L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2023 www.italoamericano.org 20 L'Italo-Americano T o d a y ' s w o r d i s p e r f e c t f o r t h i s time of the year! The term addob- b o ( a h d - d o h b - boh, plural addobbi) primari- ly signifies "decoration" or "ornament," as noted in vari- ous dictionaries and transla- tions, and derives from the v e r b a d d o b b a r e , w h i c h means "to decorate," coupled with the suffix "-o" . In fact, addobbare is an interesting verb. It comes from the French word adou- ber, which originally meant to prepare or arm a knight for ceremony. This French term has its roots in the older F r a n k i s h w o r d d u b b a n , which means "to strike." The connection here is with the traditional act of tapping a k n i g h t ' s s h o u l d e r s d u r i n g their investiture ceremony. Over time, addobbo shift- ed from this martial context to its current meaning relat- ed to decoration, an evolu- tion that mirrors a change in cultural practices, moving from the solemn rituals of k n i g h t h o o d t o t h e a r t o f a d o r n i n g a n d b e a u t i f y i n g spaces and events in modern life. We can indeed say that the history of addobbo is a fasci- nating example of how words c a n t r a n s f o r m a n d a d a p t , carrying with them traces of 1 of; from 2 you, to you 5 the (feminine) 7 roses 8 island 14 year 15 (feminine of) tall 18 line 21 (he) says 22 but, on the contrary 23 I 24 (I) know Using the provided meanings as clues, search for the appropriate Italian word in the grid 1 (you/tu) give 3 anger 4 (you/tu) use 6 (I) have 9 (feminine of) healthy 10 (feminine plural of) the 11 never 12 (feminine plural of) tall; high 13 (you/tu) have 16 us; to us; there 17 way, path 18 she 19 from there/here; of/about it 20 (I) love; hook (for fishing) their past. I t ' s a l s o i n t e r e s t i n g t o observe how addobbo, which ranks high on the frequency list of the most frequently used terms in the Italian dic- t i o n a r y , h a s m a i n t a i n e d a consistent presence in our language and literature over the centuries. The term has been used to d e s c r i b e v a r i o u s f o r m s o f decorations, ranging from simple household ornaments to elaborate adornments for special occasions like wed- dings, religious ceremonies, and festivals. The versatility of "addobbo" is seen in its usage across different con- t e x t s , w h e t h e r i t b e f l o r a l arrangements for a wedding (un addobbo floreale per un matrimonio) or decorations for a church (addobbo della chiesa) . But, let's face it, the best addobbi of all are the addob- bi di Natale, Christmas deco- r a t i o n s : w h e t h e r w e t a l k about the addobbi dell'albero ( " C h r i s t m a s t r e e d e c o r a - tions") or about the addobbi delle strade ("the decorations in the streets"), in December t h i s w o r d p u t s a s m i l e o n everyone's face! - G l i a d d o b b i d e l s u o albero di Natale sono tutti vintage! - Their Christmas tree dec- orations are all vintage! LA VITA ITALIANA TRADITIONS HISTORY CULTURE Addobbo: a word to celebrate! © Vladans | Dreamstime.com 1 three 2 home 3 hand 4 father 5 Monday 6 man 7 to look 8 door 9 river 10 boy 11 table 12 friend 13 to talk A C R O S S D O W N ITALIAN WORD SEARCH The solution to these word games will be available on the next edition. Games courtesy of Lexis Rex

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