L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, MAY 2, 2024 www.italoamericano.org 18 L'Italo-Americano T he word arzillo i s a n a d j e c t i v e used to describe someone as live- ly, spry, or vigor- ous, often implying a surpris- ing level of energy despite age or expectations. It conveys a sense of being spirited and a c t i v e , a n d i t ' s f r e q u e n t l y used to describe elderly peo- ple who are still energetically e n g a g e d i n l i f e : H a i v i s t o come è arzillo il nonno di Joe! Non si direbbe che ha 90 anni ("Have you noticed how lively Joe's grandpa is? You wouldn't tell he is 90"). The etymology of arzillo isn't really clear: some specu- l a t e t h a t i t m a y o r i g i n a t e from the German word herz ( h e a r t ) , s u g g e s t i n g s o m e - thing that "has heart" and beats vigorously. However, a more likely derivation is from the Latin verb ardere, mean- ing to burn, implying a sense of fiery energy or passion that c o n t i n u e s t o b u r n s t r o n g despite aging. The Latin ori- gin does match its modern use to indicate someone with a l i v e l y a n d s p i r i t e d demeanor. 2 (I) give 3 (he) has 5 (feminine of) few 7 there (less precise) 8 lions 14 thirty-six 15 chairs 19 the (feminine) 20 home; house 21 into, going inside 22 I Using the provided meanings as clues, search for the appropriate Italian word in the grid 1 with, in the company of 2 from the 4 wings 6 (I) have 9 (you/tu) enter 10 nose 11 (he) is (going, staying etc.) 12 to drink 13 aunt 15 (you/tu) know 16 (he) gives 17 echo 18 (you/tu) use T o d a y , a r z i l l o i s s t i l l commonly used in a variety o f c o n t e x t s , p a r t i c u l a r l y when commenting positively on an older person's high energy levels. It can be seen in everyday conversation as well as in literature, where it may describe characters in a w a y t h a t h i g h l i g h t s t h e i r zestful disposition against the typical expectations of aging. B e c a r e f u l t h o u g h , because sometimes arzillo also means, in familiar lan- g u a g e , t h a t y o u ' v e h a d a drink too many: Ha bevuto u n a b o t t i g l i a d i r o s s o . . . guardalo, come è arzillo! ("He drank a whole bottle of red... look at him, look how merry he is!"). A little curiosity: in Tus- cany, vino arzillo can mean "sparkling wine." Ho un gatto di 20 anni, ma vedessi com'è arzillo! M y c a t i s 2 0 , b u t y o u should see how spry he is! Ma come fa ad essere così arzillo di prima mattina? How can he be so ener- getic this early in the morn- ing? LA VITA ITALIANA TRADITIONS HISTORY CULTURE Arzillo, a word that keeps you young! (Photo: Rodica Vasiliev/Dreamstime) 1 woman 2 three 3 to talk 4 friend 5 river 6 table 7 one 8 school 9 mother 10 Tuesday 11 bird 12 to listen 13 to hold 14 Monday 15 two 16 heart 17 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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