier *ἀμαρούλιον (*amaroúlion), from Latin amārus (“bitter”).

bor

âmareḍḍi (alternative)
amareddi (alternative)

Mediterranean mustard
Mediterranean mustard

Hirschfeldia incana; Mediterranean mustard


cucchia

From Vulgar Latin *cōpla, from Latin cōpula. Compare Italian coppia.


Girgenti

→ English: Girgenti

→ Italian: Girgenti

From Vulgar Latin *(A)girgenti, apocoped methatesis of Agrigentum, from Ancient Greek Ἀκράγας (Akrágas). Compare for more Cilentu, Salentu, Tàrantu, Ugentu.

Giurgenti (alternative)
Agriggentu (alternative)

Agrigento (a province and city in Sicily, Italy)


stivala

stivali (plural)
stuvala (alternative)
stuala (alternative)

→ Italian: Stivala

Origin disputed. Ultimately either from Medieval Latin aestivālis (“summerly”), in place of Classical Latin aestīvus (whence also Sicilian stivu), from aestās (“summer”), or from tībiālis (“tibial, of the tibia”), from tībia. Compare Old French estival, Italian stivale.

unk

disputed


loccu

Possibly of Arabic origin. See Spanish loco, Portuguese louco for more.


cùnzulu

cùnzuli (plural)
cùnzula (plural)
cùnzuli (alternative)
cònzuli (alternative)
cònsuli (alternative)
consuli (alternative)

→ English: Cunsolo

→ Italian: Cunsolo

(historical) Either of the two heads of government and state of the Roman Republic or the equivalent nominal post under the Roman and Byzantine Empires.

(historical) Any of the three heads of government and state of France between 1799 and 1804.

(by extension) An official residing in major foreign towns to represent and protect the interests of the merchants and citizens of his or her country.


raloggiu

raloggi (plural)
raloggia (plural)
ruloggiu (alternative)
ralogiu (alternative)
riloggiu (alternative)
rologgiu (alternative)

Maltese: arloġġ

From Latin hōrologium, from Ancient Greek ὡρολόγιον (hōrológion). Compare Italian orologio.


capiḍḍu

capiḍḍi (plural)
capiddu (alternative)
capidu (alternative)

Nnê Pajisi punintini, i fìmmini su' sòliti tèniri i capiḍḍi longhi a mentri i màsculi su' sòliti tinilli curti.

In the western world, women usually have long hair while men usually have short hair.

A menti è 'n filu 'i capiḍḍu


zàzzira

From Old High German *zazera (“tuft of hair”). Compare Italian zazzera.

bor

Vatinni a 'bbirsari ssa zàzzira!


zazza

Vatinni a 'bbirsari ssa zazza!


muscu

muschi (plural)
musca (plural)
muschiu (alternative)

From Latin mūscus, from Proto-Indo-European *mews-. Cognates include Proto-Germanic *musą, Proto-Slavic *mъxъ.
Compare Italian muschio, Romanian mușchi, Friulian muscli.


Cala Muschi

→ Italian: Cala Mosche

From cala (“cove”) + muschi (“mosses”), from cala dî muschi.

(hydronym) a cove in Sicily, Italy, specifically placed inside the nature reserve of Vendicari.


cascia di mortu

head

cascia di mortu f (plural casci di mortu)

casci di mortu (plural)
casc'i mortu (alternative pronunciation-spelling)

Literally, “dead man's chest”. Compare Italian cassa da morto.


casc'i mortu

Pronunciation spelling
pronunciation spelling

cascia di mortu
cascia di mortu#Sicilian

Pronunciation spelling of cascia di mortu.

Pronunciation spelling of casci di mortu.


carcagnu

From Latin calcāneum (“heel”). Compare Italian calcagno.


scìmia

scimi (plural)
scìmiu (alternative)
signa (alternative)

From Latin sīmia, from Ancient Greek σιμός (simós, “snub-nosed”). Compare Catalan xímia, Italian scimmia, Spanish jimia and Portuguese símia. Doublet of scìmiu.

der

Mi mbriacai comu na signa.

(figurative, idiomatic) drunk (drunken state)


sfincia

sfinci (plural)
sponza (alternative Latinism)
spugna (alternative)
spincia (alternative)

→ English: sfincia

→ Italian: sfincia, sfincione

From Arabic إِسْفَنْج (ʔisfanj), conflated with Latin spongia (“sponge”), ultimately from Ancient Greek σπογγιά (spongiá), from σπόγγος (spóngos). Doublet of funcia, sponza, and spugna.

Pâ festa 'i san Martinu ni maciammu i sfinci.

We ate sfinci for the feast of St. Martin.

(Sicilian cuisine, mainly plural) A type of batter fried in lard (today also in oil) then garnished on the outside with honey (diluted with water) or other sweeteners. Alternatively they are salty, stuffed internally with ricotta or anchovies. They are usually prepared for certain celebrations on spring or autumn.


prùvula

Double-metathesis of Late Latin pulvera, based on the plural of Latin pulvis m, from Proto-Indo-European *pel- (“dust; flour”).

I murtara fìciru na gran fumazzata pi curpa dâ prùvula.

The mortars made a mess of smoke because of the gunpowder.

(in particular) gunpowder (an explosive mixture)


prùvula

prùvuli (plural)
pròvula (alternative)
pruvula (alternative pronunciation-spelling)
provula (alternative pronunciation-spelling)

Italian: provola

scamorza (an unfermented cow's-milk cheese from southern Italy)

(by extension, figurative) incompetent person, fool


chiuritu

Inherited from Vulgar Latin *plūrītus m, with dissimilation from Latin prūrītus m (“an itching”).


manciaciumi

Distortion of French démangeaison f (“an itching”). By surface analysis, manciari (“to eat”) + ciumi (“rivers”).


manciaciuni

Distortion of French démangeaison (“an itching”). By surface analysis suffixed with -uni.


patirnostru

Borrowed from Latin Pater noster. Compare Italian padrenostro.


siccarizzu

From Vulgar Latin *siccāricius. Compare Italian secchereccio. By surface analysis, siccu (“dry”) + -arizzu.


guastedda

guasteḍḍa (canonical feminine)
guasteḍḍi (plural)

From Old Northern French wastel, equivalent of Old French gastel, whence modern French gâteau.

(cooking) a traditional Sicilian bread cake filled with spleen and ricotta


mànnira

mànniri (plural)
mànnara (alternative)
mannra (alternative)

→ Italian: mannara

From Ancient Greek μάνδρα (mándra, “enclosed space; barn”).

der

fold, pen, barn, or stable for cattle or sometimes horses


muciu

From Vulgar Latin *mūsiu(m), from Latin mūsiō (“cat”). The origin of this latter is unknown but it is likely intended as from the (non rhotic) genitive of mūs (“mouse”) + -ō (agent noun suffix). Compare Italian micio.


muciḍḍa

Diminutive feminine of muciu, from the palatalization of Vulgar Latin *mūsiu(m), from Latin mūsiō (“cat”). Compare Italian micio.

Nts, nts, veni cca muciḍḍa!

(colloquial, endearing, now rare) A woman or girl, seen as having characteristics associated with cats such as sweetness.


muniḍḍa

Nts, nts, veni cca muniḍḍa!

(Buscemese variant) Alternative form of muciḍḍa


papareḍḍa

→ Italian: paparedda

pa‧pa‧rè‧ḍḍa

Uncertain. It is believed to be of onomatopoeic origin.
Diminutive feminine of pàparu. Compare Italian papero and paparuni.

(informal, endearing) A female young goose.

(informal, endearing) An inexperienced and immature, or foolish and naive, young girl.

Veni cca papareḍḍa!

(colloquial, sometimes derogatory) A young, typically attractive, woman or teenage girl.


ciuḍḍu

→? Italian: Ciullo

Uncertain. Possibly rom the palatalization of Latin suīllus, from Latin sūs (“swine, pork”).

(specifically) A young swine, a piglet (contrasted with a porcu, an adult swine).

Cavia porcellus
Cavia porcellus#Translingual

A tailless rodent of the family Caviidae and the genus Cavia, with short ears and larger than a hamster; the species Cavia porcellus is often kept as a pet; a guinea pig.


dimuranza

From dimurari + -anza. Compare Italian dimoranza.

Pir meu cori alligrari ¶ chi multu longiamenti ¶ senza alligranza e joi d'amuri è statu, ¶ mi ritornu in cantari, ¶ ca forsi levimenti ¶ da dimuranza turnirìa in usatu ¶ di lu troppu taciri; […]

13ᵗʰ century, Stefano Protonotaro da Messina, “Pir meu cori alligrari”

To cheer up my heart which has been without happiness and joy of love for a long time, I go back to singing, because maybe I could easily turn the delay of too much silence into a habit; […]


dimura

Deverbal from dimurari, from Latin dēmoror, dēmorārī. Compare Italian dimora and literary Italian dimura.


manciarizzu

From manciari (“to eat”) + -arizzu. Compare Italian mangereccio.


buttana

(regional) → Italian: buttana

Ultimately from Vulgar Latin *puttana, from Latin puta (“girl”), implying a formation from puta (“girl”) + -āna (relationship of position, possession, or origin suffix).
The change from /p-/ to /b-/ is relatively unregular for Sicilian phonology (compare i.e. pusu~buzzu, “wrist”). For a similar change, compare Catalan barcella.
The gemination is explained by the long vowel quantity of the desinence.
The word Latin putta (“prostitute”) is attested in the sixth century (Gregory of Tours). The change of meaning from "girl" to "prostitute" is due to euphemism, a process that is well known to other periods and languages. Cognates are: Catalan putana, French putain, Italian puttana, Emilian putàna.

affix

(derogatory) Synonym of prustituta: a person (especially a woman) who offers sexual services for payment.

prustituta

(vulgar, derogatory) A person who is sexually promiscuous; a slut.

(vulgar, derogatory) A person who is unscrupulous, especially one who compromises their principles for gain.

(vulgar, derogatory) A person who will violate behavioral standards to achieve something desired.

(vulgar, derogatory) A contemptible person.


dammusu

dammusi (plural)
dammusa (plural)
tammusu (alternative)

→ Italian: dammuso

From Arabic دَمُّوس (dammūs), variant of دَيْمَاس (daymās). Ultimately from Ancient Greek δημόσιον (dēmósion, “public building; treasury; public prison; public bath”), the neuter of δημόσιος (dēmósios, “public”) Compare furthermore Doric Greek δᾱμόσῐος (dāmósĭos).

der

underground vault, obtained from the excavation of limestone and finished in masonry, intended for housing, whose internal temperature remains constant between summers and winters

a limestone habitation typical of the Hyblaean Mountains. Cfr. dieri

a small, stone habitation typical of Pantelleria


lijistru

Sicilian: Lijistru

Italian: Liistro, Gilistro

English: Liistro

(botanics) privet; any of various shrubs and small trees in the genus Ligustrum..


crascì

From an earlier craxi (whence Craxi), from Byzantine Greek κρασίον (krasíon, “blending”, diminutive), from Ancient Greek κρᾶσις (krâsis, “blending”). Compare with οίνος m (oínos). Cognate with Greek κρασί (krasí) and Mariupol Greek красы́ (krasý).


craxi

craxì (canonical masculine)
crascì (alternative)

Sicilian: crascì

Sicilian: Craxi, Craxì

→ Italian: Craxi

→ English: Craxi

From Byzantine Greek κρασίον (krasíon, “blending”, diminutive), from Ancient Greek κρᾶσις (krâsis, “blending”). Cognate with Greek κρασί (krasí) and Mariupol Greek красы́ (krasý).


strùmmulu

Alternative form of strùmmula (“spinning top”)


strùmmula

strùmmuli (plural)
strùmmulu (alternative)

From Ancient Greek στρόμβος (strómbos, “spinning top”) + -ula (diminutive suffix). Unrelated to Italian strombola (“a sling”).

af

grc:στρόμβος


lazzu

From Vulgar Latin *laceus, from Latin laqueus. Compare Italian laccio.

lazzu e strùmmula


picciriḍḍu

picciriḍḍi (plural)
picciriddu (alternative)
picciridu (alternative)

adurtu

antonym(s) of “person below the age of adulthood”

desc

→? Italian: piccirillo, Piccirillo (surname)

Uncertain. Probably from an unattested Norman or Occitan superstrate/adstrate, because of the palatalization of the -cc- nexus. Eventually derived from Latin *piccus, borrowed from Proto-Celtic *bikkos (“small, little”); possibly influenced (and/or conflated) by dissimilation by Latin paucus (“few, little”). Cognate with Neapolitan piccerillo and Greek πιτσιρίκος (pitsiríkos). Compare Provençal picho and pechin. See also Sicilian picca and picciottu.

boy, child (male or of unspecified gender)

Vacci a leggiu cu iḍḍu: ancora è-ni 'n picciriḍḍu.

(broadly) A person who has not yet reached adulthood, whether natural (puberty), cultural (initiation), or legal (majority).

I sirbizza pônu siri apprupiati sia pî picciriḍḍi ca macari pî carusi.

Regular chores can be appropriate for both children and adolescents.

scn:kid aged 0 to 18 years
scn:kid aged 1 to 11 years

(pediatrics, sometimes, in a stricter sense) A kid aged 1 to 11 years, whereas neonates are aged 0 to 1 month, infants are aged 1 month to 12 months, and adolescents are aged 12 years to 18 years.

U me picciriḍḍu cchiù nicu avannu fa quarantatrì anni.

My youngest child is forty-three this year.

scn:offspring of any age including adulthood

(with possessive) One's direct descendant by birth, regardless of age; one's offspring; a son or daughter.


tuppettu

tuppetti (plural)
tuppetta (alternative)


buleu

Uncertain. Likely akin to Italian paleo (“a kind of spinning top”). The voiced b- and pre-tonic -u- could be due to influence of Spanish bolear (“to make into balls”).


scurzària

scurzari (plural)
scurzaria (alternative)
scuzzaria (alternative)

From an unattested Vulgar Latin *scortearia, from the compound of scortea (“shell”) + -āria (appurtenance suffix). Cfr. Sicilian scorcia. Compare semantically German Schildkröte.

affix

Any of various land-dwelling reptiles, of the family Testudinidae, whose body is enclosed in a shell (carapace plus plastron). The animal can withdraw its head and four legs partially into the shell, providing some protection from predators.

U scurzarieḍḍu.

(by extension, nickname) Any person who resembles it for body constitution


Còmisu

(Variant without the definite article) Alternative form of U Còmisu


cugnatu

From Latin cognātus (“related by blood”), from cum (“with”) + nātus (“born”).

(figuratively) related, connected, like, similar


rùncula

From runca (“billhook”) + -ula (diminutive suffix). Compare Italian roncola.


zuccu

→ Maltese: zokk

From Vulgar Latin *tsucca, from Gaulish *tsukka, from Proto-Germanic *stukkaz (“stock; stump”). Cognate with Catalan soca, Spanish soca and French souche.

der

O zuccu o ventu.

In full: zuccu di l'oricchia

Da l’autru latu lu gran Sanciu Panza ¶ Mi parra ’ntra lu zuccu di l’oricchia; […]

c. 1786, Giovanni Meli, chapter I, in Don Chisciotti e Sanciu Panza, stanza 2:

On the other hand the great Sancho Panza, speaks to me right in the ear; […]

aviri zucchi

(in the plural) estate (a person's lands)


cippu

Inherited from Latin cippus. Cognate with Italian ceppo.

cippu di la ncùnija

block (wooden base for cutting meat or beheading)

log (piece of a tree trunk, for burning)

Coordinate term: tressu

(typography) the superior of the two wooden beams at the sides of a printing press


astrattu

A concentrated tomato paste made by drying tomato purée in the sun


rigulizzia

Italian: Rigolizia (toponym)

Via metathesis from Late Latin liquiritia, from glycyrrhiza, a borrowing of Ancient Greek γλυκύρριζα (glukúrrhiza). Compare Catalan regalèssia, Spanish regaliz, French réglisse and Old Italian regolizia.

(botany) licorice (Glycyrrhiza echinata or glabra)

Prùvula di rigulizzia.

the substance extracted from the root of said plant


vintureri

head

vintureri m (plural vintureri, feminine vinturera, feminine plural vintureri)

vintureri (plural)
vinturera (feminine)
vintureri (feminine plural)

From abbinturàrisi (“to venture”) + -eri. Compare Italian venturiero.


caciu

Palatalized variant of the earlier casu, through vulgar *kas(j)u, ultimately from Latin cāseus of unknown origin. Cognate with Italian cacio Neapolitan caso, Sardinian casu, Aragonese and Spanish queso, Portuguese queijo, Aromanian cash, Romanian caș. Doublet of casu.


caciu nta li maccarruna

Literally, “cheese on macaroni”. Same as Italian cacio sui maccheroni.

càdiri lu caciu nta li maccarruna

È comu lu caciu nta li maccarruna.


jaggia

From the conflation of Catalan gàbia (for the initial sonorization) and Old French cage, ultimately from Latin cavea.

l'auceḍḍu nti la gaggia, nun canta pi amuri ma canta pi raggia

u uceḍḍu nnâ jaggia, nun canta p' amuri ma canta pi raggia


tumazzu

From tuma (“fresh unsalted cheese”) + -azzu.

L’Eroi s’addubba cu pani, e tumazzu; […]

c. 1786, Giovanni Meli, chapter II, in Don Chisciotti e Sanciu Panza, introduction:

The hero had his fill of bread and cheese; […]

(Sicily, countable and uncountable) cheese


sittembru

In lu misi di iugnettu et lu duca Rubertu et lu Re di Ingliterra, lu duca Guillelmu, in lu misi di sittembru, si foru morti.

1358, Simone da Lentini, chapter 23, in La conquesta di Sichilia fatta per li Normandi, page 108:

Di novu à lu sò clima si sequestra; ¶ Chi poi la terra diventa matrigna ¶ Cucina Agustu, e Sittembru minestra.

1654, Paolo Catania, Canzoni morali sopra i motti siciliani […] , page 344:


nuvembru

Lu misi di nuvembru a mezza notti ¶ A vintisetti intrava la lavina, […]

1871, Giuseppe Pitrè, Canti popolari siciliani, page 160:


morvu

Inherited from Latin morbus (“illness”).


bruddu

bruḍḍu (canonical masculine)
brugghiu (alternative)

Pasqualino suggests Ancient Greek βρύλλω (brúllō, “to ask for a drink”).

der

mèttiri 'n bruḍḍu na jinìa

mittìrisi 'n bruḍḍu


tòrtula

Compare Italian trottola, with metathesis.


muccu

Inherited from Vulgar Latin muccus, from Latin mūcus. Compare Neapolitan mucco and Italian moccolo.


moccu

Ultimately from Latin mūcus. See also muccu and mòccaru.


spacchimi

→ Italian: spacchimi

→? Neapolitan: sfaccimma

From spacchiu + -imi (forming noun suffix), from Vulgar Latin *expatlum, from Vulgar Latin *expatlum literally meaning "what comes out of the [vaginal] opening", from Vulgar Latin ex + *patlum, from Latin patulus (“open, spread out”).

Ma chi spacchimi ni sacciu?!

(vulgar, colloquial) Used as a placeholder.

Chi spacchiu voi?

(vulgar, colloquial) An intensifier, often applying more to the whole utterance than to the specific word it grammatically modifies.

Leva ssa spacchimi di màchina di 'n menzu â strata!

(vulgar) (+ di) Offensive, annoying or worthless.


monastèriu

monastèri (plural)
monasteru (alternative)


oggezzioni

→ Maltese: oġġezzjoni

Ultimately from Latin obiectiō. Compare Italian obiezione and literary oggezione.


nottàmmulu

head

nottàmmulu m (plural nottàmmuli, feminine nottàmmula)

nottàmmuli (plural)
nottàmmula (feminine)

Inherited from Latin noctu ambulans, reanalyzed as containing -ulus. Compare Italian nottambulo.


umiltati

Borrowed from Latin humilitās, humilitātem. By surface analysis, ùmili + -itati. Compare Italian umiltà. Doublet of omertà.

bor+

umilitati (alternative)
umiltà (alternative)
umirtà (alternative)


umirtà

umirtà (plural)
umirtati (plural)
umilità (alternative)
umilitati (alternative)

Italian: omertà

English: omerta

From the apocope of the doublet umirtati, from Latin humil(i)tā(tem). Cognate with Italian umiltà, Catalan humilitat, French humilité, Galician humildade, Spanish humildad. By surface analysis, ùmili + -ità.


pittinicchiu

pettinicchiu (canonical masculine)
pettinicchi (plural)

By surface analysis, pèttini + -icchiu. Corresponds to Vulgar Latin *pectinī̆culum.


pèttini

Inherited from Latin pecten, pectinem. Compare Italian pettine.

pèttini di lìnnini

Ogni nodu veni ô pèttini.


lìnnina

From Late Latin lendina, ultimately from Latin lendis f. Compare Italian lendine m.


cucineri

cucineri m needs inflection (canonical)
cucineri (plural)


jinìparu

From Latin iūniperus (cfr. jimenta for iū- < ji-). Compare Italian ginepro.

Juniperus communis
Juniperus communis#Translingual


cunocchia

cunocchi (plural)
cunoccia (alternative)

From the metathesis of the vowels of Late Latin conucula, by dissimilation from colucula, diminutive of Latin colus (“distaff”). Compare Italian conocchia.

cunocchia di la rota


miolu

mïolu (canonical masculine)
mïoli (plural)
mijolu (alternative)

Inherited from Latin modiolus (“wheel hub”). Compare French moyeu.


sagramentu

sagramentu m needs inflection (canonical)
sacramentu (alternative)

→ Maltese: sagrament

From Ecclesiastical Latin sacrāmentum. Compare Italian sacramento. By surface analysis, sagrari (“consacrate”) + -mentu.

surf

Pani e sagramentu cci nn'è a ogni cunventu.

There's bread and sacrament in each convent.


ciaca

→? Maltese: ċagħaq

Uncertain. Could be from Arabic [script needed] (kiaka) or [script needed] (taciakì).


valanza

From a Vulgar Latin variant of Latin bilanx. Compare Italian bilancia.

La valanza nun canusci diffirenzi tra l'oru e lu chiummu.

The scales don't differentiate gold from lead.


prèdica

→ Maltese: prietka, priedka

From pridicari (“to preach”) + -a (form deverbals). Compare Italian predica.

af

stari comu lu turcu a la prèdica

Prèdichi e lattuchi doppu Pasqua sù finuti.


ciminìa

→ Maltese: ċumnija, ċimnija

Ultimately from Old French cheminee, either directly or through Old Spanish chimenea.

cappeddu di ciminìa

àncilu di ciminìa

chimney (construction raised above the roof to expel the smoke of a fireplace)


busunettu

(surgery) cautery (device resembling a branding iron, used in surgical contexts)

ladle (deep-bowled spoon with long handle)


jamiḍḍu

jamiḍḍi (plural)
gamiḍḍu (alternative)
camiḍḍu (alternative)
cammellu (alternative)

Italian: Gamiddo

Possibly a reborrowing from a Semitic adstratum — which retained the voiced velar plosive /ɡ/ as in *gamal- and would eventually explain even the simultaneous presence of /i/ and /ɖɖ/ — ultimately from Vulgar Latin *camellus, from Latin camēlus (“camel”). Cognate with Italian cammello and Maltese ġemel. Doublet of gamiḍḍu.

A beast of burden, much used in desert areas, of the genus Camelus.


cumandanti

cumandanti (plural)
cumannanti (alternative)

→ Maltese: kmandant

Borrowed from Italian comandante. Doublet of cumannanti.


malassata

Likely from the feminine past participle of Latin malaxō (“to knead, soften”), from Ancient Greek μαλάσσω (malássō).

(Messina) Synonym of frocia (“omelette, frittata”)


pisci d'ovu

pisci d'ovu (plural)
pisci r'ovu (alternative)
pisci r'uovu (alternative)

[ˌpiʃ.ʃɪˈdɔ.ʊ]

From pisci + di + ovu, Literally, “fish [made] of egg”, because it was prepared by the lower class who could not afford fish.

(south-eastern Sicily, dish) A dish of beaten eggs, then fried with olive oil. It can be prepared by adding breadcrumbs and grated cheese in the mix, or any other local ingredient.

south-eastern Sicily; dish; south-eastern Sicily; dish


jocu di focu

desc

→ Maltese: ġigġifogu, ġigdifogu, ġifġifogu, ġogdifogu, ġiġġifogu

jochi di focu a la rumana

fari un jocu di focu

finiri a jocu di focu


focu d'artifizziu

head

focu d'artifizziu m (plural fochi d'artifizziu)


gnòcculu

→ Maltese: nokkla

(chiefly in the plural) gnocchi (type of pasta)

In full: gnòcculu di capiddi


arristagghiu

arristagghi (plural)
ristagghiu (alternative)

From arristari (“to stay”) + -agghiu. Compare Italian rimasuglio, Neapolitan remmasuglia.

(chiefly in the plural) remains, leftovers


paparina

paparini (plural)
papparrina (alternative)

Contraction of *papavarina, inherited from Latin papāver (“poppy”) + -ina. Compare Greek παπαρούνα (paparoúna).

paparina curnuta

Papaver rhoeas
Papaver rhoeas#Translingual

P. somniferum
Papaver somniferum#Translingual

(hunting, uncountable) Synonym of chiummu (“birdshots”)


ciàula

ciaula (canonical feminine)
ciauli (plural)


carcarazza

carcarazzi (plural)
carcarazzu (alternative)

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

bor+

vuci di carcarazza

fari lu cori comu na carcarazza

to have one's heart like a hopping spinning top

a bad spinning top, which while spinning hops and screeches


càmmiciu

(hairdressing) cloth used by barbers to cover the customer


mammaluccu

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

L’imbriacu gridau: tacíti, o cucchi, / sù lu regnanti di li Mammalucchi.

1785 – 1787, Giovanni Meli, Don Chisciotti e Sanciu Panza 6.76

The drunk man yelled: shut up, you idiots, I'm the king of the mamelukes.

Coordinate term: babbaluci (“snail”)


campanaru

→ Maltese: kampnar

From campana (“bell”) + -aru. Compare Spanish campanario, Greek καμπαναριό (kampanarió, “bell tower”) and Italian campanaro, Spanish campanero (“bell ringer”).

cog

girari comu la bannirola di lu campanaru

to spin like the bell tower's weather vane

bell tower, belfry, campanile (steeple of a church containing a bell)

(sulfur mining) A place where the ceiling of the sulfur mine is muddy and precarious.


pupu cu l'ovu

head

pupu cu l'ovu m (plural pupi cu l'ovu or pupi cu l'ova)

pupi cu l'ovu (plural)
pupi cu l'ova (plural)

A pastry prepared in various shapes with an egg placed in the middle, prepared during Easter.


alciuni

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


mujata

Synonym of moja (“liquid feces, diarrhea”)


pisciuni

desc

→ Maltese: pexxun, pixxun, (obsolete) pixxul

From pisci (“fish”) + -uni, literally “big fish”, because of its form. The formation “fish of the leg” can also be found in Lucania, Sardinian pische de sa camba and Moroccan Arabic حوتة الرجل (ḥūtat er-rjal).


anìmulu

anìmuli (plural)
anìmmulu (alternative)
nìmulu (alternative)
nìmmulu (alternative)
nìmula (alternative)

From Koine Greek ἀνέμη (anémē, “weasel”) + -ulu.

af

jiri comu n'anìmulu

[…] e la testa cci gira, comu animulu.

1785 – 1787, Giovanni Meli, Don Chisciotti e Sanciu Panza 7.29

[…] and his head was spinning like a swift.

(spinning) swift (wooden tool spun to stretch a skein of yarn)


cintìmulu

Ultimately from Latin cingō, thus compare cìnciri and cinta. For sense 2, compare centu and Italian centesimino.

firriari lu cintìmulu

Pirchì cci pari lu celu un cintimulu, […]

c. 1786, Giovanni Meli, chapter VII, in Don Chisciotti e Sanciu Panza, stanza 29:

mill powered by draught animals, usually a mule


prèula

Alternative form of prègula (eye dialect)


pirsuna

pirsuna dispersa


vintura

→ Maltese: vintura

Inherited from Latin ventūra n pl (literally “what will come”). Compare Italian ventura.

inh+

a la vintura

addiminari la vintura

Cu muta locu muta vintura.

Who changes places, changes [their] fate.

circàrisi la vintura

Cci voli la vintura di Giufà.

Quannu è junta l'ura nun cc'è mèdicu nè vintura.

When the time has come, there's no doctor nor hope.

Cu havi bona vintura piscia lu lettu e dici ca suda.

Who has a good name pisses in bed and says it's him sweating.


catusu

→ Maltese: katusa

catusu mastru

catusu di chiummu

(figurative) Anything that is oblong and malformed.


cuncutrigghiu

cuncutrigghi (plural)
cuncutriddu (alternative)
cucutrigghiu (alternative)

Inherited from Latin crocodilus. Compare Italian coccodrillo.

chiantu di cuncutrigghiu


fucularu

scn-noun

fucularu m (plural fuculari or fuculara)

fuculari (plural)
fuculara (plural)
cufularu (alternative)
fucaloru (alternative)
focularu (alternative)
fucalire (alternative)
focalire (alternative)

→ Maltese: fuklar

From Vulgar Latin *focolarium. Compare Italian focolaio and focolare.

cunti di la nanna a lu fucularu

fari fucularu

cosi di dìrisi a lu fucularu

a grouping, a gathering of some people, usually approached in the connotation of them being gossipy


cartuleggi

cartuleggi di so nannu


cartuleggi di so nannu

Literally, “one's grandfather's old papers”.

lit

arriminari / jiri circannu li cartuleggi di so nannu

to ruminate over the past / to seek profit in doubtful things

(figuratively) old memories, old events, old things; the past


jinìa

Borrowed from Ancient Greek γενεά (geneá). Compare Italian genia, Albanian gjini.

bor+

descent, race (group of elements from the same origin)

Na crapa virminusa nfetta na jinìa.

A verminous goat infects the whole herd.

Sacusu tu cu tutta la to jinìa.

(usually derogatory) despicable group of people


signu

From Latin signum. COmpare Italian segno. Doublet of sinna.


maccarruni

→ Maltese: mqarrun

desctree

→ Ottoman Turkish: مقارنه (makarna)
Turkish: makarna
→ Armenian: մախառնա (maxaṙna), մաքառնա (makʻaṙna), մաքարնա (makʻarna), մաքառինա (makʻaṙina), մաքարինա (makʻarina), մակարինա (makarina)
→ Bulgarian: макари́на (makarína)
→ Georgian: მაკარინა (maḳarina) — Chveneburi
→ Laz: მაკარინა (maǩarina), მაკაინა (maǩaina), მაკაჲინა (maǩayina) — alternative spellings
→ North Levantine Arabic: [script needed] (maqārna, maqarīna) — Damascus
→ Pontic Greek: μακαρίνα (makarína)

Cognate with Italian maccherone, see there for more.

maccarruna di zita

lu caciu nta li maccarruna

manciari li maccarruna 'n testa a 'n àutru

to eat macaroni on top of someone else's head

sìmplici comu l'acqua di li maccarruna

lavatu ntall'acqua di li maccarruna

maccarruni senza sali

(in the plural, nautical) wooden beams that support the gunwale


maccarrunaru

From maccarruni + -aru. Compare Italian maccheronaio.

calata di li maccarrunara (literally “macaroni sellers' slope”)


calata di li maccarrunara

Discesa Maccheronai, the main street of the Vuccirìa market, in Palermo


maccarrunarìa

From maccarruni (“fool, idiot”) + -arìa.


pinzeḍḍu

scn-noun

pinzeḍḍu m (plural pinzeḍḍi or pinzeḍḍa)

pinzeḍḍi (plural)
pinzeḍḍa (plural)
pinzeddu (alternative pronunciation-spelling)

From Catalan pinzell or from Old French pincel, ultimately from Latin pēnicillum (“paintbrush”).


èliu

Inherited from Latin hēlium, from Ancient Greek ἥλιος (hḗlios, “sun”). Cognate with Asturian heliu, Catalan heli, Corsican eliu, French hélium, Italian elio, Maltese ilju, Portuguese hélio, Spanish elio.

eliu (alternative)
ìliu (alternative)
iliu (alternative)


màchina

desc

→ Maltese: magna, makna, makina (obsolete)

Borrowed from Latin machina. Compare Italian macchina and dialectal machina.

màchina umana

màchina pri fari lu bùtiru

device, machine (object that allows to perform certain actions)

omu di màchina

È na màchina st'edificiu!


zonna

Uncertain origin. Compare Italian cionna and Sicilian cionnu.

Ma chi zonna sì?!

(vulgar) An interjection often used to mean surprise, disdain or appreciation.


Carnilivari

Carnaluvari (alternative)
Carnilivaru (alternative)
Carnivali (alternative)
Carruali (alternative)
Carriali (alternative)
Carnelevara (alternative)
Carnulivaru (alternative)
Carniale (alternative)

nannu di Carnilivari

baruni di Carnilivari

cassateddi di Carnilivari

Lu Carnivali mancia cu cu voi, e la Pasqua cu li toi.

The nannu, impersonification of the Carnival.

(humorous) someone dressed eccentrically, oddly


Carnelevara

(central Calabria) Alternative form of Carnilivari


lavuri

From Latin labor (“work, labor”). Compare Italian lavoro.

(agriculture) harvest, reaping, wheat, corn, crop


àriu

From the metathesis of an earlier àiru, from Latin āerem, accusative of āēr, from Ancient Greek ἀήρ (aḗr, “air”). Doublet of ària.

Ch'è tintu oji l'àriu.

L'àriu [di] Marcu.

(agriculture) farmyard; any large rural area of private property.


àira

→ Italian: Dell'Aira

From Latin āerem, accusative of āēr, from Ancient Greek ἀήρ (aḗr, “air”). More at àriu.


padeḍḍa

padeḍḍi (plural)
pateḍḍa (alternative)
pareḍḍa (alternative)
padedda (alternative pronunciation-spelling)
paredda (alternative pronunciation-spelling)
patedda (alternative pronunciation-spelling)

From the sonorization of Latin patella, diminutive of patera or patina. Doublet of pateḍḍa.


sartànija

Through an intermediate *sartaniga, from the metathesis of Late Latin sartāgō, sartāginem (“frying pan”). Compare Neapolitan sartàjine, Portuguese sertã, Romanesco sartàina, Sardinian sartaghine, Spanish sartén. Cfr., for the morphology, russànija, vurrànija and filìnija.


cuteḍḍu

cuteḍḍi (plural)
cuteḍḍa (plural)
cutieḍḍu (alternative)
cutjeḍḍu (alternative)
cuteddu (alternative pronunciation-spelling)

→ Italian: Cutelli (plural)


zineffa

→ Italian: zineffa

From Arabic صَنِيفَة (ṣanīfa), via Siculo-Arabic. Cognate with Spanish cenefa.

A decorative strip—either woven into or applied over the edges—used on items like curtains, canopies, and handkerchiefs, typically made from the same fabric, though sometimes a contrasting one is used.

A horizontal rod designed to support and display curtains on doors and windows.


gesiminu

gesiminu m needs inflection (canonical)
giasiminu (alternative)
gesuminu (alternative)
gessuminu (alternative)
gersuminu (alternative)
gelsiminu (alternative)
gelsuminu (alternative)

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


macineddu

From màcina + -eddu. Compare Italian macinello and Maltese maċinell.


ragogghia

ragogghi (plural)
ravogghia (alternative)

From Spanish argolla (“ring”), from Arabic غُلّ (ḡull).

ring. Particularly:
(croquet) hoop, wicket

bocci e ragogghia
bocci e ragogghia#Sicilian

Short for bocci e ragogghia (“croquet”).

ring. Particularly:
a ring in a whippletree system

piece of metal placed in a horse's mouth to keep his mouth open to give it medication


firriolu

firriola (plural)
furriolu (alternative)

→? Italian: ferraiolo

→ Spanish: herreruelo

→ Maltese: firjol

Connected to Spanish herreruelo; the borrowing directions are badly accounted for. Possibly with influence of firriari (“to spin”).

cuddaru di lu firriolu

a lu cògghiri di li firriola

at the grasping of the cape (to stand up)

D'un firriolu nni fici un buttuni.


piciolla

piciolli (plural)
piciollu (alternative masculine variant)
ciolla (alternative)

→ Italian: piciolla (regional)

Uncertain. Probably derived from/cognate with an Old Occitan stratum (because of the palatalization). Compare for more Galician pichola, Spanish picha/pichula, Portuguese picha, Italian pisello, Piedmontese piciu.

(childish) willy, wee wee, wiener, peter (penis)

Nun mi taliari a piciolla.

Si' na piciolla!


jènniru

jènniri (plural)
jènnaru (alternative)
'ènnaru (alternative)
'ènniru (alternative)

From Latin gener, generum (“son-in-law”), from Proto-Indo-European *ǵm̥ros, from Proto-Indo-European *ǵem-. Cognate with Italian genero, Neapolitan jènnero.


palataru

palatara (plural)
balataru (alternative)

First attested in 1348. Ultimately from Vulgar Latin *palātārem, derived from Latin palātum. Borrowed via either Catalan or Spanish paladar, as was Sardinian paladare as well.

A cu àvi guastu lu palataru lu meli cci pari amaru.

For who has a bad palate honey tastes bitter.

È una altra maynera di frenu lu quali è dictu a capistru: àvi lu morsu plui longu di li altri, fini a lu palataru di lu cavallu, e dintru a la bucca spandi in lu morsu multi falci diversi […]

a. 1368, De Cruyllis–Spatafora, Libru di la Mascalchia […], translation of De Medicina equorum by Giordano Ruffo, page 574:


morfu

Possibly from the Lucanian substrate, from Proto-Italic *morfos, whence Latin morbus whence Sicilian morvu.

(central Calabria) Synonym of morvu (“snot”)


lattilebbra

From latti (“milk”) + erva (“grass”). Possibly influenced by lebbru (“hare”).


caccialepri

From cacciari (“to hunt”) + lebbri (“hares”). Compare Italian caccialepre.


cacicia

Reseda luteola
Reseda luteola#Translingual


chiattu

From Vulgar Latin *plattus (“flat”). Compare Neapolitan chiatto and Italian piatto. Doublet of piattu (“plate”).

dari di chiattu


piattu

piatta (plural)
piatti (plural)
prattu (alternative)

Borrowed from Italian piatto (“plate”). Doublet of chiattu (“fat; flat”).


chiaita

→ Maltese: ċajt

chiaiti assai e fatti pocu

inchiri la testa di chiaiti

troppi chiaiti mèttinu siti

(often in the plural) chit-chat, chatter


chiaiteri

→? Maltese: ċajtier

From chiaitari (“to chatter, gossip”) + -eri.


càntaru

From Latin cantharus, from Ancient Greek κάνθαρος (kántharos). Compare Italian cantero.

pezza di càntaru (literally “chamber pot towel”)


pezza di càntaru

head

pezza di càntaru m (plural pezzi di càntaru)


cacazza

From cacari (“to shit”). Compare French chiasse.

shit (of very small animals: flies, fleas, etc.)

In full: cacazza d'occhi

In full: cacazza d'oricchia

In full: cacazza di ferru


fafajana

Akin to fava (“broad bean”). Possibly from its Osco-Umbrian cognate, from Proto-Italic *fafā ~ *fabā. Compare Lucanian Neapolitan fafa, fafodda.

Tenniri sù sti fafajani.

1853, Giuseppe Piaggia, Illustrazione di Milazzo e studj sulla morale e su' costumi dei villani del suo territorio (overall work in Italian):


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!


vilenu

Ultimately from Latin venēnum. In this form, perhaps borrowed from Italian veleno.


crapistu

crapistu m needs inflection (canonical)
capistru (alternative)
crapista (alternative)

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.


suattu

Alternative form of sugattu m (eye dialect)


cufuruna

cufuruni (plural)
bufuruna (alternative)
bufuluna (alternative)
boforona (alternative)

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)

(pathology) a horse's illness, in Italian known as talpa and testudine; a sort of abscess, testudo


cacciaturi

cacciaturi m needs inflection (canonical)

→ Arbëresh Albanian: kaçatúr

From cacciari (“to hunt”) + -turi, compare Italian cacciatore.

curria contra li lanzi comu la fera quandu esti turniyata da li cachaturi, la quali curri in killa parti duvi vidi li spissi lanzi […]

c. 1316–1337, Angelo di Capua, La Istoria di Eneas, translation of original by Virgil, L. 9, pag. 164.5:

it ran towards the spears like an animal when surrounded by hunters, which runs in the direction where it sees the most spears

(military) chasseur, a soldier form light infantry


cileccu

cilecchi (plural)
gileccu (alternative)
gilè (alternative)

→ Maltese: ġlekk

Borrowed from Ottoman Turkish یلك (yelek), whence Turkish yelek.

bor+

Near-synonym: jippuni

Stu cileccu mi veni bonu.


virruggiu

Near-synonyms: tràpanu, virrina

large auger, gimlet (especially winemaking)


virrina

virrini (plural)
birrina (alternative)
firrina (alternative)
nfirrina (alternative)

→ Maltese: berrina

Akin to Italian verrina, of uncertain origin. Traditionally derived from Ancient Greek πείρω (peírō, “to pierce, run through”).

ncog

Near-synonyms: tràpanu, virruggiu, passaturi, pirciaturi, asta, mancina


picciuni

scn-noun

picciuni m (plural picciuna or picciuni)

→ Maltese: beċċun

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

A la morti si spinna lu picciuni.

Someone's will goes into effect once they die.

The feathers of the pigeon are plucked when it died.

grown-up bird who still hasn't left its nest, or has just left it


scornu

A scornu nostru rignirà indefessu / l'omu dunqui, chi pensa, e chi ragiuna?

1785 – 1787, Giovanni Meli, Don Chisciotti e Sanciu Panza 12.54

Will then a man who thinks and reasons reign tirelessly to our shame?


scornu

Compare Corsican scornu (“corner”), Old French corn (“corner”).

In full: scornu di la tàvula

(woodworking) each of the two round most external sections of a trunk when cut longitudinally, from which tables are often made


giuccu

Borrowed from Old French joc (“chicken roost”).

bor+

jiri a lu giuccu


cuccìa

→ Maltese: quċċija, qoċċija

[kʊˈt͡ːʃiːa̠]

Borrowed from Byzantine Greek κουκκία (koukkía, “broad beans”). Compare Ukrainian кутя́ (kutjá).

(chiefly Sicily, especially Syracuse) Soup of boiled wheatberries, sugar and other varying ingredients, traditionally eaten on December 13, the feast day of Saint Lucy.

chiefly Sicily; especially Syracuse; chiefly Sicily; especially Syracuse

(province of Cosenza, Calabria) Dish with boiled wheatberries and goat and pig meat.

province of Cosenza; Calabria; province of Cosenza; Calabria


itria

itri (plural)
litria (alternative)
lutra (alternative)
utra (alternative)

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


zinnapòtamu

zinnapòtamu m needs inflection (canonical)
zinnapòtaru (alternative)

Borrowed from Byzantine Greek κυνοπόταμος (kunopótamos, “beaver”).


medicu

Inherited from Latin medicus. Compare Italian medico, Neapolitan miedeco.


oceddu de la morte

head

oceddu de la morte m (plural oceddi de la morte)

Literally, “death bird”. Compare English deathbird.


ràrica

ràdiga (alternative)
ràdica (alternative)


ugnu

Inherited from Latin ungula, or from Spanish uña


curveddu

curveddi (plural)
curbeddu (alternative)

→ Maltese: gurbell

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


iroi

From the accusative case of Latin hērōs (“hero”). Compare Italian eroe and Spanish héroe.


vaccaru

Inherited from Early Medieval Latin vaccārius.


lurdu

From Latin lūridus. Compare Italian lordo. Doublet of lordu.


jazzu

jazza (plural)
agghiazzu (alternative)
'gghiazzu (alternative)

>? Italian: Iaccio (surname)

From Vulgar Latin *iacium, from the same root of Latin iaceō (“I lie, recline”). Compare Italian giaccio (“pen for sheep”) (also diaccio and addiaccio) and Romanian jeț. Compare, for more, Italian Ajaccio and Sicilian Agghiazzu.

(for humans) bed on the ground, pallet-bed

(for animals) a bedding, a nest, a burrow.

A càmmira to pari u jazzu dî porci.

(by extension, figurative, colloquial) a dirty or very untidy place.


canzirru

canzirri (plural)
cansirru (alternative)


partugaḍḍu

partugaḍḍa (plural)
partugallu (alternative)
partuaddu (alternative)
partuallu (alternative)

From Partugaḍḍu (“Portugal”), possibly from Catalan (taronja de) Portugal. Compare Greek πορτοκάλι (portokáli), Ligurian portugô, Lombard portügàl,
Neapolitan portogallo (“purtuallo”),
Romagnol portogala, Venetan portogało.


jissu

jissa (plural)
ghissu (alternative)
issu (alternative)

From Latin gypsum. Compare Italian gesso.


bissinu

Inherited from Vulgar Latin *vissīnum. Doublet of pissinu.


pissinu

Inherited from Vulgar Latin *vissīnum, with the /p/ likely taken from the synonym pìditu. Doublet of bissinu.


rijitanu

rijitani (plural)
riggitanu (alternative)
rejitanu (alternative)
reitanu (alternative)
riitanu (alternative)

By surface analysis, Riju + itanu; from Late Latin rhēgītanus (attested in the 5th-century De haeresi et historia Eutychiana), from Rhēgium + -ītānus, ultimately from Latin Rhegium, from Ancient Greek Ῥήγιον (Rhḗgion).

native or inhabitant of Reggio Calabria (usually male)


pòpulu

pòpuli (plural)
pòpula (plural)
populu (alternative)

→ Maltese: poplu


mulinciana

mulinciani (plural)
milinciana (alternative)
mulanciana (alternative)
milinzana (alternative)

Possibly from Vulgar Latin *molengena, from the metathesis of Medieval Latin melongena, ultimately from Arabic بَاذِنْجَان (bāḏinjān), from Classical Persian بَادِنْگَان (bādingān).
Cognate with Italian melanzana, Greek μελιτζάνα (melitzána).

der

Arabic بَاذِنْجَان (bāḏinjān)


caudu

Through an early syncopic *caldu, ultimately from Latin cal(i)dus.

càvudu (alternative)
cauru (alternative)
càvuru (alternative)
callu (alternative)

Di quannu l'omu spirtìu nnê scienzi tècnichi, u diviluppu nnustriali pari ca fici sbummijari nu caudu ca un si vidìa di migghiara di anni.

Since mankind has improved in the technical sciences, industrial development has exploded a heat that has not been seen for thousands of years.

Èranu i jorna dâ merra, ma sbummicau u stissu 'n gran caudu ca parìa a stati.

It was during the days of the merla but a great heatwave burst forth anyway, it was like summer.

Nun stari ô caudu!

(uncountable) The condition or quality of being hot.

Ora u caudu si senti.

(uncountable) An attribute of a spice that causes a burning sensation in the mouth.

A ḍḍa cani ci vinni u caudu.

(uncountable) A condition where a mammal is aroused sexually or where it is especially fertile and therefore eager to mate; oestrus.


munzeḍḍu

scn-noun

munzeḍḍu m (plural munzeḍḍi or munzeḍḍa)

munzeḍḍi (plural)
munzeḍḍa (plural)
munzeddu (alternative)
munzieḍu (alternative)
munziedu (alternative)
munzjedu (alternative)

Possibly influenced from Old French moncel, ultimately from Late Latin monticellus, diminutive of Latin mōns. Compare for more French monceau. Possibly Doublet of muzzu.

Iḍḍu 'n munzeḍḍu 'i cosi sapi.


jumentu

Inherited from Latin iūmentum. Doublet of jumenta.


giumentu

Alternative form of jumentu (“beast of burden”)


garanciu

garanci (plural)
agranciu (alternative)
granciu (alternative)
granchiu (alternative)

→ 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

agranci (plural)
agranc' (alternative)
garanciu (alternative)
granciu (alternative)
granchiu (alternative)

→ Maltese: granċ

Italian: Arancio (Italianized insular surname)

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.


majiḍḍa

majiḍḍi (plural)
maidda (alternative)
maida (alternative)
magiḍḍa (alternative)

From an earlier unattested Vulgar Latin *ma(g)id(u)la, from Latin magida, from Ancient Greek μαγίδα (magída), accusative of μαγίς (magís). Compare Italian màdia.


parrina

Influenced by an Occitan/Norman stratum, ultimately from Early Medieval Latin patrīna.

(South-East) female baptismal sponsor of one's child, a godmother


zagurdu

zagurdi (plural)
zavurdu (alternative)
zaurdu (alternative)
zauddu (alternative)
zauddo (alternative)
zagordu (alternative)
zavordu (alternative)

→ Italian: zaurdo, zauddo (regional)

→ Italian: Zagordo, Zavordo

Uncertain. Possibly derived from/cognated with a Old Occitan/Celtiberian stratum. Compare Latin gurdus (“dolt, numbskull, blockhead, dullard”), Norman gourd (“numb maladroit”) for the -gurdu part; and Spanish zahúrda (“pigsty”). Cfr., for a similar morphology, Italian balordo, Spanish palurdo, or Italian manigoldo/mundualdo.

cog

Talè chi cumminau ḍḍu zagurdu.

(colloquial, derogatory) hick, yokel, hillbilly, redneck (illiterate person, clumsy with no style or manners, an unskilled peasant)


limunata

limunati (plural)
lumunata (alternative)
limunèa (alternative)

→ Maltese: luminata


oriu

From an earlier òrjiu, from Latin hordeum, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰr̥sdeyom (“bristly”). Cognate with Italian orzo. Compare with arjentu.


baḍḍa

baḍḍi (plural)
paḍḍa (alternative)
palla (alternative)

→ Italian: badda (regional)

Possibly from Medieval Latin balla, ultimately from Frankish *ballu, from Proto-Germanic *balluz.

(sports) ball (object used for playing games)

Chi vinisti pi scassari i baḍḍi?!

(usually in the plural, vulgar) i baḍḍi: testicles

Chi du' baḍḍi!

(informal, figurative) something dull or boring


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


sugattu

sugattu m needs inflection (canonical)
sugatta (plural)
suattu (alternative)

Cognate with Italian sogatto, see there for more.


currija

curriji (plural)
currìa (alternative)
curìa (alternative)
curria (alternative)
curia (alternative)

Passing through the intermediate *currijia, from Latin corrigia (“shoelace, tie”), from corrigō (“to smooth out,make straight”). Compare Sicilian correggia.


morbu

Inherited from Latin morbus (“illness”).


malatìa

malatìi (plural)
malatiei (plural)
malatia (alternative)

From malatu (“ill”) + -ìa (“derives abstract nouns denoting a state or condition from adjectives or nouns”), proceeding further is unclear. Cognate with English malady, French maladie, Italian malattia, Portuguese maladia and Catalan malaltia which, this latter, could be the borrowing source for this lemma.


zicca

Possibly borrowed from Lombardic zekka, ultimately from Proto-West Germanic *tīkō. Compare German Zecke, Dutch teek, English tick, Italian zecca.

A tiny woodland arachnid of the suborder Ixodida, a tick.

Si' propia na zicca, làssami nnâ paci!

(figurative) pest, arsewipe (annoying person)


vrisca

vrischi (plural)
virisca (alternative)
brisca (alternative)

Possibly derived from
an Occitan or Celtiberian stratum, ultimately, and possibly, of Celtic origin.
Compare Aragonese, Catalan, Occitan, and Spanish bresca.


brìscula

Unknown. Cfr. vrisca. Compare French brisque, Italian briscola, Portuguese bisca, Serbo-Croatian briškula.

(colloquial, humorous) knock, blow, slap


baulì

→ Italian: Baulì (regional)

Possibly from an earlier, and then apocopated, *baulivu, influenced by Norman bailli, from Vulgar Latin *baiulivus, extended from Latin baiulus. Compare
Old French bailif/baillif, Middle French bailly, English baillie, Italian balì.

(historical) a bailiff (his office and/or the related place of it).


bagghiu

→ Italian: baglio, Baglio

From Latin ballium, possibly from a previous Celtic stratum. Compare Old French baile, English bailey, Irish baile. Perhaps related to baulì.

(historical, architecture) A ancient building containing a courtyard or a yard.


vaḍḍu

From Latin vallum (“wall, rampart, entrenchment, palisade”), from Proto-Indo-European *welH- (“to turn, wind, roll”). Cognate with Catalan val, Galician and Portuguese valo, Spanish valla, Italian vallo. Compare also English wall.

der

(historical, Ancient Rome) the wooden fence built at the top of a rampart

(historical, Ancient Rome, loosely) rampart, bulwark

(historical, Sicily) territorial division of the island of Sicily, administered and politically controlled through the so-called vaḍḍu/vallo system


rasteddu

→ Maltese: rixtellu

(shoemaking) A wooden tool where shoes are attached.


nucipèrsicu

→ Maltese: nuċiprisk

Compare Italian noce pesca, pesca noce (“nectarine”), Venetan naspèrsego (“nectarine”). The term originally must have traditionally meant “nectarine” in Sicily as well, as also evidenced by Maltese nuċiprisk (“nectarine”), where it then got contaminated with the similar sounding cipressu (“cypress”), taking on its meaning.

Alternative form: nucipersu

Cupressus sempervirens
Cupressus sempervirens#Translingual

(Sicily) cypress (Cupressus sempervirens)

Alternative forms: nucipèrsica, nucipersa

Alternative forms: nucipèrzica, nucipèrzicu

Prunus persica var. nucipersica
Prunus persica#Translingual

(Calabria) nectarine (Prunus persica var. nucipersica)


filìnija

filìniji (plural)
fulìnija (alternative)
filinia (alternative pronunciation-spelling)
fulinia (alternative pronunciation-spelling)

Possibly conflated with the theme of filu (“thread”) (giving sense 2), through an intermediate *fuliniga, ultimately from the metathesis of Latin fūlīginem (“soot, lampblack”). Compare Italian fuliggine, Spanish hollín. Cfr., for the morphology, russànija, sartànija and vurrànija.

Ḍḍa sutta fici i filìniji.

(by extension, mainly plural, slang, figuratively) Unfulfilled (maily female) sexual desire.


liafanti

liafanti (plural)
alifanti (alternative)
lifanti (alternative)
liufanti (alternative)
elefanti (alternative)

→ Italian: leofante (regional)

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


crèsia

cresi (plural)
cresia (alternative)
criesia (alternative)
crièsia (alternative)
crjesia (alternative)
crjèsia (alternative)

From Medieval Latin (e)clesia, ultimately from Latin ecclēsia, from Ancient Greek ἐκκλησία (ekklēsía, “assembly”). Cognate with Italian chiesa, Piedmontese cesa, Venetan ceza, Portuguese igreja, Occitan glèisa, Spanish iglesia, French église.

Dumìnica mi nni vaju â crèsia.


ummra

ummri (plural)
ùmmara (alternative)
ùmmira (alternative)

From Latin umbra. Cognate with Occitan, Catalan, and Italian ombra, Aragonese huembra, Aromanian umbrã, French ombre, Friulian ombre, Galician ombre.

Pari ca ti scanti 'i l'ummra toa.

It looks like you are frightened by your own shade.


vuḍḍu

Possibly from an unattested Vulgar Latin *bullum, kind of masculinization of Latin bulla (“bubble”). Doublet of vugghiu.

(cooking) the cooking water while it is boiling


lissìa

→ Maltese: lissija

Inherited from Latin lixīvia, from lixīvus. Compare Italian liscivia,
Portuguese lixívia,
Spanish lejía,
Sardinian lessìa.

liscìa (alternative)
lixìa (alternative)
lisìa (alternative)

Et a chò que lur belliza fussi plù semelianti a lu cisnu, illi se imblundianu li capilli cun lissia factata di ciniri acunza a fari chò.

c. 1321–37, Accurso di Cremona, Libru di Valeriu Maximu, L. 2, chapter 1, volume 1, page 53, line 32:

And in order to make their beauty more similar to a swan, they blondened their hair with lye prepared with ash, appropriate to do such thing [= the blondening].

pèrdiri l'affannu e la liscìa

to lose both breathlessness and laughter

Chi ci vinni, 'a lissìa?

What's up with him now, has he caught the giggles?

(figuratively) the giggles (fit of uncontrolled laughter)


fumeri

→ Italian: fumiere (regional)

From Old French femier, from Vulgar Latin *femārium, from *femus, alteration of Latin fimus. Compare the spelling of filìnija.

fumieri (alternative)
fumjeri (alternative)


coppu

→ Italian: coppino (regional)

Possibly from the masculinization of cuppa (“drinking vessel”) or from its doublet coppa. Cognate with Portuguese copo (“glass, vessel”).

(vessels) a container for food or drinks.

(food) a cone, often made of paper, to contain fried fish.


cubba

→ Italian: cuba, cubba, Cuba, Cubba (regional)

Uncertain. Possibly from Arabic قُبَّة (qubba, “small tower”), from Aramaic קוּבְּתָא / Classical Syriac ܩܘܼܒ݁ܬ݂ܵܐ (qubbəṯā). Possibly a widespread Mediterranean wanderwort, perhaps, related also to Latin cūpa (“cask, vat”) and/or Arabic قبعة (“cap, hood”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *kewp- (“a hollow”), perhaps of substrate origin.
Cognate with Portuguese cuba. Compare Sicilian còppula and cappa. Compare also, for more, Classical Syriac ܓܘܒܐ (gubbā) and its cognate gebbia.

bor

Aramaic קוּבְּתָא

(buildings) a Sicilian vertical building, usually cylindrical, used for storage and/or as a strategic observation point.


pàmpina

→ Italian: pampina (regional)

From the feminization of Latin pampinus, possibly by way of . Compare also Galician pampo, Portuguese pâmpano, Spanish pámpano.

(botany) foliage of a vine, vine-shoot, vine leaf

(by extension, of any plant) tendril; shoot


auceḍḍu

auceḍḍi (plural)
auceddu (alternative)
ancieḍḍu (alternative)
ancieddu (alternative)
acieḍḍu (alternative)
acieddu (alternative)
aceḍḍu (alternative)
aceddu (alternative)
oceḍḍu (alternative)
oceddu (alternative)

Italian: Augello

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


sòggiru

[ˈsɔdd͡ʒɪɾʊ]

From the sonorization of Latin socerus, variant of socer. Cf. also Gallo-Italic suoxer, which may have influenced it.


gurna

Italian: gorna (regional)

Italian: Gornalunga (toponym)

Possibly inherited from Ancient Greek γοῦρνα (goûrna), from Classical Syriac ܓܘܪܢܐ (gūrnā, “large vessel; coffin, sarcophagus”) or another Aramaic language. Unrelated to Latin urna (“urn”).

der

small body of water, similar to a small lake, but along the course of a river; typically along the Alcantara river.


mammurianu

Univerbation of m'hâ mòr(iri) + -ianu (“-ian”), clipping of m'hâ mòriri me ma' (“may my mother eventually die”).

(Catania, slang, slightly derogatory) city braggart


anciḍḍa

anciḍḍi (plural)
'nciḍḍa (alternative)
nciḍḍa (alternative)
anghiḍḍa (alternative)
'nghiḍḍa (alternative)
nghiḍḍa (alternative)
'ncidda (alternative)
ncidda (alternative)
anghidda (alternative)
'nghidda (alternative)
nghidda (alternative)

From the palatalization of Latin anguilla,
from an earlier Proto-Italic *anɣʷis,
from Proto-Indo-European *h₂éngʷʰis (“water-worm, eel”). Compare Friulian anzile, Sardinian anguidda, Catalan and Spanish anguila.


magara

magari (plural)
majara (alternative)
mavara (alternative)

→ Italian: magara, majara, mavara (regional)

→ Italian: Magaro, Mavaro (surnames)

Possibly inherited from an unattested substrate *magara, eventually cognate with
Ancient Greek Μέγαιρα (Mégaira), one of the Erinyes. Compare French mégère and Italian megera, which are borrowed front Ancient Greek.


pajisi

From Latin pāgēnsis, from pāgus (coutry, rural people) + -ēnsis.
Compare Catalan pagès
Franco-Provençal payis, Friulian paîs, Galician país, Istriot pais, Italian paese, Piedmontese pais, Romansch pajais, Venetan pajès, Welsh Powys


paguni

paguna (plural)
pajuni (alternative)
pavuni (alternative)

Italian: Paguni, Pagone, Pavone, Paone

English: Pavone

From Vulgar Latin *pagōne(m), from pāgus (coutry, rural people) + -ō.

(dated, toponymy) area outside of an urban one, countryside; rural community


mavara

→ Italian: mavara (regional)


pavuni

Italian: Pavone

English: Pavone


ghiruni

→ Maltese: ġurun

jiruni (alternative)
iruni (alternative)
giruni (alternative)
giriuni (alternative)


bisognu

→ Maltese: bżonn

Etymology tree
Frankish *bisunnijabor.
Vulgar Latin *bisonium
Sicilian bisognu
Inherited from Vulgar Latin *bisonium.

etymon

aviri bisognu di

fari li so bisogni


darreri

darreri (plural)
darrera (plural)
rarreri (alternative)
rarrè (alternative)
rarrjeri (alternative)
rarrieri (alternative)
'arreri (alternative)
arreri (alternative)
arrè (alternative)
arrjeri (alternative)
arrieri (alternative)
arredi (alternative)

The back side of anything, the part opposite its front, particularly:

Nun mi taliari u darreri.

(by extension, euphemistic) A person's buttocks.


casucavaḍḍu

casucavaḍḍi (plural)
cascavaddu (alternative)
casucavaddu (alternative)

→ Italian: cascavaddu

→ Ottoman Turkish: قاشقوال (kaşkaval) (see there for further descendants)

From casu (“cheese”) + cavaḍḍu (“horse”).

(countable and uncountable) caciocavallo (a type of cheese)


casucavaḍḍu

cascavaḍḍu (canonical)
cascavaḍḍi (plural)
cascavaddu (alternative)
casucavaddu (alternative)

Uncertain. Akin to Italian cacciaccavallo.


cavaḍḍu

→ Italian: cavaddu (regional)

From Late Latin caballus (“horse”), from Latin caballus (“pack horse”). Cognate with Corsican cavaddu and Sardinian cabaddu.


pinzeri

pinzera (plural)
pinzieru (alternative)
pinzjeru (alternative)
pinseri (alternative)
pinsieru (alternative)

Possibly Borrowed from Provençal pensier, likely from an unattested Vulgar Latin *pensarius, ultimately from Latin pēnsāre. Compare Italian pensiero.


nerbu

nerbi (plural)
nervu (alternative)
nierbu (alternative)
niervu (alternative)

From Latin nervus. Compare Italian nervo.

(anatomy) a sinew, tendon, nerve, muscle

(in the plural) One's neural structures considered collectively as, and conceptually equated with, one's psyche.

A Tinu ci vìnniru i nerbi.

(in the plural) Mental agitation caused by fear, stress or other negative emotions.

Si cuntìnui a fari d'accussì ti dugnu nu corpu di nerbu.

If you go on this way I going to hit you with the


majurana

Inherited from Latin maiōrana. Compare Italian maggiorana.


fascìsimu

Borrowed from Italian fascismo. By surface analysis, fasciu + -ìsimu.

Any right-wing, authoritarian, nationalist ideology characterized by centralized, totalitarian governance, strong regimentation of the economy and society, and repression of criticism or opposition.

(by extension, derogatory) Any system of strong autocracy or oligarchy usually to the extent of bending and breaking the law, race-baiting, and/or violence against largely unarmed populations.

(figurative, derogatory) Any extreme reliance on or enforcement of rules and regulations.


ìliu

iliu (alternative)
èliu (alternative)
eliu (alternative)


furficicchiu

scn-noun

furficicchiu m (plural furficicchi or furficicchia)

furficicchi (plural)
furficicchia (plural)

From fòrficia (“scissors”) + -icchiu (masculine diminutive suffix). Cf. scurpiuni (“gecko”).

af

(zoology) Any scorpion
(zoology) Euscorpius sicanus


lìtiu

From New Latin lithium, from Ancient Greek λίθος (líthos, “stone”).


prègula

prèguli (plural)
priègula (alternative)
prjègula (alternative)
prèula (alternative pronunciation-spelling)
preula (alternative pronunciation-spelling)
prièula (alternative pronunciation-spelling)
prjèula (alternative pronunciation-spelling)

From the metathesis of Latin pergula. Cognate with Italian pergola, Spanish and Portuguese pérgola.

(viticulture) a framework that supports vine, a trellis


règula

règuli (plural)
riègula (alternative)
rjègula (alternative)
rèula (alternative pronunciation-spelling)
reula (alternative pronunciation-spelling)
rièula (alternative pronunciation-spelling)
rjèula (alternative pronunciation-spelling)

Inherited from Latin rēgula. Compare Italian regola, Spanish regla, Portuguese regra, French règle.

(tool, masonry) level (tool for finding whether a surface is level)


furmìcula

Italian: Formica

Inherited from Late Latin formicula, otherwise and ultimately from furmica + -ula. Cognate with Italian formica-formicola, Corsican furmicula.


miduḍḍa

miduḍḍi (plural)
miruḍḍa (alternative)
midudda (alternative)

From Latin medulla. Compare Catalan moll, Spanish meollo, Portuguese miolo, Italian midollo.


nzimmulata

From etymology 1, conflated (semantically) with French assemblée, which is from the same source. More at nzèmmula.


muḍḍura

By surface analysis, moḍḍu + -ura, from Vulgar Latin *mollus, ultimately from Latin mollis.


pappajaḍḍu

pappajaḍḍi (plural)
pappajaddu (alternative)
pappagaḍḍu (alternative)
pappagaddu (alternative)
pappaiaḍḍu (alternative)
pappaiaddu (alternative)

Possibly from Byzantine Greek παπαγᾶς (papagâs), from Arabic بَبَغَاء (babaḡāʔ), of onomatopoeic origin. Perhaps influenced by gaḍḍu (“rooster”). Cognate with German Papagei, Italian pappagallo, Spanish papagayo, Catalan papagall, and English popinjay.

(colloquial) parrot (a person who repeats others' words and phrases without understanding them)


piḍḍigrinu

scn-noun

piḍḍigrinu m (plural piḍḍigrini or piḍḍigrina)

piḍḍigrini (plural)
piḍḍigrina (plural)
piddirinu (alternative)

[pɪ.ɖɖɪˈɾi.nʊ]

From the dissimilation of Latin peregrīnus. Cognate to Italian pellegrino, English peregrine (“wandering”) and pilgrim.


àcitu

àciti (plural)
jàcitu (alternative)
acitu (alternative)
jacitu (alternative)

From Latin acidus (“sour, acid”), from aceō (“I am sour”). Cognate with Italian acido. Compare acitu.