L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, MARCH 7, 2024 www.italoamericano.org 22 L'Italo-Americano T o d a y ' s w o r d , raffinato (rahf- f e e - n a h - t o h ) truly embodies elegance, sophis- tication, and a touch of luxu- ry. Raffinato was first attest- ed as an adjective (so it has a feminine and plural form, too) in the 16th century, and comes from the Italian verb raffinare, which appeared in our vocabulary some three centuries earlier, as a deriva- tive of the word fine, "fine." R a f f i n a r e m e a n s " t o r e f i n e " o r " t o m a k e m o r e refined," so raffinato, literal- ly, means "something that has been refined." This is why you can find it in sen- tences like, Se si vuole man- giare sano, non si dovreb- b e r o u s a r e i n g r e d i e n t i raffinati, which translates as: "If you want to eat healthily, you shouldn't use processed ingredients" — which is the mantra of Italian cuisine, right? But here comes the twist! Take a look at this sen- t e n c e : q u e s t o p i a t t o è delizioso, è fatto con ingredi- enti molto raffinati ("this dish is delicious, it's made with very sophisticated ingre- dients"). Here, our raffinato has a different meaning, a 1 just, only, merely; alone, by oneself; lonely 3 sail 7 (I) hear 8 sounds 9 shop 13 west 15 (you/tu) hate 16 art 17 (feminine of) true; real Using the provided meanings as clues, search for the appropriate Italian word in the grid 1 (plural of) his, her, its 2 lion 4 echo 5 air 6 (I) listen 10 islands 11 thing 12 top 14 east pretty positive one. While the first meaning I gave you is common, you are more likely to find raffinato used in the s e c o n d c o n t e x t , w i t h t h e meaning of "refined," "ele- g a n t , " " s o p h i s t i c a t e d , " o r "cultivated." You can use it to refer to tastes, manners, art, design, and culinary experiences that are characterized by subtlety, elegance, and sophistication. So, don't forget that raffinato is not just about luxury but also about having an appreci- ation for the finer details in life, for all those particulars that can turn an ordinary e x p e r i e n c e o r o b j e c t i n t o something amazing. L a c u c i n a i t a l i a n a è famosa per i suoi sapori raf- finati e la sua presentazione elegante Italian cuisine is famous for its refined flavors and ele- gant presentation. Questo ristorante è noto per il suo ambiente raffinato e la cucina di alta qualità This restaurant is known for its refined atmosphere and high-quality cuisine La mostra d'arte presen- tava opere raffinate di artisti contemporanei italiani The art exhibition featured refined works by contempo- rary Italian artists LA VITA ITALIANA TRADITIONS HISTORY CULTURE Raffinato: the word of luxury! (Photo: Monkey Business Images/Dreamstime) 1 to look 2 girl 3 to run 4 heart 5 door 6 boy 7 father 8 head 9 to hold 10 man 11 to talk 12 book 13 to drink 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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