L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2024 www.italoamericano.org 18 L'Italo-Americano T h e I t a l i a n w o r d ringraziamen- t o ( r e e n - g r a h - t s e e - a h - m e h n - toh) stems from t h e v e r b r i n g r a z i a r e , which means "to thank." Its etymology traces back to the Latin word gratia, meaning "grace" or "favor," combined with the prefix "re-", indicat- ing repetition or emphasis. Thus, ringraziamento can be u n d e r s t o o d a s t h e a c t o f e x p r e s s i n g g r a t i t u d e o r thanks. In Italian, ringraziamento i s u s e d t o s i g n i f y f o r m a l thanks or appreciation, often in public or ceremonial con- texts. For example, one might say, Vorrei esprimere un sen- tito ringraziamento a tutti voi, meaning "I would like to express heartfelt thanks to all of you." It can also denote thanksgiving in a spiritual or r e l i g i o u s s e n s e , s u c h a s prayers of gratitude after a significant event or a meal. Interestingly, in modern Italian culture, ringrazia- mento is also the term used to refer to the American holi- d a y T h a n k s g i v i n g , i l Giorno del Ringrazia- mento. This direct transla- tion highlights the holiday's f o c u s o n g i v i n g t h a n k s , though the holiday itself is not widely celebrated in Italy. D e s p i t e t h i s , I t a l i a n s a r e familiar with the tradition, l a r g e l y d u e t o A m e r i c a n 1 (I) say 3 pay, money given for work done; (he/she) pays 7 from the 8 west 9 (you/voi) kiss 13 sorry, excuse me 15 (he) is (going, staying etc.) 16 ideas 17 face Using the provided meanings as clues, search for the appropriate Italian word in the grid 1 nuts (for bolts) 2 (feminine of) hot; warm 4 bee 5 (feminine plural of) tall; high6 police 10 coughs 11 (you/tu) exit; (you/tu) go out 12 given 14 grapes m e d i a a n d c u l t u r a l exchanges. Ringraziamento carries a formal tone, making it suit- a b l e f o r s p e e c h e s , c e r e - monies, or written acknowl- e d g m e n t s . I n d a i l y conversation, Italians are more likely to use the ubiqui- t o u s g r a z i e o r t h e verb ringraziare for informal expressions of thanks. How- ever, ringraziamento is often chosen to convey a deeper or more solemn sense of grati- tude. F o r e x a m p l e , D o p o l a g u a r i g i o n e , h a f a t t o u n ringraziamento speciale al m e d i c o c h e l ' h a c u r a t a ("After recovering, she gave special thanks to the doctor who treated her"), or Questo premio è un ringraziamento per il suo straordinario con- tributo alla ricerca ("This award is a token of thanks for her extraordinary contri- bution to research"). D u r a n t e l a f e s t a , h a espresso un ringraziamento sentito a tutti i presenti During the celebration, he expressed heartfelt thanks to everyone present Il Giorno del Ringrazia- mento è l'occasione perfetta per stare con la famiglia e riflettere su ciò per cui siamo grati Thanksgiving is the per- fect occasion to be with fami- ly and reflect on what we are thankful for LA VITA ITALIANA TRADITIONS HISTORY CULTURE Buon Ringraziamento a tutti! © Roman Samborskyi | Dreamstime.com 1 son 2 woman 3 Monday 4 heart 5 to look 6 hand 7 home 8 light 9 to hold 10 shirt 11 friend 12 bird 13 car 14 mother 15 face 16 to drink 17 man 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

• Cover