By Aldo Bizzocchi
Some languages are more receptive to borrowing than others, just as certain languages, because of their prestige, are great exporters of words.
This has to do with several factors, such as the scientific and technological development of certain countries. (for example, nowadays digital technology basically speaks English), its political or economic power and even its cultural influence in fields such as philosophy and the arts.
In each historical period, we see a different nation imposing its language on the others due to these factors: first Greek, then Latin, then French, now English. But we also see certain languages being quite influential in specific areas, in which the people who speak them are masters, as is the case with cuisine, perfumery and fashion in relation to France.
One language that has exerted and continues to exert a great influence on others in fields such as music, painting, and cuisine, to name the main ones, is Italian. As is well known, Italy was the cradle of the Renaissance, having assumed leadership in the arts since the 14th century with painters such as Giotto and poets such as Dante and Petrarch.
At the same time, Marco Polo brought from China what would become the Italian trademark: pasta. And Leonardo da Vinci unveiled the Modern Age with his paintings, scientific discoveries and technological inventions.
The Portuguese language did not go unnoticed Italian influence. And not just in obvious words like Team Building, cappuccino e mafia, but also in many others, whose peninsular origins are unknown to many. And it is these that I will talk about here.
Firstly, terms related to music, an art form that Italy practically revolutionized in the 16th and 17th centuries, such as adage, andante, aria, arpeggio, mandolin, cantata, alto, falsetto, madrigal, teacher, piano, serenade, solfeggio, sonata, soprano, tarantella, tenor, toccata, trembling, trombone, vibrato, violet, violin e cello.
In the visual arts, we have fresco, watercolor, Craftsman, cartoon, cake, vignette; in the theater and in the circus, harlequin, dressing room, columbine, comedian, clown, jumping jack, trampoline.
In cooking, beyond the obvious spaghetti, lasagna, ravioli e noodles, we also have feast, broccoli, cellar, mortadella, polenta, risotto, salami e sausage, among many others. The name of the dough itself, spaghetti, is of Italian origin.
In literature, words like barcarole (a type of song) e sonnet also came from Italy.
But Italian has also given us words from many other areas, such as navigation and warfare, with alarm, alert, artillery, squad, squad, frigate e pilot; finances (trifle, bankruptcy, booth, bulletin, bank slip, reversal, florim, balance) and fashion (tacky, Capuchin, pants). And it also gave whim, carnival, escarpment, gazeta, grotesque, imbroglio, pedestal, armchair, porcelain, Portfolio, and countless other words that have enriched our language.
And, to finish, I say goodbye with another typically Italian word: Goodbye!
Aldo Bizzocchi He holds a PhD in Semiotics and General Linguistics from USP, with post-doctorates in Etymology from USP and in Comparative Linguistics from UERJ, and is a researcher at NEHiLP-USP – Research Center in Etymology and History of the Portuguese Language at the University of São Paulo (www.nehilp.prp.usp.br). He is the author of the books Lexicon and ideology in Western Europe (Editora Annablume, 1998), Anatomy of culture (Editora Palas Athena, 2003), The universe of language (Editora Contexto, 2021, and Audible Audiobooks, 2003), A brief history of words (Editora Almedina, Edições 70, 2023) and the DVD The Indo-European and the origins of linguistics (A&E Produções, 2008), in addition to having participated in nine other books. Between 2006 and 2015, he was a columnist for the now-defunct magazine Língua Portuguesa (Editora Segmento). He currently maintains the blog Diary of a Linguist and the YouTube channel Planet Language. His personal website is www.aldobizzocchi.com.br.
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