L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2025 www.italoamericano.org 20 L'Italo-Americano T h e I t a l i a n w o r d malanno (mah- l a h n - n o ) i s a n i n t e r e s t i n g a n d v e r s a t i l e t e r m with layers of meaning and cultural significance. Its most c o m m o n t r a n s l a t i o n i n t o English is "ailment" or "ill- n e s s , " b u t i t s u s a g e o f t e n extends beyond physical sick- ness to include mishaps, mis- fortunes, or troubles in gener- al. The word isquite common in Italian everyday speech, which makes it a colorful and practical addition to your daily vocabulary. Etymologically, malanno derives from the Latin malus ( b a d ) a n d a n n u s ( y e a r ) , which simply means "bad year." This meaning was par- ticularly reflective of an era w h e n a n u n p r o d u c t i v e o r c h a l l e n g i n g y e a r , d u e t o famine, pestilence, or eco- nomic hardship, could have a profound impact on commu- nities. Over time, the word evolved to mean something that brings trouble or difficul- ty, whether it's poor health, bad luck, or an unfortunate event. Historical records suggest that malanno began appear- ing in Italian vernacular dur- i n g t h e m e d i e v a l p e r i o d , when words tied to survival and misfortune became cen- 2 there (precise) 3 you 5 frogs 7 you, to you 8 (he/she) copies 14 (they) know 15 chairs 19 (he/she) has 20 (I) fear 21 I 22 (he/she) gives Using the provided meanings as clues, search for the appropriate Italian word in the grid 1 never 2 you (formal) 4 grape 6 them 9 museums 10 (plural of) yours 11 echo 12 waves 13 you (plural) 15 (you/tu) know 16 of 17 age 18 (I) love; hook (for fishing) tral to daily discourse. In fact, there are example of its u s e e v e n i n t h e D i v i n a C o m m e d i a b y D a n t e Alighieri. In contemporary usage, malanno is predominantly colloquial, and is often used t o d e s c r i b e m i n o r h e a l t h issues like colds or the flu. For example, a concerned parent might say, Copriti bene o prenderai un malan- no! ("Cover up well, or you'll catch an illness!"); however, its application is not limited to physical ailments, as it can also describe general misfor- tune or persistent trouble, such as in the phrase, Questo progetto ha avuto un malan- no dietro l'altro, meaning " T h i s p r o j e c t f a c e d o n e m i s h a p a f t e r a n o t h e r . " However, this second mean- ing is far less common than the first. Dopo quella pioggia, ho preso un malanno e ora ho sto male. After that rain, I caught a cold and now I'm sick. Il povero Luca sembra a v e r e t u t t i i m a l a n n i d e l mondo. Poor Luca seems to have all the troubles in the world. Hai l'influenza? Sono i malanni di stagione! Did you get the flu? Well, it's the season for it! LA VITA ITALIANA TRADITIONS HISTORY CULTURE Malanno: a "bad year" or a simple flu? © Tero Vesalainen | Dreamstime.com 1 table 2 three 3 heart 4 bird 5 to talk 6 door 7 river 8 to listen 9 father 10 to look 11 woman 12 mother 13 to drink 14 book 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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