L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, JANUARY 23, 2025 www.italoamericano.org 20 L'Italo-Americano T he Italian word a g g e g g i o ( A - d j e - d j o ) i s a delightfully ver- satile term that refers to a gadget, contrap- tion, or small device, often of uncertain or questionable use. Its flexibility in meaning and usage makes it a staple of colloquial Italian, suitable for describing a wide range of objects, from technologi- cal devices to odd household tools. Its etymology is not clear: some linguists believe it may derive from the Old French term agiets (toys), while oth- e r s p r e f e r a L a t i n o r i g i n , m o r e p r e c i s e l y f r o m t h e adjective adiectus, "addi- t i o n , " o r " a d d e d . " B o t h potential origins reflect the modern use of aggeggio, as it typically describes items that seem like they've been a d d e d t o l i f e f o r c o n v e - nience—whether they work as intended or not, or some- thing similar to a toy or a gadget. A g g e g g i o i s f r e q u e n t l y used when the exact name or p u r p o s e o f a n o b j e c t i s unknown, unclear, or irrele- v a n t : f o r e x a m p l e , i t c a n describe an obscure kitchen 1 things 3 hip 7 (plural of) on the 8 (you/tu) sell 9 bean 13 west 15 (feminine plural of) your, belonging to you 16 (feminine of) tall 17 blades Using the provided meanings as clues, search for the appropriate Italian word in the grid 1 so; like this/that; thus 2 thorn; electrical plug 4 not; no, not any 5 air 6 (you/voi) start (to set in motion) 10 fight; (he/she) fights 11 seal, the animal 12 well (accurately, competently) 14 east utensil or a quirky piece of technology, as in Mio padre pensa che i computer siano a g g e g g i i n c o m p r e n s i b i l i ("My father thinks comput- ers are weird gizmos"). This vagueness gives it a light- hearted, slightly dismissive q u a l i t y , a n d i t s t o n e c a n range from playful curiosity to mild disdain, depending on context. It's also worth n o t i n g t h a t a g g e g g i o i s almost exclusively used in informal settings, making it r a r e i n f o r m a l w r i t i n g o r professional contexts. For instance, in everyday conversations, you might hear someone say, Non so a cosa serva questo aggeggio, ma sembra utile! ("I don't know what this gadget is for, but it seems useful!"), or Hai visto l'aggeggio che ha u s a t o p e r a p r i r e l a b o t - t i g l i a ? ( " D i d y o u s e e t h e contraption he used to open the bottle?"). These exam- p l e s s h o w h o w a g g e g g i o c o n v e y s b o t h a s e n s e o f practicality and an element of the unknown, but always with a hint of humor. Che cos'è questo aggeg- gio sulla scrivania? What is this gadget on the desk? LA VITA ITALIANA TRADITIONS HISTORY CULTURE Aggeggio: a word for everyday objects © Katarzyna Bialasiewicz | Dreamstime.com 1 mother 2 one 3 head 4 home 5 to talk 6 to look 7 man 8 shirt 9 car 10 three 11 to hold 12 girl 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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