L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, MAY 16, 2024 www.italoamericano.org 18 L'Italo-Americano T he Italian expres- sion per di più (pair dee peeoo) is typically used t o i n t r o d u c e a d d i t i o n a l i n f o r m a t i o n , emphasizing that it supports o r e n h a n c e s t h e p r e v i o u s statement. In English, per di più can be translated in several ways, depending on the context, such as "moreover," "in addi- t i o n , " " f u r t h e r m o r e , " o r "what's more." The origins of "per di più" are deeply rooted in the Ital- ian language. The phrase is composed of three parts: per, a preposition meaning "for" or "by"; di, meaning "of"; and p i ù , w h i c h t r a n s l a t e s t o "more." These components, a s i s u s u a l i n I t a l i a n , a r e derived from Latin, and while it is challenging to pinpoint the exact moment this phrase entered common usage, its Latin roots indicate that it has been part of the Italian lexicon for centuries, evolv- ing naturally over time. In practice, per di più is used to enhance communica- tion by linking statements and adding depth to the con- versation. For instance, one might say, Ho finito il lavoro, e per di più ho pulito tutta la casa, which translates to "I 1 (feminine of) hollow 3 sail 7 my, belonging to me 8 outside 9 drink, served beverage 13 west 15 (he) loves 16 eight 17 knot Using the provided meanings as clues, search for the appropriate Italian word in the grid 1 top 2 (he) wants 4 echo 5 air 6 any 10 (we) give 11 their 12 given 14 east f i n i s h e d t h e w o r k , a n d what's more, I cleaned the whole house." This use of the phrase underscores the a d d i t i o n a l e f f o r t m a d e b e y o n d c o m p l e t i n g t h e work. Another example can be found in the sentence, È un ottimo cuoco, e per di più parla quattro lingue, mean- ing "He is an excellent cook, a n d m o r e o v e r , h e s p e a k s four languages:" here, per di più serves to highlight an additional impressive quali- ty of the individual. Similarly, the expression c a n e n h a n c e a p o s i t i v e review, such as in Il film era interessante, e per di più la colonna sonora era fantas- t i c a , t r a n s l a t i n g t o " T h e movie was interesting, and in addition, the soundtrack was fantastic." Ha superato l'esame con il massimo dei voti, e per di più ha ricevuto una borsa di studio He passed the exam with top marks, and what's more, he received a scholarship Il ristorante offre ottimo cibo, e per di più i prezzi sono molto ragionevoli T h e r e s t a u r a n t o f f e r s great food, and in addition, the prices are very reason- able LA VITA ITALIANA TRADITIONS HISTORY CULTURE Per di più: the expression to say you did more than you expected (Photo: Monkey Business Images/Dreamstime) 1 boy 2 to eat 3 to turn 4 three 5 to drink 6 woman 7 to look 8 school 9 father 10 two 11 hand 12 Monday 13 book 14 car 15 home 16 light 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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