L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, APRIL 18, 2024 www.italoamericano.org 18 L'Italo-Americano T o d a y ' s w o r d i s , q u i t e l i t e r a l l y , e v e r y w h e r e . T i m e s S q u a r e , Oxford Circus... there are so many there! The Italian term insegna (een- sai-ñah) primarily translates to "sign" or "banner" in Eng- lish, though it can also refer to a "billboard" depending on context. As with many other words in the Bella Lingua, it too derives from L a t i n , more specifically from the neuter noun insigne and, even more p r e c i s e l y , f r o m i t s p l u r a l insignia, which meant "ban- ner," just like in Italian, but also "badge." The old Latin, though, had a very military connotation, as insignia often referred to distinctive marks or emblems used to signify rank or affiliation. Over time, the meaning broadened from a symbol of military distinc- tion to include any type of sign or emblem used for iden- tification or advertising pur- poses. The use of insegna in Ital- ian can be traced back to the M i d d l e A g e s when signs a n d b a n n e r s w e r e u s e d t o i d e n t i f y t h e r e s i d e n c e s o f nobles or the headquarters of guilds. These signs were often e l a b o r a t e l y d e c o r a t e d t o 1 (masculine plural of) tall 3 (I) wash 7 aunts 8 (you/tu) ache; (you/tu) hurt 9 to run 13 west 15 on the 16 (you/voi) give 17 oasis Using the provided meanings as clues, search for the appropriate Italian word in the grid 1 (I) raise, lift up 2 train 4 needle 5 hatred 6 (you/voi) smell 10 (he) stays 11 north 12 (you/tu) lift 14 east reflect the status or trade of the inhabitants, and we can i m a g i n e t h e y w e r e q u i t e beautiful at times, just like those we are used to seeing today. Insegna is a very common word, so you can use it in all contexts and registers. Mind though, because it usually refers strictly to commercial s i g n s , s u c h a s t h o s e o f stores, bars, and restaurants, as well as hotels. You can say, for instance, L'insegna del ristorante è molto col- orata ("The restaurant's sign is very colorful"). Pay attention, however, to the historical and military meaning of insegna, which may no longer be the most common, but is still very much in use, as in Gli eserci- t i m e d i e v a l i p o r t a v a n o insegne per distinguersi in battaglia ("Medieval armies carried banners to distin- guish themselves in battle"). O g n i n e g o z i o a v e v a un'insegna unica sopra l'en- trata Every shop had a unique sign above the entrance L a v e c c h i a i n s e g n a è stata sostituita con una più moderna e visibile T h e o l d s i g n h a s b e e n replaced with a more mod- ern and visible one LA VITA ITALIANA TRADITIONS HISTORY CULTURE Insegna, a word for commerce and ... armies! Photo: Hongqi Zhang (aka Michael Zhang)/Dreamstime 1 head 2 door 3 woman 4 father 5 table 6 one 7 to look 8 light 9 Tuesday 10 girl 11 Monday 12 face 13 three 14 hand 15 book 16 heart 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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