te

Borrowed from French thé, from Dutch thee, from Hokkien 茶 (tê).

tè (alternative misspelling)
té (alternative misspelling)
the (alternative misspelling)


o

From Latin ō (the name of the letter O).

inh

the name of the letter <i class="Latn mention" lang="la">O</i>

The name of the Latin-script letter O/o.


i

From Latin ī (the name of the letter I).

der

the name of the letter <i class="Latn mention" lang="la">I</i>

The name of the Latin-script letter I/i.; i


aria

(non trisyllabic) Alternative form of ària


guerra

guerri (plural)
verra (alternative)
uerra (alternative)

From Early Medieval Latin werra, borrowed from Frankish *werru (“confusion; quarrel”).


voi

Italian: Lo Voi (from “lu voi”)

From Vulgar Latin *boem, from Latin bōs, bovem. Compare Italian bue.


don

Both from the shortening of the earlier donnu (“master, sir”) or from Late Latin dom, ultimately from Latin domnus > dominus (“master, owner”), itself from domus (“a house”).

ron (alternative)
do' (alternative)
ro' (alternative)

(obsolete) social honorary title referred to men possessing patrimonial assets

a title of respect to a man, especially older, prefixed to first names


primavera

Ultimately from Late Latin prīma vēra (“early spring”), perhaps borrowed from Italian or Neapolitan, considering the stressed vowel outcome (Latin /ē/ yields /i/ in native Sicilian words). Cognates include Spanish primavera and Romanian primăvară.


lupa

From the sound of brogna during the fog.


zu

Ou, cucì, ti saluta u zu Ninu.


corda

From Latin chorda (“cord”), from Ancient Greek χορδή (khordḗ, “string of gut, the string of a lyre”).

(music) string, cord (of a musical instrument)

(sports) string (of a tennis racquet, etc)


manu

From Latin manus (“hand”). Compare ficu for a similar gender morphology.

The part of the forelimb below the forearm or wrist in a human, and the corresponding part in many other animals; a hand.

That which is, or may be, held in a hand at once.

(card games) The set of cards held by a player.

Power of performance; means of execution; ability; skill; dexterity.

Turi ci desi na manu ad Alisia pi mòviri i mòbbili.

Turi gave Alisia a hand to move the furniture.

È sutta ê manu mei.

(chiefly in the plural) Management, domain, control.


acqua

Inherited from Latin aqua (“water”). Cognates include Neapolitan and Italian acqua.

(meteorology) rain (condensed water falling from a cloud)


di

From Latin dē (the name of the letter D).

the name of the letter <i class="Latn mention" lang="la">D</i>

The name of the Latin-script letter D/d.; dee


cuti

From Latin cōtem, accusative of cōs. Compare Italian cote.

A stone, especially a stone smoothed by water


chitarra

Borrowed from Arabic قِيثَارَة (qīṯāra), from Latin cithara, from Ancient Greek κιθάρα (kithára).


pasta

From Late Latin pasta, from Ancient Greek παστά (pastá).


lippu

From Ancient Greek λίπος (lípos, “fat”), maybe associated with Latin līmus (“mud”).


alba

From Vulgar Latin *alba, from Latin albus (“white”).


meli

From Vulgar Latin *melem m or f, from Latin mel n.


porta

porti (plural)
purta (alternative)
potta (alternative)
puaitta (alternative)
puajtta (alternative)

From Latin porta, from the Proto-Indo-European root *per- (“to pass through”). Compare, for more, Galician, Portuguese, Italian, Corsican, and Neapolitan porta, Asturian and Spanish puerta.


vara

Of Germanic origin, borrowed from Lombardic *bāra (“stretcher, bier”), ultimately from Proto-West Germanic *bāru, from Proto-Germanic *bērō, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰer- (“to carry, bear”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian Beere (“stretcher, bier”), Dutch baar (“bier”), German Bahre (“bier, stretcher”) and Italian barella.

cog

(by extension, religious folklore) ferculum


za

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


abbia

(Syracuse) Synonym of alciuni (“seagull”)


pila

(plural only) The collection or mass of such growths growing from the skin of humans and animals, and forming a covering for a part of the head or for any part or the whole body.

(by extension) The collection or mass of slender outgrowths, filaments, or fibers growing or projecting from the surface of an object or organism.


pila

From Latin pīla (“pillar”). Compare French pile, Italian pila, Spanish pila.

Coordinate term: battirìa

Àju na pila di robbi di lavari e stirari.

I have a pile/stack of clothes to wash and iron.


pila

From Latin pīla (“mortar”). Compare Portuguese pia, Catalan pica.


canna

[ˈkäːn̺.n̺ɑ̝]

From Latin canna, from Ancient Greek κᾰ́ννᾱ (kắnnā, “reed”), from Akkadian 𒂵𒉡𒌑𒌝 (qanûm, “reed”).

reed, stick, rattan; a cane, rod, instrument, or other item made out of such material

canna d'organu

tube, pipe (as on a pump organ or a trachea)


spica

From Latin spica (“spike, ear (of corn)”).


rapu

From Latin rāpum. Ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *rap-. Compare Italian rapa, French rave, Venetan rava.

Oenothera biennis
Oenothera biennis#Translingual

common evening primrose, Oenothera biennis (the plant and its grain)


nova

nessuna nova, bona nova


causa

Possibly from Occitan cauça, from Vulgar Latin *calcea (through the intermadiates calza~cauza), ultimately from Latin calceus. Cognate with Italian calza (calzetta, calzone).

(dated, clothing) Any garment worn from the feet up, possibly reaching to the waist.

(pluralia tantum) causi: pants, trousers, pantaloons


causa

Borrowed from Latin causa. Doublet of the inherited cosa. Cognates include English and French cause, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish causa.


zagara

(Non stressed orthography) Alternative form of zàgara


scrota

[ˈʃkrɔː.t̪ɑ̝]


panza

From Latin pantex, panticem, probably through Spanish panza or Occitan pança.


donna

→ Italian: donna (regional)

From Late Latin domna, shortened variant of Latin domina (“lady, mistress of an estate or household”), from dominus (“master”), from domus (“home”). Cognate with Italian donna, French dame, Portuguese dona, Spanish donna and dueña.

inh

(honorific) A woman, specifically one with great control, authority or ownership; a mistress


puma

Sicilian: Puma (Sicilian surname)

→ Italian: Puma

From Latin pōma, plural of pōmum (“fruit”).


puma

Borrowed from Spanish puma, from Quechua puma.

Puma concolor
Puma concolor#Translingual

cougar, mountain lion, puma (Puma concolor)


macchia

(by extension) generic name for plants commonly found in a macchia


cosa

From Latin causa. Compare Italian cosa. Doublet of causa.


gattu

gatti (plural)
'attu (alternative)
jattu (alternative)
attu (alternative)
iattu (alternative)

From the sonorization of Late Latin cattus.

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


strata

From Late Latin strāta (“paved road”), from Latin [via] strāta, feminine of strātus, perfect passive participle of sternō.


gatta

gatti (plural)
'atta (alternative)
jatta (alternative)
atta (alternative)
iatta (alternative)

From the sonorization of Late Latin catta.

A cat, regardless of whether male or female.


a

From Latin ā (the name of the letter A).

The name of the Latin-script letter A/a.; a


afar

one of the Afar, a people of eastern Africa


mali

From Latin malus. Compare Italian mali, male.


sira

From Late Latin sēra, from ellipsis of Latin sēra diēs, from sērus (“late”). Compare Italian sera.


piru

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

inh+

dari li pira


arpa

From Late Latin harpa, from Proto-Germanic *harpǭ.


arpa

From Latin harpē (“bird of prey, falcon”), from Ancient Greek ἅρπη (hárpē, “bird of prey, falcon”).


asu

Uncertain. Ultimately from Latin as, assis (“unity, copper coin, the unit of coinage”). Likely related or deriving ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₁éǵʰs, or otherwise taking from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eḱ- (“sharp, pointed”) in the sense of "singular".

Cci abbiassi na l'asu 'i mazzi!


rapa

From Latin rāpa, neuter plural of rāpum. Compare Italian rapa.


vai

Perhaps from Proto-Germanic *wai (“expression of grief”). Alternatively from Ancient Greek οὐαί (ouaí), from the verse in Revelation 8:13. Compare English woe, German Weh, Latin vae, Italian guai.

troubles, problems, hardship, misfortune

Minchia di vai!

(interjection) trouble, difficulty, mess, pickle, fix, woe, jam


morti

From Latin mors, mortem. Compare Italian morte.


ron

(Rhotacized variant) Alternative form of don


amica

head

amica f (plural amichi, masculine amicu)

From Latin amīca (“friend”). Compare Italian amica.


diu

dii (plural)
dei (plural)
deu (alternative)


nanna

→ Maltese: nanna

Compare Italian nonna, Latin nonna, Ancient Greek νίννη (nínnē), English nanna.

grandmother, grandma. Female equivalent of nannu

T’aju na nanna.

In English, that means "You're a grandmother."

(croquet) when the bowl goes through the hoop from the reverse side


luni

luni (plural)
lùnidi (alternative)
lùniri (alternative)
luniddìa (alternative)
luniddì (alternative)

From Gallo-Italic of Sicily (compare Lombard or Piedmontese lunes), or a clipping of lunidìa, directly from Latin Lūnae dīēs, variant of dīēs Lūnae (literally “day of the Moon”).

days of the week: jorna dâ simana: luni~lunidìa · marti~martidìa · mèrcuri~mercuridìa · jovi~jovidìa · vènniri~venniridìa · sàbbatu~sabbatudìa · dumìnica~duminicadìa [edit]


chica

From Medieval Latin plica, a derivative of Classical Latin plicō (“fold, bend or flex; roll up”). Compare Italian plica.

der

(literally and figuratively, obsolete or literary) fold, crease, wrinkle

Macari tu t'a-ritrovi a chica simiana ntî parma dî manu?!

Do you also find the simian line on your hands?


rama

branch (woody part of a tree arising from the trunk and usually dividing)

(figuratively) offshoot (that which develops from something else)


pani

Danni oggi lu nostru pani quotidianu.

1905, Reinhold Rost, The Lord's prayer in five hundred languages, page 135:


mafia

→? Italian: mafia

Uncertain. The first official sources in which this term appears date back to 1863 in the title of the theatrical work "I mafiusi de la Vicaria" set in the Vicaria prison in Palermo and written by Giuseppe Rizzotto and Gaetano Mosca. In 1865, in a report by the prefect of Palermo, Filippo Antonio Gualterio, this term was used for the first time, in its Italian geminated variant maffia, with the meaning of a criminal and subversive organization that brought together delinquents, pro-Mazzinians (i.e. republicans) and pro-Bourbons (i.e. anti-Savoyards) with the aim of overthrowing the newborn Kingdom of Italy. Outside of these official sources, the etymology in question is often associated with an uncertain Arabism or with various terms of various origins, including several dialectal origins from the rest of Italy, such as from Piedmont or from Tuscany. In any case, many of the hypotheses proposed are merely speculative and fail to resolve the main phono-morphological disagreements. In particular, it must be emphasized that this word may have been possibly used as an exonym referring to dissidents following the annexation of the island of Sicily, then acquiring the widespread meaning.

the Mafia (International organized crime organization)


cchiù

Apocopated form of cchiui, from Latin plus.

cchiù longa è a pinzata, cchiù grossa è a minchiata


lupu

→ Maltese: lupu

From Latin lupus, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *wĺ̥kʷos.


nomu

nomi (plural)
nomi (alternative)
nuomi (alternative)
nommu (alternative)

From Latin nōmen, from Proto-Indo-European *h₁nómn̥.


musca

→ Italian: piciolla (regional)

From Latin musca. Compare Italian mosca.


rasta

From Ancient Greek γαστήρ (gastḗr, “belly”).


capa

From older capu, from Vulgar Latin capus, from Latin caput.


pilu

→ Italian: pilu, pilo, pelo

tira cchiussai nu pilu di sticchiu ca nu carru di voi

A pigmented filament of keratin which grows from a follicle on the skin of humans and other mammals.

I pila nterni si tròvanu nnô stilu dû ciuri dû gigghiu larunchiu giallu

Internal hairs occur in the flower stalk of the yellow frog lily.

(botany, countable) A cellular outgrowth of the epidermis, consisting of one or of several cells, whether pointed, hooked, knobbed, or stellated.

Any slender, flexible outgrowth, filament, or fiber growing or projecting from the surface of an object or organism.

(zoology) A slender outgrowth from the chitinous cuticle of insects, spiders, crustaceans, and other invertebrates. Such hairs are totally unlike those of vertebrates in structure, composition, and mode of growth.

O cû pilu o senza pilu, rapi i cosci ca tâ nfilu.

Either with hair or without hair, open your thighs so I will fuck you.

(vulgar, singular only) Hair of the genitals.

(vulgar, by extension) A sexual intercourse

Mi nni vaju a pilu

A mìa mi piaci u pilu

(vulgar, metonymic, singular only) A sexual partner, especially an occasional and unstable one; the reference is to the area of the genitals, covered with hair (regardless of their actual presence or not).

(countable) Any very small distance, or degree; a hairbreadth.


babbu

→ Italian: babbo (regional Italian)

Uncertain. Compare Italian babbeo, Spanish bobo (“silly, stupid”). Compare also: Italian bamba/bambo/bimbo/bambino.


babbu

Uncertain. Possibly related to etymology 1.


ossu

From Latin ossum, popular variant of os, ossis, from Proto-Italic *ōs, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₃ésth₁ (“bone”), *h₂óst.


nora

From Vulgar Latin *nŏra, from Late Latin nura, from Classical Latin nurus, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *snusós.


pruppu

Alternative form of purpu (Metathesis of the r)


duga

dughi (plural)
dua (alternative)
duva (alternative)

→ Maltese: dugħ

Inherited from Latin doga. Compare Italian doga.

stave (narrow strip of wood forming barrels, buckets, etc.)


cala

→ Italian: cala

Unknown, perhaps from pre-Roman origin. Cognate with Catalan cala, Spanish cala. Possibly cognate with Sicilian calancu.

unk

Unknown, perhaps from pre-Roman origin

Stamu jennu â cala [dî] muschi.


brodu

Possibly from Proto-West Germanic *broþ (“broth”), from an earlier Proto-Germanic *bruþą (“broth”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰrewh₁- (“to seethe, roil, brew”). Compare Ancient Greek βρῦτος (brûtos). Akin to Italian brodo.

der

broru (alternative)
bruoru (alternative)
vrodu (alternative)


mutu

From Latin imbūtus. For the lenition, compare also mmunnizza~munnizza.

Alternative form of mmutu (lenited variant)


frittata

(eastern Sicily, Calabria) Synonym of frocia (“omelette, frittata”)

eastern Sicily; Calabria; eastern Sicily; Calabria

fari na frittata di na cosa


maju

→ Maltese: Mejju


cima

From Latin cȳma, from Ancient Greek. Compare Italian cima.

pigghiari li cimi d'àrvulu

di cima 'n funnu

a li cimi cimi

genius (someone excellent in a given field)


lapa

→ Italian: lapa

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


marti

From Gallo-Italic of Sicily (compare Lombard or Piedmontese martes), or clipping of martidìa, inherited from Latin Mārtis diēs (“day of Mars”).


zita

[ˈt̪͡s̪iːt̪ä]

Possibly a reduced from an earlier form from Vulgar Latin pittita (“small, worthless”). See above and Italian citto for more.


cicoria

[ʃɪˈkɔ.ɾɪ.a]

From Medieval Latin, apodictically fron the femininization of the plural of Latin cichorium, from Ancient Greek κῐχόρῐον (kĭkhórĭon).

Cichorium intybus L.
Cichorium intybus L.#Translingual


cannoli

[kɑ̝n̺ˈn̺ɔː.lɪ̟]


cassata

Possibly from Vulgar Latin *cāseāta, from cāseus (“cheese”), since ricotta is its main ingredient.

cassata siciliana
cassata siciliana#English


bonza

→ English: labonza

(by extension, derogatory, hilarious) A person who is overweight or who has simply gained weight recently


cassata siciliana

head

cassata siciliana f (plural cassati siciliani)


judeu

From Latin iūdaeus (“Jew; Judaean”), from Ancient Greek Ἰουδαῖος (Ioudaîos), from Hebrew יהודי (Yehudi).
By surface analysis, Judìa + -eu.

Jew, Jewish person (adherent of Judaism or member or descendant of the Jewish people)

(historical, derogatory) a turncoat, a traitor


pannu

From Latin pannus (“cloth”). Compare for more Catalan pany, Italian panno, French pan, English pane, Portuguese pano, Spanish paño.

I panni lurdi/lordi si làvanu 'n casa.

Chi ti mittisti, i panni francisi?!


litra

From Medieval Latin litra, from Ancient Greek λίτρα (lítra).

(historical) A silver coin in ancient Sicily, worth one fifth of a drachm.


litra

From French litre, from Medieval Latin litra, ultimately from Ancient Greek λίτρα (lítra, “a Sicilian coin, a measure of weight”)


deu

dei (plural)
dii (plural)
diu (alternative)


boccia

→ Maltese: boċċa

bocci e ragogghia (literally “bowls and hoop”)


brusca

→ Maltese: broxk

Compare Italian brusca (“scrubbing brush”).

scrubbing brush, especially one for grooming horses; a horsebrush


minchia

minchi (plural)
menchia (alternative)
mìnchia (alternative)
mincia (alternative)
minghia (alternative)
'nchia (alternative)
'nghia (alternative)

From Vulgar Latin *mintula, from Latin mentula.

Minchia! Mi futteru a màchina!

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


coffa

→ Italian: coffa, Coffa


sterna

From the apheresis of Latin cisterna (“cistern, tank”).


conca

(dated) an ancient stove, composed of a metal plate, circular and placed on a structure on the floor (u cuncheri), within which ardent embers were left to burn


grada

gradi (plural)
rada (alternative)
rara (alternative)

Possibly borrowed from a hiberian stratum. Ultimately from Latin cratis. Compare Portuguese grade, Spanish grada, Italian grata.

(tool) A barrier that has parallel or crossed bars blocking a passage but admitting air; a grid, a crating.


coscia

→ Maltese: koxxa

From Vulgar Latin or Late Latin coxa (“thigh”), from Latin coxa (“hip”).

o cû pilu o senza pilu rapi i cosci ca tâ nfilu


majara

→ Italian: majara (regional)


moja

Possibly from Vulgar Latin *bovia (literally “of oxen, cattle”), from Latin bōs, bovem (“ox, cattle”), referring to the animals' excement. Alternatively of Semitic origin, compare Arabic مَاء (māʔ, “water”) and Hebrew מַיִם pl (máyim, “water”), ultimately from Proto-Semitic *māy- (“water”). Compare also vulgar Spanish mojón

liquid feces, diarrhea (watery excrement)


naca

→ Italian: naca

From an unattested Doric Greek *νάκα (*náka). More at Ancient Greek νάκη (nákē, “fleece”).

Marìa, a figghia cchiù nica, era sempri abbiata ntâ naca.

Mary, the youngest daughter, was always insider the cradle.

(Obsolete) a Sicilian cradle, styled like a hammock, usually over the parents' bed.

(by extension) anything resembling a swinging seat.


guardia

guardi (plural)
vardia (alternative)
guaddia (alternative)
vaddia (alternative)

desctree

Sicilian: La Guardia, La Vardia
English: Laguardia
Italian: La Guardia, Laguardia

Of Germanic origin. Derived possibly from Frankish *warda, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *wer- (“to watch, notice, give heed”). Compare French garde, Italian gardia, Spanish guarda.


luci

Inherited from Latin lux. Compare Italian luce, Portuguese luz,
Spanish luz,
Romanian luce.


luci

Possibly a masculinization of etymology 1.


arancina

arancini (plural)
arancinu (alternative masculine variant)
ârancinu (alternative)
ârancina (alternative)

From aranciu (“orange”) + -ina (feminine diminutive suffix).

affix

arancino (baked stuffed rice ball from Sicily)


arancina

From aranciu (“orange”) + -ina (masculine plural diminutive suffix).

arancinu (alternative masculine variant)
ârancinu (alternative)
ârancina (alternative)


casu

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


casu

From Latin cāsus, possibly borrowed via Italian caso. Cognate with Italian, Neapolitan, Portuguese, and Spanish caso, Occitan and Catalan cas, Asturian casu.

cog

È sulamenti nu casu.

coincidence, accident (event that happens by chance)

M'affidu ô casu.

U casu di Sciacca.


arancinu

scn-noun

arancinu m (plural arancini or arancina)

arancini (plural)
arancina (plural)
arancina (alternative feminine variant)
ârancinu (alternative)
ârancina (alternative)

→ English: arancino

→ Italian: arancino

From aranciu (“orange”) + -inu (masculine diminutive suffix).


virdura

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

nu stufàtu dâ virdura


furmaggiu

furmaggi (plural)
frummaggiu (alternative)
frumaggiu (alternative)

Borrowed from Old French formage, from Medieval Latin fōrmāticum. Cf. Italian formaggio, Neapolitan furmaggio.


frumaggiu

Alternative form of furmaggiu (“cheese”)


cipudda

From Late Latin cēpulla, diminutive of Latin cēpa.


pitaggiu

pitaggi (plural)
pitagghiu (alternative)
pitagghiu (alternative)
putaggiu (alternative)

[pɪˈt̪a̠d͡ːʒʊ]


pitàgghiu

[pɪˈt̪a̠ɟːʊ]


accia

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

Jìi a 'ccattari l'accia.


elefanti

elefanti (plural)
elifanti (alternative)

Alternative form of liafanti (italianized spelling)


cucuzzedda

(eye dialect) Alternative form of cucuzzeḍḍa


vurcanu

desctree

→ Arabic: بُرْكَان (burkān)
Gulf Arabic: بركان (burkān)
Hijazi Arabic: بركان (burkān)

→ Maltese: vulkan


filusufìa

From Latin philosophia, from Ancient Greek φιλοσοφία (philosophía), from φίλος (phílos, “beloved”) + σοφία (sophía, “wisdom”).


nummuru

nummura (plural)
nùmmuru (alternative)
nùmmiru (alternative)
nùmmaru (alternative)


grecu

[ˈɡr̺ɛː.kʊ̠]

From Latin Graecus, from Ancient Greek Γραικός (Graikós).


grechi

[ˈɡr̺ɛː.c̠ɪ̟]

[ˈɡɾɛː.k̟ɪ̟]


greca

[ˈɡr̺ɛː.kɑ̝]

From Latin græca, from Ancient Greek γραική (graikḗ).


tempu

tempi (plural)
tèmpura (plural)
tiempu (alternative)
tjempu (alternative)
timpu (alternative)

From Latin tempus (“time”), from Proto-Indo-European *tempos (“stretch”), from the root *temp- (“to stetch, string”).

bonu tempu e malu tempu nun dùranu tuttu u tempu


albergu

alberghi (plural)
arbergu (alternative)
abbeggu (alternative)
abbergu (alternative)


cità

cità (plural)
civitati (plural)
citati (alternative)
cìvita (alternative)

From the haplology and apocope of earlier ci(vi)tà(ti), from Latin cīvitās, cīvitāte(m). Doublet of cìvita. Cognate with Italian città, Neapolitan cetate, Ligurian çittæ, Piedmontese sità, Old French citet, Occitan and Catalan ciutat, Portuguese cidade, Spanish ciudad.

(dated) city neighborhood; any community separated from the countryside.


beccu

Ultimately of Germanic origin, from Proto-Germanic *bukkaz, *bukkô (“male goat”). Compare Italian becco, French bouc, bique, English buck.


basilicò

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


chiavi

→ Maltese: ċavi, ⇒ ċavu

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

chiavi masculina

chiavi fimminina

(cryptography) key (for encoding or decoding)

(equestrianism) metal ring the reins go through

(weaving) one of the horizontal wooden rods in the frame of a loom

In full: chiavi di l'arcu

In full: chiavi di catini

a long wooden or metal rod placed in the extremity of a chain to keep it tight

(music) key (to select notes in wind instruments)


jornu

jorna (plural)
giornu (alternative)
ghiornu (alternative)


archioluggìa

From Ancient Greek ἀρχαιολογία (arkhaiología), compound of ἀρχαῖος (arkhaîos, “old, archaic”) + λόγος (lógos, “study”).

der

archiuluggìa (alternative)
archiulugghìa (alternative)


notti

Inherited from Latin noctem, from Proto-Indo-European *nókʷts.


simana

Borrowed from Spanish semana (“week”), from Late Latin septimāna (“week”).


ligna

From Latin ligna, plural of lignum. Compare Italian legna.


denti

Inherited from Latin dēns, dentem. Cognate with Italian dente.


tuma

→ Italian: tuma

Unknown. Possibly from Latin tumor or tumidus.

(chiefly) a certain degree of maturing of Sicilian pecorino cheese

A semi-hard Sicilian cheese
(rare) a cheese


furesta

Ultimately from Early Medieval Latin foresta.


minna

→ Italian: minna (regional)

Uncertain. It should derive from a possibile earlier *minda or *mēnda. Compare, for more, minchia.

Mimma s'a-ritrova 'n paru di minni di chiḍḍi a nùmmiru unu.

(anatomy, colloquial, mostly plural) tit, breast


chiavetta

chiavetti (plural)
ciavetta (alternative)


cani

From Latin canis, canem. Compare Aromanian cãni.


buffa

→ Italian: buffa (regional)

→ Italian: Buffa


màchini fotugràfichi

màchina fotugràfica
màchina fotugràfica#Sicilian


tiatru

From Greek θέατρον, a compound of θεάομαι (I see) + -τρον (nominalizing suffix).


urìggina

urìggini (plural)
uriggina (alternative)


uriggina

uriggini (plural)
urìggina (alternative)

From Latin origine, ablative form of origo (beginning, origin).


giornu

giorna (plural)
jornu (alternative)
ghiornu (alternative)

Alternative form of jornu, especially when preceded by a nasal consonant.


ghiornu

ghiorna (plural)
jornu (alternative)
giornu (alternative)

Alternative form of jornu, especially when preceded by a vowel.


bon jornu

bon ghiornu (alternative)
bon giornu (alternative)


bon giornu

bon ghiornu (alternative)
bon jornu (alternative)


pappagaddu

pappagaddi (plural)
pappagaḍḍu (alternative)
pappajaḍḍu (alternative)
pappajaddu (alternative)
pappaiaḍḍu (alternative)
pappaiaddu (alternative)


pappaiaddu

pappaiaddi (plural)
pappaiaḍḍu (alternative)
pappajaḍḍu (alternative)
pappajaddu (alternative)
pappagaḍḍu (alternative)
pappagaddu (alternative)


pappajaddu

pappajaddi (plural)
pappajaḍḍu (alternative)
pappagaḍḍu (alternative)
pappagaddu (alternative)
pappaiaḍḍu (alternative)
pappaiaddu (alternative)


lunidìa

lunidìa (plural)
luni (alternative)
luni dìa (alternative)
luniddìa (alternative)
luniddì (alternative)
luneddì (alternative)

[ˌlunɪˈɾiːä]

From Latin Lūnae dīēs, variant of dīēs Lūnae (literally “day of the Moon”).


luneddì

Luneddì santu, ¶ Marteddì santu, ¶ Mercuddì santu, ¶ Giuviddì santu, […]

1896, Giuseppe Pitrè, Medicina popolare siciliana (Biblioteca delle tradizioni popolari siciliane), Torino–Palermo, page 392:

Holy Monday, Holy Tuesday, Holy Wednesday, Holy Thursday, […]

Primo operaio: Dumani è dduminica.
Secondo operaio: Veru è! Non m’u ricurdava. E ddopudumani?
Primo operaio: Luneddì.

First worker: Tomorrow is Sunday.
Second worker: That's true! I forgot. And the day after tomorrow?
First worker: Monday.


alivu

From Vulgar Latin olīvus, from Latin olīva, olīvum.


radici

From Latin rādīx, rādīcem, possibly borrowed through Italian radice.

L'amuri pî sordi è a radici di tutti i mali.

The love of money is the root of all evil.

A radici cùbbica di 27 è 3.

Murtìprica pâ radici di 2.


spàraciu

Italian: Sparacio, Sparascio

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


nostru

From Latin noster, nostrum. Compare Italian nostro.

(in the singular) our things, what we own

èssiri di li nostri

to be with us (of the same faction, opinions, etc.)

(in the plural) our relatives, friends, companions, etc.


causi

Italian: Causi, Li Causi

Plural of causa, possibly from Occitan cauça, from Vulgar Latin *calcea (through the intermadiates calza~cauza), ultimately from Latin calceus. Cognate with Italian calze (and calzette).

canzi (alternative)
càvusi (alternative)

(pluralia tantum) pants, trousers, pantaloons


causi

Plural of Latin causa. Doublet of the inherited cosi.


aceddu

aceddi (plural)
aceḍḍu (alternative)
auceḍḍu (alternative)
auceddu (alternative)
ancieḍḍu (alternative)
ancieddu (alternative)
acieḍḍu (alternative)
acieddu (alternative)
oceḍḍu (alternative)
oceddu (alternative)


fumata

→ Arbëresh Albanian: fumatë

From fumari (“to smoke”). Sense 2 is likely borrowed from Old Northern French fumee (“smoke”).


accetta

From Old French hachete, ultimately from Frankish *happjā (“axe, hatchet”).


fissa

Latin fissam, feminine participle of findere. Compare Neapolitan fessa.


cori

From Vulgar Latin *corem m, from Latin cor n. Compare Italian cuore.


serpenti

serpenti (plural)
sirpenti (alternative)

From Italian serpente, from Latin serpēns.


diamanti

From Late Latin diamas, diamantis, from Latin adamās, adamantis, from Ancient Greek ἀδάμας (adámas, “invincible, untamed; hard substance”).


ricchi

ricchi (plural)
ricchia (alternative)
aricchia (alternative)
auricchia (alternative)
gricchia (alternative)
oricchia (alternative)
aricchiu (alternative)

Inherited from Latin ōricula, variant of auricula.


cippi

→⇒ Maltese: ċeppuna


greci

[ˈɡr̺ɛː.ɕɪ̟]

[ˈɡr̺ɛː.t̠͡ɕɪ̟]

[ˈɡr̺ɛː.t͡ʃɪ̟]


frati

Son of the same parents as another person.

A male having at least one parent in common with another (see half-brother, stepbrother).

A male fellow member of a religious community, church, trades union etc.

Ascuta, frati, nun u sacciu chi voi, ma nun sugnu ntirissatu.

Listen, brother, I don't know what you want, but I'm not interested.

Somebody, usually male, connected by a common cause or situation.

Someone who is a peer, whether male or female.

(poetic) Someone who is a kinsman or shares the same patriarch.


lenti

Inherited from Latin lēns, lentem. Cognate with Italian lente.

li lenti di l'ucchiali


munita

From Latin monēta. Compare Italian moneta, Spanish moneda.


mustu

From Latin mustum. Compare Italian mosto.

unfermented wine; grape or other fruit juice


fucili

From Vulgar Latin *focīlis (petra), from Latin focus, or possibly from Spanish fusil. Compare Italian fucile, French fusil.


pezza

→ Maltese: biċċa

patch (small piece of cloth sewed to a piece of clothing to cover a hole)

In full: pezza di la varva

mèttiri na pezza

mittiricci la pezza e l'unguentu

fari di <> pezza di pedi

Nun è pezza chi si cusi e scusi.

It's not a patch that can be sewed and unsewed.

jiri a lu spitali pri pezzi

cu na pezza 'n culu

cu na pezza davanti e n'àutra arreri

nun aviri na pezza

a rag (tattered cloth); (in the plural) rags

pezza vagnata

fari pezzi càudi ed ogghiu

pezza di càntaru (literally “chamber pot towel”)

di pezza

made out of rag, (figuratively) fake, faulty

pupu di pezza

ciuri di pezza

lingua di pezza

stammerer, someone with a speech disorder

Item per pani thumini iij et vinu quartari v et furmaiu pecia j per lu tundiri tr. x.

1371–1381, Angelo Senisio, Il Caternu, volume 1, page 232, line 2:

Like for bread, thumini 3 and wine quarters 5 and cheese wheel 1 for the wool tr. 10.

pezza di cacòcciuli

pezza di fràuli


riggina

Adapted borrowing from Italian regina and/or conflated with the autochthonous rijina (which is still a doublet), ultimately from Latin rēgīna.


nasca

From Latin nasica, from nāsus, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *néh₂s-.


scola

From Latin schola (“school”), from Ancient Greek σχολή (skholḗ).


bucca

bucchi (plural)
vucca (alternative)
ucca (alternative)


mazza

From Vulgar Latin *mattea, probably vulgarly formed from Latin mateola.


munti

Inherited from Latin montem. Compare Italian mónte.


sporta

sporti (plural)
spurta (alternative)
spotta (alternative)
spuaitta (alternative)
spuajtta (alternative)

From Latin sporta. Cognate with Italian sporta.


rini

Chiddhi d' arredi a li so' cosci stisi, / e la cuda ficcannu ntra ddhi ddui / supra li rini, 'llungannula tisi.

1904, Dante Alighieri, Tommaso Cannizzaro, La commedia di Dante Alighieri: Prima traduzione in dialetto siciliano, page 98, lines 55–57:

The hindermost it stretched upon his thighs, / And put its tail through in between the two, / And up behind along the reins [kidneys] outspread it. http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Divine_Comedy/Inferno/Canto_XXV


gladiaturi

From Latin gladiātor, from gladius (“sword”).


giurana

giurani (plural)
ciranna (alternative)
girana (alternative)
giuranna (alternative)


rospu

Uncertain, possibly of Germanic origin. Compare Italian rospo.


buffetta

dining table, table on which meals are served


ursu

Etymology tree
Proto-Italic *orssos
Latin ursus
Sicilian ursu
Inherited from Latin ursus, from Proto-Italic *orssos.


russu

From Vulgar Latin *Russus, from the adjective of Russia, a Latinization of the Old East Slavic Русь (Rusĭ). Compare Italian russo.

Russian (native or inhabitant of Russia)


spezzi

From Latin speciēs (“a kind, quality, type”). Doublet of speci.


trazzera

From *dērēctus (“straight”) + -aria (suffix for feminine agent nouns), syncopated and methatesized in Vulgar Latin *drēctaira, or through the verb *drēctiāre. Compare Italian drizzare, Catalan drecera.

Road that crosses the fields and serves for the passage of herds

Any secondary road, unpaved and often bumpy


rizza

→ Maltese: rizza

desc

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


rizza

From Latin rētia, from rēte (“net”). Cognate with Italian rezza.


studenti

head

studenti m (plural studenti, feminine studintissa)

studenti (plural)
studintissa (feminine)
sturenti (alternative)

[st̪ʊ̠ˈd̪ɛːɳ.ʈ̬ɪ̟]

[ʃt̪ʊ̠ˈd̪ɛːɳ.ʈ̬ɪ̟]

[st̪ʊ̠ˈɾ̪ɛːɳ.ʈ̬ɪ̟]

Latin studentem. Compare Italian studente.


nicchia

Compare Italian nicchia, French niche, ultimately likely from Latin nīdus (“nest”).

niche (cavity in a wall, usually for statues, etc.)

èssiri nta la so nicchia

E mi fa viva e premurusa istanza, ¶ Chi a l’immortalità voli una ’nnicchia[…].

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

He makes the eager stirring requests that he want's just a niche of the immortality […].


pusu

From Latin pulsus. Compare Italian polso and English pulse.


buci

From Latin vōcem, singular accusative of vōx.


occhiata

Cf. Italian occhiata. Doublet of ucchiata.


sbriga

sbrighi (plural)
sbria (alternative)
sbrìa (alternative)

→ Italian: sbria (regional)

By surface analysis, s- + briga, possibly from a Celtic intermediate stratum, from Proto-Celtic *brīgā; compare Welsh bri (“power”), Old Irish bríg (“force, power, value”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰergʰ-.Cognate with Italian sbrigare.


plancia

piancia (alternative)
prancia (alternative)


serpi

From Vulgar Latin *serpem, likely from the Latin nominative serpens (“a snake”). Compare Italian serpe.


cicatrici

→ Maltese: ċikatriċi

From Latin cicātrīx, cicātrīcis (“scar”). Compare Italian cicatrice.

Poi dissi: ancora di stu focu ardenti ¶ Li cicatrici lu miu cori porta[…].

c. 1786, Giovanni Meli, chapter VI, in Don Chisciotti e Sanciu Panza, stanza 60:

Then he said: my heart still bears the scars of this burning fire.


frocia

→ Maltese: froġa

Uncertain. Likely from Latin flūxus (passed through a minor Italian cognate stratum). Cognate with Italian frocio~floscio, Galician frouxo, Portuguese chocho, Spanish flojo.

finiri a frocia

Guastàrisi na frocia di centu ova.

Jetta li manu e fa na frocia.

fari na frocia

Synonym of moja (“liquid feces, diarrhea”)


raggia

Borrowed from Old French rage, from Late Latin rabia, from Classical Latin rabiēs.

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


cirasa

→ Maltese: ċirasa


fauci

Inherited from Latin falx, falcem. Compare Italian falce and French faux.


fauci

(anatomy) jaws (of an animal), mouth (of a human)

(figuratively) opening, entrance (of a cave, volcano, etc.)


archiulugghìa

From Ancient Greek ἀρχαιολογία (arkhaiología), from compound of ἀρχαῖος (arkhaîos, “old, archaic”) + λόγος (lógos, “study”).


arbergu

arberghi (plural)
albergu (alternative)
abbeggu (alternative)
abbergu (alternative)

Probably a learned word from Italian albergo, from Gothic haribergo (military lodging)


pusata

Possibly from Spanish posada (a place of rest), a derivative of posar, from Latin pausare (to pause, cease)


ghiurnu

ghiornu (canonical masculine)
ghiorna (plural)
ghiornu (alternative)
iornu (alternative)
iurnu (alternative)
jornu (alternative)
jurnu (alternative)
giornu (alternative)
giurnu (alternative)


ràdica

ràdichi (plural)
radica (alternative pronunciation-spelling)
rarica (alternative pronunciation-spelling)
ràrica (alternative dialectal)
ràdiga (alternative dialectal)

From Vulgar Latin *rādica, from Latin rādīcula, diminutive of rādīx (“root”). Compare Italian radica and Sardinian rádica.

I ràdichi di sta macchia su' funni vinti metri sutta â terra.

This tree's roots can go as deep as twenty metres underground.

I danni nnâ ràdica su' prubblemi cumuni di stricàrisi forti i denti.

Root damage is a common problem of overbrushing.

A ràdica è l'ùnica parti viva dî capiḍḍi.

The root is the only part of the hair that is alive.

(botany) ipecacuanha (Carapichea ipecacuanha)


museu

From Latin mūsēum (“library, study”), from Ancient Greek Μουσεῖον (Mouseîon), shrine of the Muses (Μοῦσα (Moûsa)).


neofita

From Latin neophytus, from Koine Greek νεόφυτος (neóphutos, “newly planted”).


sferra

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

surf

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

Nun vanta lu coraggiu, e l’arruganza, ¶ Nè vanta imprisi di la sua sfirricchia[…].

He doesn't boast of bravery or arrogance, nor about the feats of his small rusty knife.

a knife without handle, especially if old

a bolt that secures the hoe blade to the handle


stizza

→ Italian: stizza

Probably a diminutive variant of Latin stīlla (“drop”), from stīria (“frozen drop, icicle”).

comu fussi na stizza, comu fussi na sarma, tiritùppiti nnâ vucca 'i l'arma

(figurative, often for beverage) a few, a bite


cafè

→ Maltese: kafè


ìsula

From Vulgar Latin *isula, from Latin īnsula.

island (area of land surrounded by water)


suppa

From Late Latin suppa, borrowed from Proto-Germanic *supô, *suppa (“slice of soaked bread; soup”) (whence English soup).


sinna

From Latin signa (through the intermediate Vulgar Latin *singa~sinna) feminized plural of signum. Doublet of signu, singu/sinnu. Akin to Spanish seña and Catalan senya.


paci

From Latin pācem, accusative singular of pāx.


poju

→ Italian: Poi (topography; plural)

Inherited from Latin podium (“hillock”), through an earlier *pojiu. Cognate with Aragonese pueyo, Catalan pui, Asturian poyu, Spanish poyo, French puy. Doublet of podiu.

Ni videmu ê poji.


puppu

Alternative form of purpu (Regressive assimilation of the r)


nivi

Urvicati 'ntra li nivi / Li capanni a lu straventu
Buried in the snow / The huts in the strong wind

1874, Giovanni Meli, “Invernu”, in Poesie:


mmernu

mmerni (plural)
invernu (alternative)
mmiernu (alternative)
nvernu (alternative)
nvèrnu (alternative)

From Late Latin hībernum. For the added nasal in the first syllable, cf. Italian inverno, etc.


gièrdula

From Italian lucertola (“lizard”), from Latin lacerta (“lizard”).


varva

varvi (plural)
barba (alternative)
varba (alternative)


mustazzu

From Early Medieval Latin mustācium, ultimately from Ancient Greek μύσταξ (mústax, “upper lip”).


agneddu

From Latin agnellus, from diminutive of agnus, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂egʷnós.


nzettu

From Latin insectum (“cut up”), from perfect passive participle of insecō (“I cut up”), from in- + secō (“I cut”).


àrbulu

àrbuli (plural)
àrvulu (alternative possibly)

Borrowed from Spanish árbol. Doublet of àrbiru, which was inherited.


àrburu

àrburi (plural)
àrbiru (alternative)
àrvuru (alternative)
àrbulu (alternative)
àrvulu (alternative)

From Latin arbor, arborem. Probably inherited but perhaps via Spanish árbol.


àrbiru

àrbiri (plural)
àrburu (alternative)
àrvuru (alternative)

From Latin arborem f. Doublet of àrbulu, which was borrowed from Spanish.


àrvulu

àrvuli (plural)
àrbiru (alternative)
àrvuru (alternative)
àrbulu (alternative)
àrburu (alternative)

From Latin arbor, possibly via Spanish árbol.


pumu

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

M'aggruppau un manciari ntô pumu.


jaddina

jaddini (plural)
aḍḍina (alternative)
gaḍḍina (alternative)
jaḍḍina (alternative)


chiazza

square (an open space between buildings in a city)


civu

civi (plural)
cibbu (alternative)
cibu (alternative)

Inherited from Latin cibus. The alternative forms may reflect influence from Italian cibo, a borrowing from Latin.


cona

From Ancient Greek εἰκών (eikṓn, “likeness, image, portrait”), probably through Byzantine Greek εικόνα (eikóna).


sèculu

→ Maltese: seklu

Semi-learned borrowing from Latin sēculum (“lifetime, age”), from saeculum (“lifetime, age”).


tettu

From Latin tēctum, from tēctus, perfect passive participle, from tegō (“I cover”).


jardinu

jardina (plural)
iardinu (alternative)
giardinu (alternative)

→ Italian: Giardina

→ English: Giardina

From Medieval Latin jardinus, from Old Frankish *gardin, oblique case of *gardō (“enclosure, yard”), from Proto-Germanic *gardô (“enclosure, garden, house”), from Proto-Indo-European *gʰordʰos (“hedge, enclosure”), from Proto-Indo-European *gʰerdʰ- (“court, yard”). Cognate with French jardin, German Garten, Italian giardino, Spanish jardín.


scorcia

From scortea (“leather bag or garment”), substantivization of scorteus (“made of skin or leather”), from Latin scortum (“skin, hide”). Compare French écorce, Romanian scoarță, Italian scorza.

(by extension) husk, peel, skin (of fruit, etc.)


cocu

→ English: Coco, Lo Coco

→ Italian: Coco, Lo Coco

→ Maltese: kok


paracqua

From para- + acqua. Cognate with Italian paracqua and Spanish paraguas.


furca

(tool, agriculture) fork (instrument used in agriculture and gardening)


fasola

→ Maltese: fażola

From Latin phaseolus, probably from Ancient Greek φάσηλος (phásēlos).


facci

Ultimately inherited from Latin faciēs. The attended inherited reconstruction should be *fazzi (cf. Sicilian spezzi). It remains unclear how the palatalization appeared. One hypothesis leads towards the linguistic influence of an Old French or Norman stratum. Compare, for more, accia, sacciu, siccia for similiar morphological developments into Sicilian. Cognate with Italian faccia, Catalan faç, Sardinian facci, Galician and Portuguese face. That, along with the apparent absence—at least in the 1920's—of a Sicilian variant with final /-a/ (again per the AIS), makes a borrowing from Italian faccia unlikely.


lutra

→ Maltese: lutra


scroti

[ˈʃkrɔː.t̪ɪ̟]


peddi

skin (outer covering of the body of a person)


mugghieri

mugghieri (plural)
muggheri (alternative)
muglieri (alternative)

From Latin mulierem. Compare Italian moglie, Neapolitan mugliera.

A married woman, especially in relation to her spouse; wife.


casciuni

→ Maltese: kexxun


lacu

From Latin lacus, from Proto-Italic *lakus, from Proto-Indo-European *lókus (“lake, pool”).


ciuri

ciuri (plural)
ciura (plural)
çuri (alternative)
çiuri (alternative proscribed)
fiuri (alternative proscribed)
fluri (alternative proscribed)
hiuri (alternative proscribed)
sciuri (alternative proscribed)
xhiuri (alternative proscribed)
xhuri (alternative proscribed)
xiuri (alternative proscribed)
xuri (alternative proscribed)

Inherited from Latin flōrem. Compare Neapolitan sciore, Italian fiore.


sceccu

→ Italian: scecco

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


vuliri

From Vulgar Latin volēre, regularized from Latin velle.


cristianu

From Latin Christiānus, possibly borrowed.


marteddu

From Late Latin martellus, itself a diminutive of martulus, variant of Latin marculus, or alternatively based on malleus.


racina

[ʐä.ˈʃiː.nä]

[ɾä.ˈʃiː.nä]

Borrowed from Old French raisine (“grape”).


cunigghiu

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

cunigliu (alternative)
cuniddu (alternative)


cunigghieddu

diminutive of cunigghiu; bunny, young rabbit.


vurpi

vurpi (plural)
gurpi (alternative)
vulpi (alternative)
gulpi (alternative)

desc

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

→ Maltese: gilpa (from the form gulpi)

Vulpes vulpes
Vulpes vulpes#Translingual

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


jattu

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


pècura

pècuri (plural)
piècura (alternative)
pjècura (alternative)
pìcura (alternative)

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


munzeddu

scn-noun

munzeddu m (plural munzeddi or munzedda)


càusi

Alternative form of causi (redundant diacritic)


avverbiu

Borrowed from Italian avverbio, from Latin adverbium.


ucchiata

From Vulgar Latin *oculāta, ultimately from Latin oculus (“eye”). Or by surface analysis, occhiu + -ata.


occhiu

From Vulgar Latin oclus, from Latin oculus. Compare Italian occhio.

uocchiu (alternative)
occiu (alternative)
uocciu (alternative)


dizziunariu

→ Maltese: dizzjunarju

Borrowed from Medieval Latin dictiōnārium (“dictionary”), derived from Latin dictiō (“saying, speaking”) + -ārium.


cìciru

→ Italian: Cicero

→ English: Cicero

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


jinnaru

From Vulgar Latin ienuārius, from Latin Iānuārius.


frivaru

From Late Latin Febrārius, from Latin Februārius (“of February”).


giugnu

→ Maltese: Ġunju


agustu

desc

→ Maltese: Awwissu, Awissu, Ewissu (dialectal)

From Vulgar Latin agustus, from Latin augustus.


sittèmmiru

from the variant <i class="Latn mention" lang="scn">sittembru</i>

→ Maltese: Settembru (from the variant sittembru)

From Early Medieval Latin Septembrius, from Latin September.


sittembri

Alternative form of sittèmmiru: September


nuvèmmiru

From Late Latin Novembrius, from Latin November. Compare Portuguese novembro.

nuvembri (alternative)
nuvèmmuru (alternative)
novembru (alternative)
nuvembru (alternative)


nuvembri

nuvèmmiru (alternative)
nuvèmmuru (alternative)


dicèmmiru

From Medieval Latin Decembrius, from Latin December. Compare Portuguese dezembro.

dicembri (alternative)
dicembru (alternative)


picciridda

[pɪt.t͡ʃɪˈɾiɖ.ɖɑ̝]


picciottu

picciotti (plural)
picciuottu (alternative)
picciò (alternative)
picciù (alternative)

Italian: picciotto

From Occitan pichòt (“small, young”). See also picca and picciriḍḍu. Compare Sardinian pizzoccu.

Staju travagghiannu a picciottu.


picciotta

[pɪtˈt͡ʃɔt̪.t̪ɑ̝]


focu

From Latin focus (“hearth”). Compare Italian fuoco, Romanian foc, Spanish fuego.


ciamma

ciammi (plural)
çamma (alternative)
çiamma (alternative)
xhamma (alternative)
xhiamma (alternative)

From Latin flamma. Compare Italian fiamma, Spanish llama, Portuguese chama, French flamme.


ziu

zii (plural)
zia (feminine)
zu (alternative)

From Late Latin thius, from Ancient Greek θεῖος (theîos). Compare Italian zio (“uncle”), Sardinian tiu or tziu.

elder male person, not strictly a relative


scupa

From Latin scōpa. Compare Italian scopa (“broom”).

a card game also known by its Italian name: scopa


ogghiu

oil (all types of oil, edible, fuel, motor oil, etc.)

di jornu nun nni vogghiu e â notti sfardu ogghiu


marruggiu

Uncertain. Percieved as the univerbation of mi (“me, myself”) + arruggiu (“I rust”), given the ferrous nature of many rods and sticks, but this could be treated as folk etymology.

(mostly ironic, vulgar) cock, dick, penis


bastuni

Probably from a Vulgar Latin *bastō, bastonis, itself a modification of Late Latin bastum, or possibly noun use of the verb *bastō, from Ancient Greek βαστάζω (bastázō).


pirtusu

pirtusi (plural)
pirtusa (plural)
purtusu (alternative)


famigghia

[fɑ̝ˈmiɟ.ɟɑ̝]


aneddu

From Latin anellus, diminutive of ānus (“anus, ring”).


barcuni

barcuna (plural)
barcuni (plural)
balcuni (alternative)


ovu

ova (plural)
uou (alternative)
uovu (alternative)
ou (alternative alternative)

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

unni càcanu i palummi e fannu l'ova tunni tunni

(zoology, countable) An approximately spherical or ellipsoidal body produced by birds, reptiles, insects and other animals, housing the embryo during its development.

Fìcimu nu beḍḍu pisci d'ovu cu tri ova.

U massaru mi vulìa dunari na para di ova frischi, ma ci dissi ca sugnu allèrgicu a l'ova.

The farmer offered me some fresh eggs, but I told him I was allergic to egg.

(countable, uncountable) The egg of a domestic fowl (especially a hen) or its contents, used as food.

(biology, countable) The female primary cell, the ovum.

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


tronu

From Latin tonus, probably through a Late Latin or Vulgar Latin *tronus, incremented with an -r- due to influence from *tronitus < tonitrus. Alternatively, it may have derived from Old Spanish (compare Spanish trueno), cf. also Portuguese trom, Catalan tro, Occitan tron, obsolete/regional Italian trono / truono. Ultimately from Ancient Greek τόνος (tónos).


surci

surci (plural)
surgi (alternative)
sùrici (alternative)
sùlici (alternative)
surciu (alternative)
surgiu (alternative)

Sicilian: surgi (sonorized)

Italian: Sorge (italianized surname)

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

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


cavaddu

Alternative form of cavaḍḍu m (eye dialect)


jocu

joca (plural)
jochi (plural)
jòcura (plural)

From Latin jocus (“joke, jest”), iocus. Compare Italian gioco. Plural jòcura from Latin iocōrum (compare Romanian jocuri).


jucaturi

scn-noun

jucaturi m (plural jucaturi or jucatura)

jucari + -turi. Compare Italian giocatore.


giuggiulena

giuggiuleni (plural)
giurgiulena (alternative)

From Spanish ajonjolí, from Arabic جُلْجُلَان (juljulān, “sesame”). Doublet of ciciulena, the direct borrowing.


cuteddu

(eye dialect) Alternative form of cuteḍḍu


furchetta

From Italian forchetta, conflated with the diminutive of Sicilian furca (“pitchfork”). Displaced native Sicilian bruccetta.


cucchiara

cucchiari (plural)
cucciara (alternative)
cucchiaru (alternative)
cuggeru (alternative)

→ Italian: Cucchiara

Probably from Spanish cuchara, ultimately from Latin cochlearium. Compare Italian cucchiaio.


sonu

soni (plural)
sona (plural)
sònura (plural)

From Latin sonus (“sound”). Compare Italian suono.


rumuri

From Latin rūmor, rūmōrem. Compare Italian rumore (“noise”).


scrusciu

→ Italian: scruscio (regional)

Uncertain. Perhaps from Vulgar Latin *trosciare, from Lombardic *trausjan (“precipitate (referred to water)”), cognate with Gothic 𐌲𐌰𐌳𐍂𐌰𐌿𐍃𐌾𐌰𐌽 (gadrausjan). Compare Italian scroscio, Piedmontese scrussi.

der

scruxu (alternative)
sgrusciu (alternative)
sgruxu (alternative)


ciumi

ciumi (plural)
ciuma (plural)
çumi (alternative)
sciumi (alternative)
hiumi (alternative)
xhiumi (alternative)
xhumi (alternative)
xiumi (alternative)
xumi (alternative)
hjumi (alternative)
xhjumi (alternative)
xjumi (alternative)

→ Italian: ciumi (regional)

Inherited from Latin flūmen. Compare Neapolitan sciummo, Italian fiume.


vucca

vucchi (plural)
'ucca (alternative)
ucca (alternative)

"Rapi a vucca e fai 'aah'" dissi u dutturi.

"Open your mouth and say 'aah'," directed the doctor.

(anatomy) The opening of a creature through which food is ingested.

A vucca dû ciumi è nu bonu puntu pi taliari l'auceḍḍi nnâ primavera e nni l'autunnu.

The mouth of the river is a good place to go birdwatching in spring and autumn.

The end of a river out of which water flows into a sea or other large body of water.

Vucca ca nun parra si chiama cucuzza

(slang, metonymic) A locutor, a speaker, one who utters.

Cc'èranu cincu vucchi di fari manciari.


balata

Unknown, maybe from Arabic بَلَاط (balāṭ) or French


jitu

jita (plural)
jìditu (alternative)
jìritu (alternative)

From the apheresis of Latin digitus (“finger”).


populu

Alternative form of pòpulu m (non-orthographic spelling)


chimonu

Borrowed from Japanese 着物 (kimono, “clothing”), which is from 着 (“wearing”) + 物 (mono, “thing”).


azzaru

→ Italian: Azzaro

→ Maltese: azzar

From Late Latin aciārium, from Latin acies. Compare Italian acciaio, Neapolitan acciaro.


parrata

(linguistics) language; dialect, especially a local variant of the Sicilian language


dialettu

dialetti (plural)
rialettu (alternative)

From Latin dialectos, dialectus, from Ancient Greek διάλεκτος (diálektos).


mischinu

From Arabic مِسْكِين (miskīn), borrowed from Classical Syriac ܡܶܣܟܸܐܢܳܐ / ܡܶܣܟܸܢܳܐ / ܡܶܣܟܸܝܢܳܐ (meskēnā, “miserable, wretched”), from Akkadian 𒈦𒆕𒂗 (muškēnum, “commoner, poor”).

ܡܶܣܟܸܐܢܳܐ / ܡܶܣܟܸܢܳܐ / ܡܶܣܟܸܝܢܳܐ


cucuzza

cucuzzi (plural)
cocozza (alternative dialectal)

→ Italian: Cucuzza

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

Cucurbita maxima
Cucurbita maxima#Translingual


fìcatu

ficatu (canonical masculine)
fìcutu (alternative)

From Late Latin fīcātum (“liver”), from Latin iecur fīcātum (“fig-stuffed liver”).


mèusa

Compare Italian milza, Catalan melsa. Ultimately of Germanic origin, from Proto-Germanic *miltiją.


sangu

From Late Latin sangu(em), alteration of Classical Latin sanguinem.


cuda

From Vulgar Latin cōda, variant of Latin cauda.


palora

palori (plural)
parola (alternative)
paràula (alternative)
palàura (alternative)

With metathesis, from Late Latin, from Latin parabola, from Ancient Greek παραβολή (parabolḗ).


purpetta

purpetti (plural)
pulpetta (alternative)


scimunitu

Italian: scimunito

From the past participle of the verb scimuniri. Compare Italian scemo.


liuni

→ Maltese: ljun


ficu

Italian: la fico (Sicily)

Italian: la fica (Salento)


ficu d'Innia

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

ficu di pala (alternative)
ficu 'i pala (alternative)
ficu-pala (alternative)
ficu r'Ìnia (alternative)

Any of various spiny cacti of the genus Opuntia.

The fruit, often edible, of such a plant.


riccu

Ultimately from Proto-Germanic *rīkijaz. Compare Italian ricco.


scaffa

Pigghiai na scaffa câ màchina


robba

From Vulgar Latin rauba, of Germanic origin, likely via Gothic or Frankish *raub, all from Proto-Germanic *raubaz. Cognate with Italian roba, English robe (rob and reave).


babbaluci

babbaluci (plural)
babbaluciu (alternative)
vavaluci (alternative)
vavalucu (alternative)
vavalucia (alternative)
bucalaci (alternative)

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

af

scala a babbaluci

babbaluci d'acqua

babbaluci cilesti

lu babbaluci trizzìa la tartuca

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

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

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


cafisu

Italian: Cafiso

English: Cafiso

qafiz, a measurement of volume used to measure quantities of olive oil


pumiriggiu

[pʊmɪˈɾid͡ːʒʊ]

From Latin post merīdiem (“after noon”). Compare Italian pomeriggio.


brioscia

A vita è comu na brioscia: na raputa 'i cosci


milinciana

milinciani (plural)
mulinciana (alternative)
mulanciana (alternative)
milinzana (alternative)

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

der

Arabic باذنجان

Persian بادنجان


surgi

→ Italian: Sorge

→ English: Sorge

(Sonorized dialects) Alternative form of surci


'nduja

→ English: nduja

→ Italian: 'nduja

[n̩̪ˈd̪uːjä]

From Old French andoille, ultimately from Latin indūcō (“cover, overlay”).

nugghia (alternative)
nduglia (alternative)

(originally southern Calabria) nduja (spicy spreadable sausage from Calabria)


sapuni

→ Maltese: sapun (partly)

From Latin sāpōnem, accusative singular of sāpō, from Proto-Germanic *saipǭ.


limaccia

From Latin līmax (“slime, mud”) or Italian limaccia.


cummogghiu

Uncertain. Possibly from Old Sicilian *cummoliu, from cu + *mmoliu, from Vulgar Latin *involium, back-formation of Vulgar Latin *involeō, ultimately from involvo. Cf. also Latin volō > Vulgar Latin voleō > Sicilian vogghiu.
Compare also the verb cummigghiari, where it has — not following the normal Sicilian phonology — changed the "o" into "i". Compare eventually also Italian convoglio (and Italian invoglio).


cuverchiu

From Vulgar Latin *coperclum, from Latin cooperculum, from cooperiō.


seggia

From Old French sege, from Vulgar Latin *sēdicum, from sēdēs. Compare also Italian sedia.


fogghia

From Late Latin folia, from the plural of Latin folium.


specchiu

From speclum, from Latin speculum (“mirror”).


vrazzu

vrazza (plural)
brazzu (alternative)
frazzu (alternative)
vurazzu (alternative)

From Vulgar Latin braccium, from Latin bracchium, from Ancient Greek βραχίων (brakhíōn).
Compare French bras, Italian braccio, Portuguese braço, Spanish brazo,


triaca

From Latin theriaca, from Ancient Greek θηριακή (thēriakḗ, “antidote”) feminine form of θηριακός (thēriakós, “concerning venomous beasts”), from θήρ (thḗr, “beast”).

(historical, pharmacology) theriac, a supposed universal antidote against poison, especially snake venom; specifically, one such developed in the 1st century as an improvement on mithridate.

(typically Sicilian) A pasta dish made with fresh beans and served almost as a soup


mussu

Sicilian: Mussu

→ Italian: Musso

From the gemination of Latin mūsus (cf. muccu). Compare also Italian muso, Spanish muso.


cumpà

→ English: goombah


dromu

From Ancient Greek δρόμος (drómos, “street”).


jiritu

jirita (plural)
jiditu (alternative)
jitu (alternative)
iditu (alternative)
itu (alternative)


ugna

From Vulgar Latin *ungla, from Latin ungula (“nail”) or maybe from Spanish uña (“nail”).


scidda

From Late Latin ascella or Vulgar Latin *axella, from Latin axilla (“armpit”).


cascia

casci (plural)
caxa (alternative)
cassa (alternative)

Possibly borrowed from Old Catalan caixa (“box”), from earlier Occitan caissa, from Latin capsa. Cognate with English cash.


tabbutu

→ Italian: tabbuto (regional)


jamma

jammi (plural)
gamma (alternative)
iamma (alternative)


ghianca

Alternative form of chianca (sonorized variant)


jencu

→ English: Genco

→ Italian: Genco

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

calf (young cow or bull); bullock or heifer


puttusu

puttusa (plural)
purtusu (alternative)
pittusu (alternative)
pirtusu (alternative)


ciacca

ciacchi (plural)
çiacca (alternative)
çacca (alternative)
hiacca (alternative)
xhiacca (alternative)
xhacca (alternative)
xiacca (alternative)
xacca (alternative)
hjacca (alternative)
xhjacca (alternative)
xjacca (alternative)


ciareddu

ciareddi (plural)
ciavreddu (alternative)
ciarveddu (alternative)
ciaraveddu (alternative)
ciarvieddu (alternative)
ciavareddu (alternative)

/t͡ʃaˈɾɛɖɖu/

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


ciauru

Alternative form of ciàguru (eye dialect)


fetu

From Latin fetor (“stink”). Compare Italian fetore.


vogghia

From Latin volō, possibly through a Vulgar Latin root *volia, or from vogghiu, first person singular present of vuliri. Compare Italian voglia.


agnuni

→ Italian: Agnone Bagni

From Old Sicilian anguni, possibly from Ancient Greek ἀγκών (ankṓn, “elbow”), or from the Latin prefix in + Ancient Greek γωνία (gōnía, “corner angle”). Alternatively, possibly from a Vulgar Latin *angulōnem, from Latin angulus (through hypothetical older Sicilian forms *anguluni > *anghiuni); compare Sardinian ungrone, angrone.


duluri

dulura (plural)
ruluri (alternative)
diluri (alternative)
riluri (alternative)


pitagghiu

[pɪˈt̪a̠ɟːʊ]


dumìnica

dumìnichi (plural)
duminicadìa (alternative)

Inherited from Late Latin [diēs] Dominica (literally “day of the Lord”).


pulizzìa

pulizzìi (plural)
polizzìa (alternative)
polizzia (alternative)
pulizzia (alternative)

From Latin politia (“state, government”), from Ancient Greek πόλις (pólis, “city”).


ghiancheri

ghiancheri (plural)
chiancheri (alternative)
chianchieri (alternative)

[ɟːjãŋˈkɛɾɪ]

[ɡːjãŋˈkɛɾɪ]

From ghianca (“butchershop”) + -eri (“-er”).


cianciuta

cianciuti (plural)
chianciuta (alternative)

[t͡ʃãn̠ʲˈt͡ʃuːt̪a]

[t͡ʃãn̠ʲˈd͡ʒuːt̪a]

Feminine past participle of ciànciri (“to cry”).


crastuni

garden snail, (Cornu aspersum, now Cantareus aspersus or, possibly, Cryptomphalus aspersus)


stuppateddu

stuppateddi (plural)
attuppateddu (alternative)
'ntuppateddu (alternative)


lignu

From Latin līgnum. Compare Italian legno.


moffa

moffi (plural)
mmoffa (alternative)
boffa (alternative)


tumpuluni

tumpuluni (plural)
tuppuluni (alternative)

From Ancient Greek τύπτω (túptō), with the Sicilian suffix -uni.


tumpulata

tumpulati (plural)
tuppulata (alternative)

From Ancient Greek τύπτω (túptō, “hit”), influenced by Spanish bofetada (“slap”).


jancu

janchi (plural)
biancu (alternative)
brancu (alternative)

From Early Medieval Latin blancus, of Frankish origin. Compare Neapolitan janco, Italian bianco.


cuperta

From cupriri (“to cover”). Compare Italian coperta (“blanket”).


cuttuni spusu

mcuttuna spusi class uttuni spusu (canonical)


ruppu

(Apheretic g) Alternative form of gruppu


siccia

Inherited from Latin sēpia. The phonological shift from the Latin -VpjV- to -Vtt͡ʃV- are usually outputs from an Old French or Norman stratum. Compare French seiche and Neapolitan seccia for a palatalized output among other Romance languages, and Italian seppia for a non-palatilized one. Cfr., for more, accia, facci, sacciu.

Mi manciai a pasta cû nìguru di siccia.

I ate pasta with cuttlefish's black [ink].


faciola

From Latin phaseolus, probably from Ancient Greek φάσηλος (phásēlos).


ciriveddu

cirivedda (plural)
cirveddu (alternative)
cirbeddu (alternative)

From Latin cerebellum (“brain”), diminutive of cerebrum.


màchina fotugràfica

head

màchina fotugràfica f (plural màchini fotugràfichi)


ghioviri

[ˈɟːɔ(v)ɨɾɪ]

[ˈɡɡjɔ(v)ɪɾɪ]

From Vulgar Latin *plovere, from Classical Latin pluere.

chioviri (alternative)
chiòviri (alternative)
ciòviri (alternative)
chiuppiri (alternative)


jimmu

From Latin gimbus, from an earlier Latin gibbus (“hump”).


disiu

From Early Medieval Latin dēsideus, from Latin dēsidia (“sloth, debauchery”).


carabbineri

From Italian carabiniere (“carabineer”).


agugghia

agugghi (plural)
avugghia (alternative)
'gugghia (alternative)
'vugghia (alternative)
augghia (alternative)
vugghia (alternative)
ugghia (alternative)

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

pirtusu/funnu di l'agugghia

Belone belone
Belone belone#Translingual

(ichthyology)
broadnosed pipefish (Syngnathus typhle)


sonnu

sonna (plural)
sònnura (plural)
suonnu (alternative)
suennu (alternative)
sunnu (alternative)

From Latin somnus (“sleep”), from Proto-Italic *swepnos, from Proto-Indo-European *swépnos. Compare Portuguese sono, Italian sonno (“sleep”) and Spanish sueño (“sleep”).

Àju assai sonnu.


sonnu

From Vulgar Latin *somnum, from Latin somnium (“dream”); otherwise directly from somnus (“sleep”) (as Etymology 1). Compare Portuguese sonho, Italian sogno (“dream”) and Spanish sueño (“dream”).

suonnu (alternative)
sognu (alternative)
suonnu (alternative)
suennu (alternative)
sunnu (alternative)

A l'autra notti fici un sonnu.


cuppinu

→ Italian: coppino (regional)


ariddu

(eye dialect) Alternative form of agriḍḍu


pisci spata

Xiphias gladius
Xiphias gladius#Translingual


palluni

From Italian pallone (“ball”). Doublet of baḍḍuna.


nuvula

From Latin nūbila (“cloud”), noun use of the feminine of the adjective nūbilus (“cloudy”). Compare Italian nuvola.


sùrfuru

surfuru (alternative pronunciation-spelling)
sùffuru (alternative)
sùrfaru (alternative)
sùrfiru (alternative)


vitru

From Latin vitrum. Compare Italian vetro.


friddu

From Latin frīgidus (“cold”) (through a syncopated Vulgar Latin or Late Latin form frigdus, fricdus, attested in the Appendix Probi, or fridus, found in a Pompeian inscription), itself from frīgeō (“to be cold”).


caluri

From Latin calōrem, accusative singular of calor.


cuscinu

From Vulgar Latin *cossinum, *coxinum, ultimately from Latin coxa, possibly through another intermediate; cf. Italian cuscino, French coussin.


orbu

From Latin orbus, possibly influenced by a Gallo-Italian language.


orvu

Cc'era 'na vota un orvu, un ciuncu e un mutu.

1888, Giuseppe Pitrè, Fiabe e legende popolari Siciliane, page 252:

Once upon a time there was a blind man, a cripple, and a mute.


lapuni

From lapa (“bee”) + -uni (augmentative suffix).


ienniru

From Latin gener, generum (“son-in-law”), from Proto-Indo-European *ǵm̥ros, from Proto-Indo-European *ǵem-.


sticchiu

Italian: sticchio

From the apheresis of Vulgar Latin *(o)stic(u)lum literally meaning "narrow entrance", from ōstium (“door, entrance”) + -culus (diminutive suffix). See also pacchiu.


vuccuni

vuccuna (plural)
buccuni (alternative)
muccuni (alternative)

From Sicilian vucca (“mouth”). Compare Italian boccone.


pruvulazzu

From prùvula (“dust”) + -azzu (diminutive/pejorative suffix), the first element a double-metathesis of Late Latin pulvera, neuter plural based on Latin pulvis m, from Proto-Indo-European *pel- (“dust; flour”).


quagghia

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

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


palumma

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

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

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

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


jurnata

'Na jurnata ca la picciotta era sula misi a girari ddu gran palazzu; girannu, vidi 'na purticedda; grapi e vidi tri beddi picciutteddi [...]

1873, Giuseppe Pitrè, Novelline popolari siciliane raccolte in Palermo ed annotate, page 49:

One day that the girl was alone, she set off to wander around the palace; wandering, she saw a small door; opened it and saw three handsome boys...


senia

From Arabic سَانِيَة (sāniya). First attested in the 1371–81.

noria (bucketed water wheel to raise water)


capu

From Vulgar Latin capus, masculinization of Latin caput. Cfr. capa.


sicilianità

sicilianità (plural)
sicilianitati (alternative)

sicilianu (“Sicilian”) + -ità (“-ness”).

The quality, state or characteristic of being Sicilian; Sicilianness or Sicilianism

Being in conformity with what is considered peculiarly Sicilian or proper to Sicilians in language, nature, custom, culture, civilization

More commonly, being and feeling Sicilian; belonging to Sicilian civilization, history, culture and language, and above all the awareness of this belonging


panz'i bira

scn-noun

panza i bira m or f (plural panzi i bira)

panza i bira (canonical feminine masculine)
panzi i bira (plural)


liotru

Possibly from Ancient Greek Ἡλιόδωρος (Hēliódōros), in particular from Heliodorus of Catania.
It is wrongly thought to mean “elephant” in Sicilian language. Compare Sicilian liafanti (“elephant”).

Monument in the center of Catania, known as Fontana dell'Elefante


armacìa

armacia (canonical feminine)
armacii (plural)


scorpiuni

From Latin scorpio or Italian scorpione or Ancient Greek σκορπίων (skorpíōn).


stranutu

From Late Latin sternūtum, from Latin sternuō.


piccaturi

Chianci lu giustu pri lu piccaturi.

1885, Thomas Frederick Crane, Italian popular tales, page 362:


cuccu

→ Italian: cucco (regional)

From an unattested Late Latin *cuccus, possibly a Wanderwort, ultimate from the same source of Latin cuculus ~cucus. Possibly of imitative origin. Cognate with English cuckoo, Greek κούκκος (koúkkos), Italian cuculo.

(historical, derogatory, communities neighbouring Buscemi) an inhabitant of Buscemi


lanna

lanni (plural)
landa (alternative)
landia (alternative)
lannia (alternative)

→ Italian: landa (see there for further descendants)

→ Maltese: landa

From Late Latin lāmina, shortened variant of Latin lāmina. Cognate with Italian lama, French lame, Catalan llama, Spanish lámina.


malocchiu

English: maloik

From malu + occhiu or Italian malocchio.


occhiu potenti

occhi potenti (plural)
occhiu putenti (alternative)


pipituni

pipituna (plural)
pupituni (alternative)


cocciu

Probably from Ancient Greek κόκκος (kókkos, “grain, seed, pill, berry from the scarlet oak”) or via Latin. See Etymology 2.


cocciu

From Latin coccum (“berry from the scarlet oak, actually an insect”), from Ancient Greek κόκκος (kókkos, “grain, seed, pill, berry from the scarlet oak”).


rannula

From Late Latin grandeŏla, from Latin grando. Compare italian gragnola.


sciarra

sciarri (plural)
sciàrria (alternative)
stràrria (alternative)

Italian: Sciarra

[ˈʂɽaʐ.ʐɪ.a]

From Arabic شِجَار (šijār, “scuffle”). Different from scerra, this latter a variant of sferra.

quarrel, row, altercation, tiff, squabble, dispute


sciara

→ Italian: sciara

Uncertain. Apparently of Arabic origin. Italian academia, in the hope of attributing a source, has over time accumulated unproven hypotheses found in Ancient Greek σκῐερός (skĭerós, “shady, dark coloured”) (in reference to the color of the lava stone) and a not better explained derivation from Latin flāgrō (“I burn”) (cfr. ciàguru for this latter).

(geology) A mound of magmatic scoriae formed along lava flows.


soggiru

Alternative form of sòggiru (eye dialet)


anciova

→ Italian: anciova (regional)

[a̠n̠ʲˈt͡ʃɔːva̠]

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


baciannicchiu

(vulgar, slang) fool, silly, stupid, idiot


calia

Unknown, maybe from Latin or Arabic.
Possibly from Arabic قَلَا (qalā, “to fry”). Compare callu, dialectal variant of caudu (“hot”).


camula

clothes moth larva (Tineola bisselliella)


canigghia

From Vulgar Latin *canīlia (“things for dogs”), neuter plural of adjective *canīlis, from Latin canis (“dog”). Related with cani.

inh

(usually uncountable) bran (outer layer of a grain)

(usually in the plural) freckles (spots on the skin)


carusu

adurtu

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

→ Italian: caruso, Caruso

Disputed. Some have sustained a not well explained derivation from Ancient Greek κόρος (kóros, “boy”). More likely it derives from a vulgar readjectivized use of Latin cārus (“dear, beloved; expensive”), from caru (“dear, beloved”) + -usu (-ose, -ous), then substantivized. If this latter is right, compare Irish cara and English whore for similar developments.

affix

Vacci a leggiu cu iḍḍu: è ancora 'n carusu.

(historical, mid-1800s) an exploited boy, among 6-14 years approximately, used as a labourer in a sulfur, salt or potash mine, due to their ability to enter narrow shafts of mines.


crastu

Maybe from Latin castro or Ancient Greek κριός (kriós).


cucuzza longa

(botany) Cucurbita moschata var. serpente di Sicilia


cuttigghiu

cuttigghi (plural)
curtigghiu (alternative)

[kʊˈt̪ːiɟːʊ]

[kʊˈt̪ːiʝːʊ]


ciciulena

ciuciulena (alternative)
giurgiulena (alternative)
giggiulena (alternative)
giuggiulena (alternative)


camurria

camurrii (plural)
camurrìa (alternative)
camuria (alternative)

From Latin gonorrhoea, from Ancient Greek γονόρροια (gonórrhoia). Cf. also Spanish camorrear.


cchiui

From Latin plus.
The initial pl- changed regularly into a geminated cchi- while the final Latin -s turned into -i as happened also in nui, vui and poi.
Compare (earlier) Italian piue/più, Neapolitan cchiuje/cchiù.


dumanna

From Late Latin demanda, or from the verb dumannari.


gnegnu

From Latin ingenium or Ancient Greek γιγνώσκω (gignṓskō).


grasta

From metathesis of Ancient Greek γάστρα (gástra) or γαστήρ (gastḗr).


jastima

Deverbal from jastimari. Doublet of lastima.


nicchiu

Unknown, maybe from Italian nicchio (“shell”).


muntarozzu

muntarozza (plural)
muntaruozzu (alternative)

→? Italian: Monti Rossi (misspelled italianized toponym)

From munti (“mountain, hill”) + -arozzu (suffix). Compare for the same desinence Italian bacarozzo.


maravigghia

From Spanish maravilla. Ultimately from Latin mirabilia.

(mainly in bad sense) amazement, astonishment, surprise

(merely descriptive, non derogatory) weird thing or person; freak of nature

merely descriptive; non derogatory; merely descriptive; non derogatory

Si' nu maravigghia.

(derogatory, by extension) dumb, asshole


miricanu

miricani (plural)
amiricanu (alternative)
mericanu (alternative)

From America. Compare Italian americano.


nzoddira

needless, useless thing, who creates chaos, especially in a room.


pagghia

From Latin palea. Compare French paille, Catalan palla, Italian paglia.


scassapagghiaru

scn-noun

scassapagghiaru m (plural scassapagghiari)


sciollera

sciolleri (plural)
sciollira (alternative)


nuci

From Latin nucem, accusative singular of nux.


curria

currìa (canonical feminine)
currìi (plural)
curriei (plural)


culu

(slang, vulgar, anatomy) ass, arse, butt, buttocks, bottom


ciaula

ciauli (plural)
ciàvula (alternative)
ciàula (alternative)

→ Maltese: ċawl

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

Various black cawing birds:
crow (Corvus corone)

Corvus corone
Corvus corone#Translingual

Various black cawing birds:
magpie (Pica pica)

Various black cawing birds:
jackdaw (Coloeus monedula)

Coloeus monedula
Coloeus monedula#Translingual

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

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

(figuratively) chatterbox (talkative person)


austu

(Silent [g] spelling) Alternative form of agustu


giugnettu

From a diminutive of giugnu (“June”), from iūnius, or more likely borrowed from Old French juignet. Compare Asturian xunetu, French juillet, Occitan julhet, Walloon djulete.


ngrisi

nghisi (alternative)
nglisi (alternative)


utri

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.


udu

From Latin ūdus (“wet”). Cognate with Aromanian ud, Dalmatian joit, Italian uggia, Romanian ud.

Sta' 'ttentu a l'acqua ca vuḍḍi ca putissi nèsciri u udu dâ pignata.

Be careful of the boiling water that "what's boiled" could come out of the pot.

(cooking) the cooking water while it is boiling


pitrusinu

[pɪʈ͡ʂʊˈsiːnʊ]

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

der

πετροσέλῑνον


dinaru

→ Italian: Denaro


Mèrica

Alternative form of America (both north and south continents)


mastru

mastri (plural)
majistru (alternative)
maistru (alternative)
maestru (alternative)
masciu (alternative)

Vulgarization of majistru, from the accusative of Latin magister. The stressed syllable shift could be explained with the conflation with a cognate variant, like the Catalan mestre. Compare Corsican maestru, French maitre, Ligurian méistro, Italian maestro, Sardinian maistru, Spanish maese.

Someone who has control over something or someone.

Janu è u mastru dâ muratura

L'àrburu mastru

(engineering) A device that is principal or carrier in a given facility.


cìcara

cìcari (plural)
cicara (alternative)
cìchira (alternative)

From Spanish jícara, from Classical Nahuatl xīcalli. Cognate with Venetan cìcara.


gebbia

gebbi (plural)
giebbia (alternative)
gjebbia (alternative)

→ Italian: gebbia, Gebbia

From Arabic جُبّ (jubb, “cistern, well”). Compare Spanish aljibe and Catalan aljub.


oduri

odduri (alternative)
oluri (alternative)
oruri (alternative)


mulu

(zoology) mule (hybrid offspring from a male donkey and a female horse)

(by extension) bastard (illegitimate child)


ària

From the metathesis of an earlier àira, from Latin āerem, accusative of āēr, from Ancient Greek ἀήρ (aḗr, “air”). See also Sicilian àriu.

Ch'è tinta oji l'ària.


uttùviru

Through an intermediate form *Octōbru(m), from Late Latin Octōbrius, from Latin Octōber. Compare Portuguese outubro.


cumpari

cumpari (plural)
cumpà (alternative)
mpari (alternative)
mbari (alternative)
mbare (alternative)

⇒ English: goombah

Possibly derived from an Occitan/Norman stratum (compare Old French pere), ultimately from Late Latin compater, compatrem, from Latin cum + pater. Cognate with Catalan compare, French compère, Italian compare, Neapolitan cumpà. See parrinu for a similar morphology.

(peer title) male witness at one's wedding, best man

An address used mutually between the groom and his own best man

Com'è cumpari, chi si dici? What's up buddy, how are you doing?


tarantinu

Tarantino (native or inhabitant of Taranto)


chianca

→ Italian: chianca (regional)

From Late Latin planca, variant of palanca, from earlier phalanga. Compare French planche, English plank, Portuguese chanca and prancha, Spanish plancha.


Saru

Diminutive of Rusariu, from Latin rosary. Cognate with Spanish Rosario and Italian Rosario.

a male given name, equivalent to English Rosario


porcu

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


ariu

(non trisyllabic) Alternative form of àriu


novembru

[…] lu vinticincu vui la gaudiriti ¶ lu misi di novembru, ch'è virnata.

1896, Salvatore Salomone Marino, Le Storie Popolari In Poesia Siciliana, page 45:


motta

→ Italian: Motta (surname)

→ Italian: Motta (toponym)

→ Italian: Motta Sant'Anastasia

→ Italian: Motta San Giovanni

→ Italian: Motta Santa Lucia

Possibly through Old French mote (“mound”), ultimately from Medieval Latin mota (“a mound, hill”), of Germanic origin, perhaps via Frankish *mot, *motta (“mud, peat, bog, turf”), from Proto-Germanic *mutô, *mudraz, *muþraz (“dirt, filth, mud, swamp”).


aciu

The etymon is uncertain. Probably derived from Old Occitan aize, because of the palatalization. Ultimately cognate with Galician azo, Italian agio, Portuguese azo, English ease, French aise.
The semantic development moved from "a place where to stay at ease", then passing through "restroom" and, by association, "a dirty place", to nowadays meanings.

Pulizzija ss'aciu.

(by extension, negative sense, slang) a disorder, confusion, mess

A l'autra sira cunzasti n'aciu.

You made a great job (literally) the other night.

(by extension, hyperbolic, positive sense, slang, behavioural) a great accomplishment, job or task


prau

Possibly conflated with Aragonese prau, ultimately from Latin pratum. Cognate with Asturian prau.


aparu

apari (plural)
apara (plural)
laparu (alternative)

→ English: Aparo

→ Italian: Aparo

From Latin apiarius, from apis (“a bee”) + -ārius (“agent of use”, “-keeper”).

suffix

A person who maintains hives and keeps bees, especially for the production of honey.


sarsa

sarsi (plural)
sassa (alternative)
sausa (alternative)

From Vulgar Latin *salsa, noun use of the feminine of Latin salsus (“salted”), past participle of saliō (“I salt”), from sal. Compare Italian salsa.


serbu

serbi (plural)
sebbu (alternative)
servu (alternative)
sevvu (alternative)

From Latin servus.
Compare Italian servo, Portuguese servo, Spanish siervo, Romanian șerb.


utru

utra (canonical feminine)
utri (plural)
utra (alternative)
utri (alternative)


utru

sfunnari l'utru


funtana

From Late Latin fontana, from Latin fontanus, from fons.


maiuranza

maggiuranza (alternative)
majuranza (alternative)


sinapi

Sinapis arvensis
Sinapis arvensis#Translingual

(wild) mustard, Sinapis arvensis (the plant and its grain)


jumenta

Inherited from Latin iūmenta pl. Doublet of jumentu.

female horse, donkey, or other beast of burden


alifanti

Borrowed from Latin elephantem. Cognate with Italian alifante.

Alternative form of liafanti (older variant, non metathetic)


purpu

purpi (plural)
pruppu (alternative)
puppu (alternative)
pùippu (alternative)

→ Italian: purpo, puppo

From an earlier *pōl(y)pus, so possibly from Doric Ancient Greek πώλυπος (pṓlupos) (variant of Ancient Greek πολύπους (polúpous), which gives also polypus). Compare Italian polpo, Sardinian pruppu.

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

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


majali

→? Maltese: majjal

From Latin maiālis (“uncastrated pig”). Cognate with Italian maiale.


scaffarrata

(please add an English translation of this quotation)

1875, Pitrè, Fiabe vol. 1, XIX Lu Scavu Si fa chiùjri 'nta 'na bella scaffarrata, e si fa purtari 'n Portugallu.(he enclosed himself in a glass-case and had it transported to Portugal.)


spinacia

Possibly - because of the feminine gender and the palatalization on the last syllable - from (or influenced by) Old French espinoche, from Old Occitan espinarc, ultimately from Arabic إِسْفَانَاخ (ʔisfānāḵ), from Classical Persian اسپناخ (ispanāx, ispināx).

derived

Arabic إِسْفَانَاخ (ʔisfānāḵ)


ramu

From Vulgar Latin *arāmen, variant of Late Latin aerāmen, derived from Latin aer-.

rammu (alternative)
rami (alternative)
rama (alternative)

(uncountable) A reddish-brown, malleable, ductile metallic element with high electrical and thermal conductivity, symbol Cu, and atomic number 29.

ramu:

The reddish-brown colour/color of copper.


cassatedda

From cassata + -edda (diminutive suffix). Cognate to Italian cassatella.

cassatella (deep-fried sweet ravioli from Trapani)


campusantu

campusantu m needs inflection (canonical)

From campu (“field”) + santu (“holy”). Compare Italian camposanto.


fonu

Borrowed from Italian fon, originally a brandname, from German Fön, from Föhn, a warm, dry wind.

Mû prujissi-tu u fonu ca ài a ḍḍocu banna, pi favuri?

Would you like tp hand out the hairdryer you have over there, please?


fonu

Possibly borrowed from Italian fono (“a phone”), imitative of English phone, ultimately Derived from Ancient Greek φωνή (phōnḗ, “sound”). Akin to sonu.

der+

(phonetics) A speech segment that possesses distinct physical or perceptual properties, considered as a physical event without regard to its place in the phonology of a language.


jovidìa

[ˌjɔvɪˈɾiːä]

From Latin Iovis diēs, variant of diēs Iovis (literally “day of Jupiter”).


venniridìa

[ˌvɛnːɪɾɪˈɾiːä]

From Latin Veneris dīēs, variant of dīēs Veneris (literally “day of Venus”).


sàbbatu

sàbbati (plural)
sàbbitu (alternative)
sàbbutu (alternative)
savi (alternative)

From Latin or Ecclesiastical Latin sabbatum, from Ancient Greek σάββατον (sábbaton), from Hebrew שַׁבָּת (šabbāṯ, “Sabbath”). Compare Italian sabato, among others.


sabbatudìa

[ˌsäbːat̪ʊˈɾiːä]

From Vulgar Latin Sabbatī diēs, from Latin diēs Sabbatī (literally “day of the Sabbath”).


astati

âstati (alternative)
stati (alternative)


idrògginu

[ɪˈʈɽɔd.d͡ʒɪ.nʊ]

Calque from French hydrogène, coined by Louis-Bernard Guyton de Morveau and Antoine Lavoisier, from Ancient Greek ὕδωρ (húdōr, “water”) + γεννάω (gennáō, “I bring forth”). Corresponding to idru- + -gen.
Cognate with Italian idrogeno, Corsican idrogenu, Portuguese hidrogénio, Spanish hidrógeno, and Neo-Latin hydrogenium.

Antoine Lavoisier
Louis-Bernard Guyton de Morveau


cummari

Possibly derived from an Occitan/Norman stratum (compare Old French mere), ultimately from Late Latin commāter, from com- (“together”) + māter (“mother”). Cognate with Catalan and Italian comare, Neapolitan cummà, Galician, Spanish, and Portuguese comadre, French commère, Norman conméthe, Romanian cumătră.

cog

Aciḍḍuzzu di me cummari / senza pinni e senza ali / si pusau supra a scagghiola / a testa di intra e l’ali di fora.

"Aciḍḍuzzu di me cummari", traditional song (as given in 2012, Nicolò La Perna, Rosa Balistreri - Rusidda... a licatisi, p. 292)

Little bird of my child's godmother / Without feathers and without wings / Alighted on the canary-grass / Head inside and wings outside.

female baptismal sponsor of one's child, cummer, godmother

female witness at one's wedding; maid of honor

girlfriend (close female friend) (usually between women)


vuccirìa

vuccirìi (plural)
buccirìa (alternative)
uccirìa (alternative)
vucciarìa (alternative)

Sicilian: Vuccirìa

→ Italian: Vucciria (regional)

Borrowed from Old French boucherie (“butchershop”), from Old French bouchier (“butcher”), from bouc (“he-goat”). Cognate to Catalan boqueria. Compare also Italian beccheria.

(figuratively, by extension) fuss, uproar


martidìa

[ˌmäɾt̪ɪˈɾiːä]

From Latin Martis dīēs, variant of dīēs Martis (literally “day of Mars”).


camiddu

Tira la corda, nzirraghja lu griddu, ¶ E darreri na macchja di ijnestra, ¶ Un Dainu mmazzau, quantu un camiddu.

1717, Silverio Sortino, Eneidi, translation of Aeneid by Virgil:

He pulls the rope, pulls the trigger, and from behind a clump of brooms, killed a deer, as big as a camel.

Tantu lu jmbu un Camiddu assuttigghia, ¶ Chi passa un fundu d’agugghia valenti!

1736, Giovanni Crisafi, La vita di nostru signuri Gesù Cristu:

A camel can thin its hump as to proudly pass through the eye of a needle!

Lu stissu replicaru unitamenti ¶ ’Na Tartuca, un Camiddu, e un Elefanti, ¶ Ch’eranu a stu dïalugu presenti: […]

1814, Giovanni Meli, “Favuli murali – Lu Struzzu, l’Aquila ed autri animali.”, in Poesie Siciliane:

Thus unanimously repeated a turtle, a camel, and an elephant, who were present in the discussion: […]


mèrcuri

mèrcuri (plural)
mièrcuri (alternative dialectal)

From Gallo-Italic of Sicily (compare Lombard mercor), or clipping of mercuridìa, directly from Latin Mercuriī diēs, variant of diēs Mercuriī (literally “day of Mercury”). Compare Romanian miercuri.


jovi

Clipping of jovidìa, from Latin Iovis diēs, variant of diēs Iovis (literally “day of Jupiter”).


nimma

nimmi (plural)
enigma (alternative)
enimma (alternative)

From the apheresis of Latin aenigma (“riddle”), from Ancient Greek αἴνιγμα (aínigma, “dark saying, speaking in riddles”).

der

Parrari a nimma.


ciolla

→ Italian: ciolla


cassati siciliani

cassata siciliana
cassata siciliana#Sicilian


pùrviri

From Latin pulvis, pulverem. Akin to Italian polvere.

pùrvuli (alternative)
prùvuli (alternative)
prùvili (alternative)


pruvigghia

Inherited from Vulgar Latin *pulvicula, diminutive of Latin pulvis.


negghia

Ultimately from Latin nebula,
through the sonorization of the intermediate variant *ne-j-a derived from a contracted Vulgar Latin *ne-bl-a. Compare Italian nebbia, Spanish niebla.


timpa

Uncertain. Alternatively:
* from Ancient Greek τύμβος (túmbos);
* from Ancient Greek τῠ́πτω (tŭ́ptō).

Jiri timpi timpi.


mercuridìa

[ˌmɛɾkʊɾɪˈɾiːä]

From Latin Mercuriī dīēs, variant of dīēs Mercuriī (literally “day of Mercury”).


acitu

From Latin acētum. Compare Italian aceto.


studiu

[ˈʃt̪uː.d̪jʊ̠]

amuri dû studiu

applicazzioni ô studiu

vurza di studiu

tìtulu di studiu

study, engaging in studying, reading, scholarship

lampa di studiu

a study, office, place for reading and studying; studio


amicu

From Latin amīcus (“friend”). Compare Italian amico.


fìmmina

fìmmini (plural)
fimmina (alternative pronunciation-spelling)

→ Italian: fèmmina

From Latin fēmina, from Proto-Italic *fēmanā, from Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁m̥h₁néh₂ (“(the one) nursing, breastfeeding”), the feminine mediopassive participle of *dʰeh₁(y)- (“to suck, suckle”). Cognate with Portuguese fêmea, Italian femmina, Spanish hembra, French femme.

inh

(biology) One of the female (feminine) sex or gender.

(zoology) An animal of the sex that produces eggs.

(botany) A plant which produces only that kind of reproductive organ capable of developing into fruit after impregnation or fertilization; a pistillate plant.

A bacterium which lacks the F factor, and is able to receive DNA from another bacterium which has that factor.

(now possibly offensive in certain contexts) A female spouse or other person with whom one shares a domestic, romantic or sexual bond; girlfriend, wife

Sicilian playing cards
Sicilian playing cards

(card games) queen of the Sicilian playing cards


artìculu

Learned borrowing from Latin articulus. Compare the doublet artigghiu. Cognate with Italian articolo.


vènniri

Clipping of venniridìa, from Latin Veneris dīēs, variant of dīēs Veneris (literally “day of Venus”).


argentu

From Latin argentum, from Proto-Italic *argentom, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂r̥ǵn̥tóm. Cognates include Italian argento and French argent.


rizzu

→ Albanian: rric — Arbëresh

desc

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

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

fari comu lu rizzu

to deceive with humble manners, to then betray or assault

Erinaceus europaeus
Erinaceus europaeus#Translingual

sea urchin (Echinoidea, particularly Echinus esculentus)


gna

From Spanish ña, abbreviation of señora, ultimately from Late Latin seniora. Doublet of signura.

[…] compar Alfio Mosca era venuto con una gallina per mano. — Prendete queste qua, gnà Mena, — diceva, […]

1881, Giovanni Verga, “Capitolo IV”, in I Malavoglia (overall work in Italian):

Alfio Mosca came with a chicken in each hand. — Take these, Mena, — he said,


antu

Uncertain. Possibly from Latin ante, otherwise from antae. Compare Spanish alante.

Ni videmu doppu a l'antu.

I'll see you later at the after-work club.

(now dated) after work; place where peasants worked or conversed together

T'hâ scantari dî màsculi a l'antu e dî fìmmini ô suli

òmini a l'antu e fìmmini a lu suli, libbiràtini, Signuri


uraganu

Borrowed from Spanish huracán (“hurricane”).


vutti

Inherited from Late Latin buttis, see there for more. Compare Italian botte.

ammuttariammuttatavuliri a vutti china e a mugghieri mbriacavuttaruvuttigghiavuttigghiuni


ragnu

From Latin arāneus, from arānea, from Ancient Greek ἀράχνη (arákhnē).


furmentu

[fʊɪ̯mˈmiɛ̯n̪.t̪ʊ]

Inherited from Latin frūmentum. Cognate with Italian frumento.


robbi

Plural of robba, from Vulgar Latin rauba, of Germanic origin, likely via Gothic or Frankish *raub, all from Proto-Germanic *raubaz. Cognate with Catalan roba, Italian roba, English robe.


frummaggiu

Alternative form of furmaggiu (“cheese”)


maidda

Alternative form of majiḍḍa f (non-orthographic)


jatta

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


'mbari

From Late Latin compater, compatrem, from Latin cum + pater.
It is often written as mbare because the received pronunciation is tending increasingly towards Italian.

male baptismal sponsor of one's child, co-father, godfather

Com’è ’mbari, chi si dici?


litru

From French litre, from Medieval Latin litra, from Ancient Greek λίτρα (lítra, “a Sicilian coin, a measure of weight”). Doublet of libra and lira. Compare Sicilian litra (“ancient Sicilian coin”).

cog

Marìa, vâ pigghia 'n litru 'i ogghiu.


rìganu

→ English: Rigano

→ Italian: Rigano

Apheresis of arrìganu, from Latin orīganum, from Ancient Greek ὀρίγανον (oríganon). Compare Italian origano.

arrìganu (alternative)
arrìanu (alternative)
rìanu (alternative)
rienu (alternative)

Origanum vulgare
Origanum vulgare#Translingual

A herb of the mint family, Origanum vulgare, having aromatic leaves.

Other herbs with a similar flavor, including other species in the genus Origanum, and Mexican oregano, Lippia graveolens.

Marìa, va' pìgghiami n'anticchia di rìganu.

The leaves of these plants used in flavouring food; oregano.


aranciu

[aˈɾaŋ.t͡ʃʊ]

From Arabic نَارَنْج (nāranj), from Persian نارنگ (nârang), from Sanskrit नारङ्ग (nāraṅga, “orange tree”), from Dravidian (compare Tamil நார்த்தங்காய் (nārttaṅkāy), compound of நரந்தம் (narantam, “fragrance”) and காய் (kāy, “fruit”); also Telugu నారంగము (nāraṅgamu), Malayalam നാരങ്ങ (nāraṅṅa), Kannada ನಾರಂಗಿ (nāraṅgi)).

cog

நார்த்தங்காய்

Tamil நார்த்தங்காய் (nārttaṅkāy)


ghiacciu

Ultimately from Latin glaciēs. Likely borrowed from Italian ghiaccio judging by its /t͡tʃ/ (cf. native vrazzu < bracchium) and by the fact that in the 1920's it appears to have been limited to the western edge of the island.


putia

little shop, little store, usually selling food and wine


biccaccia

biccacci (plural)
biccacciu (alternative)

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


ginituri

scn-noun

ginituri m (plural ginituri or ginitura)

[d͡ʒɪ.nɪ.ˈt̪uːɾɪ]

From Latin genitor (“parent”), from genitus, participle of gignere (to beget, give birth to, produce).

(invariable, chiefly plural) progenitors


giuvintuti

[d͡ʒʲʊ.vɪɳˈʈ̬uːt̪ɪ]

From Latin iuventūti, juventūti, dative form of iuventūs.


giuvintù

[d͡ʒʲʊ.vɪɳˈʈ̬u]

Apocopate form of giuvintuti, from Latin iuventūti, juventūti, dative form of iuventūs.


dragu

draghi (plural)
draguni (alternative)
drau (alternative)
rau (alternative)
trau (alternative)
travu (alternative)
dàguru (alternative)

→ English: Rao, Rau

→ Italian: Rao, Rau

From Latin dracō, from Ancient Greek δράκων (drákōn). Compare Spanish drago, Portuguese drago. Compare the registry coexistence in Sicily of the surnames Rau (and Rao) and the italianized Drago; this latter is strictly Sicilian and differs from the Italian Draghi, which is instead typically recorded in the plural.

monster, even with the meaning of werewolf


èbbica

From Latin epocha, from Ancient Greek ἐποχή (epokhḗ, “a check, cessation, stop, pause, epoch of a star, i.e., the point at which it seems to halt after reaching the highest, and generally the place of a star; hence, a historical epoch”), from ἐπέχω (epékhō, “I hold in, check”), from ἐπι- (epi-, “upon”) + ἔχω (ékhō, “I have, hold”).

der

age, period, time, season, epoch (particular period of history)


praja

praji (plural)
pragia (alternative)
pilaja (alternative)
spraja (alternative)
playa (alternative)

From an earlier *pragia, from Late Latin plagia, from Latin plaga (“tract, region”).
Cognate with Corsican piaghja, Galician and Portuguese praia Spanish playa, Catalan platja, Occitan plaja, French plage and Italian piaggia.

(Hyblaean dialects, by extension) One of many small river lakes or ponds, naturally or artificially made, in Pantalica.


abbigghiamentu

scn-noun

abbigghiamentu m (plural abbigghiamenti)


jelu

→ Italian: jelu, ielu (regional)

From Latin gelū (“frost, chill”), from Proto-Indo-European *gel- (“cold”). Cognate with Asturian xilu, Catalan gel, Occitan gèu, hielo, Portuguese gelo, Italian gelo, Leonese xielu.


boffa

boffi (plural)
buffa (alternative)
mmoffa (alternative)

Ti dugnu na boffa ca ti fazzu firrijari a testa di l'autra banna.

I'll give you a slap that will make your head spin the other way.


cannolu

cannoli (plural)
cannola (plural)
cannuolu (alternative)

→ Italian: cannolo, cannolo siciliano

→ Spanish: cannoli

→ English: cannoli

[kɑ̝n̺ˈn̺ɔː.lʊ̠]

From canna (“tube”) + -olu (diminutive suffix).

suffix

(pastry) cannoli; a traditional Sicilian specialty pastry consisting of a tube filled with ricotta or similar cream cheese, and other flavorings, typically eaten as a dessert.


taciri

Inherited from Classical Latin taceō, tacēre, from Proto-Italic *takēō, possibly from Proto-Indo-European *tak-, *tHk-eh₁-.

inh+

mi ritornu in cantari, / ca forsi longiamenti / ca forsi levimenti / da dimuranza turniria in usatu / di lu troppu taciri

13ᵗʰ century, Stefano Protonotaro, Pir meu cori alligrari [To gladden my own heart]:

I go back to singing; for perhaps, in the long run, the excessive silence might perhaps easily turn from hesitation to habit


puddaru

[pʊ̠ɖˈɖäː.ɾʊ̠]

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

der

henhouse, hencoop, chicken coop, chicken run, roost


puddari

[pʊ̠ɖˈɖäː.ɾɪ̟]


puddastra

puddastri (plural)
puḍḍastra (alternative)

/puɖˈɖaʂːɽa/

[pʊ̠ɖˈɖäʂ.ʂɽɑ̝]

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


puddastri

/pu̞ɖˈɖaʂː.ɽi/

[pʊ̠ɖˈɖäːʂ.ʂɽɪ̟]


famigghi

[fɑ̝ˈmiɟ.ɟɪ̟]


sturenti

head

sturenti m (plural sturenti, feminine sturintissa)

sturenti (plural)
sturintissa (feminine)
studenti (alternative)

[st̪ʊ̠ˈd̪ɛːɳ.ʈ̬ɪ̟]

[st̪ʊ̠ˈɾ̪ɛːɳ.ʈ̬ɪ̟]

[ʃt̪ʊ̠ˈɾ̪ɛːɳ.ʈ̬ɪ̟]

From Latin studentem. Compare Italian studente.


spicu

Ajai, acchiappai u spicu cû jitu nicu dû pedi.

Ouch, I hit the corner with my little toe.


lapazza

From Latin alapa + -azza (“diminutive/derogatory suffix”).

Vammi a pigghiari du' lapazzi.

batten; a thin strip of wood used in construction to hold members of a structure together or to provide a fixing point.


alfabbetu

alfabbeti (plural)
alfabetu (alternative)
arfabbetu (alternative)
arfabetu (alternative)

[ɑ̝ɫ̪.fɑ̝b.ˈbɛː.t̪ʊ̠]

From Latin alphabētum, from Byzantine Greek ἀλφάβητον (alphábēton) from the accusative of Koine Greek ἀλφάβητος (alphábētos) from Ancient Greek ἄλφα (álpha, “alpha”) + βῆτα (bêta, “beta”).


mènnula

mènnuli (plural)
miènnula (alternative)
mjènnula (alternative)
mìnnula (alternative)
mennula (alternative)

→ Italian: mennula, mendola (regional)

→ Italian: Amendola, Mendola, Mendolia

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

Prunus amygdalus
Prunus amygdalus#Translingual

(countable) The seed within the drupe of a small deciduous tree in family Rosaceae, Prunus amygdalus, considered a culinary nut.

(countable) The tree that produces almonds.

almond:

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

almond:

(uncountable) The color of an almond still covered by its skin, a shade of brown.

(uncountable) Flavor or other characteristics of almond.

Ci quagghiau a mènnula?!

Anything shaped like an almond; specifically, (anatomy, archaic) a pineal/pituitary gland.


casèntaru

casèntari (plural)
casentru (alternative)

From Ancient Greek χᾰ́ος (khắos, “void, empty space”) + ἔντερον (énteron, “intestine”).


pinzeddu

scn-noun

pinzeddu m (plural pinzeddi or pinzedda)

(eye dialect) Alternative form of pinzeḍḍu