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| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Italian Regions SICILIA (SICILY) Official Website: www.regione.sicilia.it The Territory: Sicilia (Sicily) is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and the richest in history and art. The territory is mostly hilly, though there are some higher mountains along the Northern coast (the Peloritani, Nebrodi and Madonie) and the highest and major active volcano in Europe, Mount Etna (3323 m), and just below it is the fertile, large Plain of Catania. Sicily is surrounded by many smaller islands, such as Ustica, the Eolie (or Lipari) group, comprising two more active volcanoes, Stromboli and Vulcano, then the Egadi group, Pantelleria and Pelagie Isles. The Provinces of Sicilia (Sicily) : Province of Palermo (PA), Province of Agrigento (AG), Province of Caltanissetta (CL), Province of Catania (CT), Province of Enna (EN), Province of Messina (ME), Province of Ragusa (RG), Province of Siracusa (SR), Province of Trapani (TP) The face of the land: The majority of the population live in the coastal areas, while the hinterland suffered a massive emigration, which left the inner, rural territories greatly underpopulated. Sicilia (Sicily) is a great producer of citrus fruit, almonds, vegetables, wine and oil, as well as a the first fishing region in Italy. Also the mineral resources are remarkable: sulfur, salt, natural gas, petroleum. Tourism is a great resource, thanks to the magnificent coastal areas and beaches, the abundance of archeological sites and the art centers, where relics of the Greek, Norman and Saracen civilization are among the richest in Europe, and immersed in a Mediterranean landscape of colors and perfumes that always attracted visitors and poets, like the immortal Goethe who wrote of Sicily "Kennst du das Land, wo die Zitronen bluhm...". History: The geographical position of the island in the center of the Mediterranean made it a crossword of cultures and peoples, as well as a strategic theater of conflict for political powers. Inhabited since Paleolithic times, as shown by archeological findings in caves along the North-western coast, in the 13th century BC, according to Greek historian Tucidides, Sicilia (Sicily) was under three different peoples: the Sicani, originary of Spain, in the center; the Elimi coming from the Middle East in the west and the Siculi who passed to the island through the Messina strais from Italy, in the east. By the 11th century BC the Phoenicians had established in western Sicilia (Sicily) flourishing trade centers, such as Palermo, Mezia and Solunto, which gradually came under the power of Cartage, the most powerful Phoenician colony, while in the east the glorious Greek colonization began with the foundation of such cities as Naxos, Catania, Megara Hyblaea, Siracusa (Syracuse), that soon were equal to the Greek cities in power, wealth, art and culture. After the defeat in the Punic wars, Cartage abandoned its colonies and soon the Romans conquered the also the whole island, making it a Roman Province. The collapse of the Roman Empire in the 5th century made Sicilia (Sicily) a prey to invading tribes, notably the Vandals and Goths, who were however defeated by the Eastern Roman Empire in 553 AD so that Sicilia (Sicily) in the following century was under Byzantine rule, which was oppressive and disrupted the originally flourishing trade economies of the coastal cities. During one of the many rebellions a Byzantine officer invited for help Ziyadat Allah I, a Muslim leader from Africa, and this started the Arab occupation, which was completed by 902, when the capital was moved from Syracuse to Palermo. The Arabs ruled with great wisdom, introduced new cultivations and promoted art and culture. In the early 11th century the Normans led by Roberto d'Altavilla invaded the Island, and by 1091 the conquest was completed; the Norman rule was tolerant of the different cultures, and introduced the feudal system, while at the same time expanding throughout Southern Italy. The last Norman king, William II, died heirless, so the crown passed to his brother in law, husband to his sister Costanza, Henry VI of Swabia, who was succeeded by Frederick II, one of the most enlightened rulers in the whole Italian history, who made Sicily into the political center of Europe and a modern, model state. At his court art and literature flourished so much so that the Sicilian period is acknowledged as the birth of Italian literature. In the following centuries Sicilia (Sicily) was occupied by the Anjou and then after long wars by the Aragonese with Alphonse who in 1442 united under one crown the whole Southern Italy and had himself called "rex utriusque Siciliae" (King of the Two Sicilies). On the death of this king in 1458, Sicily became a colony of Spain, and a period of great decadence and riots began, which ended only in 1713 with the War of Spanish Succession, when it was given to the Savoy Duke Vittorio Amedeo II, who during his 16 years of power greatly improved the administration, trade and culture. Then in 1734 Sicilia (Sicily) came back under the Spaniards with Charles Bourbon. A strong resentment began in the following century against the rulers, and Sicily was very active in the Italian Risorgimento, until in 1860 was finally united to the Kingdom of Italy thanks to Garibaldi's expedition. Unfortunately the Piedmontese rulers tried to impose their fiscal systems in a land which had a great administrative tradition, with a twofold negative consequence: rebellion, which took the form of brigandage, whose ruthless repression only engendered more hostility to the State, and later organized crime. The never resolved problems of Sicilia (Sicily) then gave rise in the early 20th century to a massive exodus towards the American and later Australian continents. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Italian Genealogy What is Genealogy Research? Genealogy, the research of our roots, both genetical and cultural. From the dusty, crumbling papers of documents people who belong to what we now are come out of the mist of time and look at us silently, affectionately, waiting for someone to decipher their stories, rescue them from oblivion and pass their as yet forgotten names and stories on to the next generations. HOW TO START Genealogy Research in Italy You want to go backwards and find ancestors To start any serious attempt of this kind, you need the earliest possible name with place and date (death, birth or marriage). From there you'll proceed through births, marriages etc, according to the availability of resources - municipalities certificates, civil records, onciari, parish books, notary records and still other possible sources. As you proceed backward in time, resources will become scantier, and research longer and more expensive. You want to go forward and find relatives You can try writing a letter to all those families bearing the surname of your ancestor in his/her municipality of origin. You want to know more You want to know more about the places, traditions, customs of your ancestral land, the recipes and economy, you want to reconstruct the real life of your ancestors, to preserve the heritage that you had from your forefathers through thousands of years of Italian history . We can Help you If you would like to do Italian Genealogcal Research by yourselves, here are our step-by-step, detailed and useful suggestions on: How to Find Places of Birth and Residence of your Ancestors and Living Relatives in ITALY How to Obtain Information and Documents of your Ancestors in ITALY How to Contact your Living Relatives in ITALY We can Assist you If you would like us to Italian Genealogy Research for you, we can Assist you. Here are our easy instructions to use our Assistance: ITALIAN Genealogical Research ITALIAN Translation |
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Italian Recipes Summer Spaghetti Salad Ingredients 1 (16 ounce) package thin spaghetti, broken in half 3 medium tomatoes, diced 3 small zucchini, diced 1 large cucumber, seeded and diced 1 medium green pepper, diced 1 medium sweet red pepper, diced 1 (8 ounce) bottle Italian salad dressing 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese 1 1/2 teaspoons sesame seeds 1 1/2 teaspoons poppy seeds 1/2 teaspoon paprika 1/4 teaspoon celery seed 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder Nutrition Info Calories: 188 kcal Carbohydrates: 25 g Dietary Fiber: 1 g Fat: 7 g Protein: 4 g Sugars: 4 g Cooking Directions Cook spaghetti according to package directions; drain and rinse in cold water. Place in a large bowl; add tomatoes, zucchini, cucumber and peppers. Combine remaining ingredients; pour over salad and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Yield: 16 servings --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Italian Recipes Chicken Marsala Ingredients 4 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves 1 tablespoon oil 1 1/2 cups sliced mushrooms 1 small onion, chopped 1 clove garlic, minced 1/3 cup dry Marsala wine 2/3 cup chicken broth 1 tablespoon cornstarch 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 cups MINUTE White Rice, uncooked 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley Nutrition Info Calories: 210 kcal Carbohydrates: 7 g Dietary Fiber: 0 g Fat: 6 g Protein: 24 g Sugars: 4 g Cooking Directions Cook chicken in hot oil in large skillet on medium heat until browned on both sides. Move chicken to side of skillet. Add mushrooms, onion and garlic to other side of skillet; cook and stir until mushrooms and onions are tender but not browned. Add wine; bring to boil. Mix broth, cornstarch and salt until well blended. Add to skillet. Bring to boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low; cover. Simmer 10 min. or until chicken breasts are tender and no longer pink in centers (170 degrees F). Meanwhile, cook rice as directed on package. Serve chicken mixture over rice. Sprinkle with parsley. Yield: 4 servings --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Italian Recipes Turkey-Pesto Calzone Ingredients 1 (10 ounce) can refrigerated pizza crust 16 slices Shaved Smoked Turkey Breast 4 slices Provolone Cheese Slices 1/4 cup pesto Nutrition Info Calories: 484 kcal Carbohydrates: 38 g Dietary Fiber: 1 g Fat: 18 g Protein: 33 g Sugars: 4 g Cooking Directions Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Unroll pizza dough onto clean work surface. Pat out to 15x11-inch rectangle; cut in half lengthwise, then in half crosswise to form four rectangles. Cover each dough rectangle with 4 turkey slices, 1 cheese slice and 1 Tbsp. pesto; fold rectangle in half to enclose filling. Seal edges with fork. Place on baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray. Bake 15 min. or until golden brown. Yield: 4 servings --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Italian Provinces Province of AGRIGENTO Region SICILIA (SICILY) Official Website: www.provincia.agrigento.it The Province of Agrigento has a surface area of about 3041 square km, with a total population of about 470,000 inhabitants. It is administratively divided into 43 Municipalities. The territory preserves an invaluable wealth of archeological monuments - such as the Valley of Temples one of the most impressive sights of the Greek civilization - a rich cultural heritage, and a lavishly beautiful nature, rich in protected areas, such as the Montagnola with the Acquafitusa cave, the Cammarata Mount, Torre Salsa, and the Belice estuary. The Sicani Mountains border the province to the north, the Salso river to the east and the Belice river to the west. The coast is made of high dunes of very fine sand, with some amazing sights as the Scala dei Turchi, a steep wall over the sea. The province includes also the Pelagie islands situated in the southernmost corner of Italy, 200km off from the Sicilian coast, comprising the islands of Lampedusa, Linosa and Lampione. For some decades now in the Valley of Temples every february the "Mandorlo in Fiore" festival is held, accompanied by the International Folklore Festival. And last but not least, the great cooking traditions with such typical courses as the pasta with ricotta cheese and fava beans, the eggplant pie, the pastry based on pumpkin jam and the seafood dishes typical of Sciacca. The "Comuni" of the Province Agrigento | Alessandria della Rocca | Aragona | Bivona | Burgio | Calamonaci | Caltabellotta | Camastra | Cammarata | Campobello di Licata | Canicatti | Casteltermini | Castrofilippo | Cattolica Eraclea | Cianciana | Comitini | Favara | Grotte | Joppolo Giancaxio | Lampedusa e Linosa | Licata | Lucca Sicula | Menfi | Montallegro | Montevago | Naro | Palma di Montechiaro | Porto Empedocle | Racalmuto | Raffadali | Ravanusa | Realmonte | Ribera | Sambuca di Sicilia | San Biagio Platani | San Giovanni Gemini | Santa Elisabetta | Santa Margherita di Belice | Sant'Angelo Muxaro | Santo Stefano Quisquina | Sciacca | Siculiana | Villafranca Sicula "Knowest thou the land where the lemon trees bloom..." W.Goethe ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Province of CALTANISSETTA Region SICILIA (SICILY) Official Website: www.provincia.cl.it The territory of the Province includes environmental areas as the Lake Biviere di Gela, an important spot for migratory birds, the southern Valley of the Imera, the Lake Soprano of Serrafidalco and the beautiful Sugherata forest at Niscemi. The province appears divided into two sections connected through a narrow corridor, whith the southern part being the most populated with centers as Niscemi, Riesi, Mazzarino, Sommatino, and along the coast the harbor of Gela. Info: Area: 2128 km² -- Population: about 280,000 inhabitants -- Zip/postal codes: 93100, 93010-93019 -- Phone Area Codes: 0934, 0933, 0922 -- Car Plate: CL -- Communes: 22 communes The "Comuni" of the Province Acquaviva Platani | Bompensiere | Butera | Caltanissetta | Campofranco | Delia | Gela | Marianopoli | Mazzarino | Milena | Montedoro | Mussomeli | Niscemi | Resuttano | Riesi | San Cataldo | Santa Caterina Villarmosa | Serradifalco | Sommatino | Sutera | Vallelunga Pratameno | Villalba Economy Since the Middle Ages there was a remarkable wine-production activity, and today the province produces still great wines, among them the "nero d'Avola" and a number of spumante wines. Another outstanding trade was the production of pipes made with the root of Erica Arborea, the craft of decorated glass (stained glass). In the local mountains there is also abundance of the renowned Avola almonds. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Province of CATANIA Region SICILIA (SICILY) Official Website: www.provincia.ct.it The territory of the Province is included between the Aetna, the highest active volcano in Europe, and the Ionian Sea, with a long lava coast, called Timpa, from Catania to Riposto, offering many fine beach resorts, cliffs of remarkable altitude, up to 300 ft, and many sea grottos, amid a landscape of green bushes and trees of exceptional variety. Among the most picturesque resorts along the coast are Acitrezza with its sea rocks called faraglioni, Acqua ranni with its cliffs in lava stone, the fishing borough of Santa Maria La Scala. Info: Area: 3552 km² -- Population: over 1,000,000 inhabitants -- Zip/postal codes: -- Phone Area Codes: -- Car Plate: CT -- Communes: 58 communes -- The "Comuni" of the Province Aci Bonaccorsi | Comune of Aci Castello | Comune of Aci Catena | Aci Sant'Antonio | Comune of Acireale | Comune of Adrano | Belpasso | Biancavilla | Bronte | Calatabiano | Comune of Caltagirone | Camporotondo Etneo | Castel di Iudica | Castiglione di Sicilia | Comune of Catania | Fiumefreddo di Sicilia | Giarre | Comune of Grammichele | Gravina di Catania | Licodia Eubea | Comune of Linguaglossa | Maletto | Maniace | Mascali | Mascalucia | Mazzarrone | Comune of Militello in Val di Catania | Comune of Milo | Mineo | Mirabella Imbaccari | Misterbianco | Comune of Motta Sant'Anastasia | Comune of Nicolosi | Palagonia | Comune of Paternò | Pedara | Piedimonte Etneo | Raddusa | Ragalna | Ramacca | Comune of Randazzo | Riposto | San Cono | San Giovanni La Punta | San Gregorio di Catania | San Michele di Ganzaria | San Pietro Clarenza | Santa Maria di Licodia | Santa Venerina | Sant'Agata li Battiati | Sant'Alfio | Scordia | Comune of Trecastagni | Tremestieri Etneo | Valverde | Viagrande | Comune of Vizzini | Comune of Zafferana Etnea ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Province of ENNA Region SICILIA (SICILY) Official Website: www.provincia.enna.it The Province of Enna has a surface area of 2562 square km, with a total population of about 180,000 inhabitants. It is administratively divided into 20 Municipalities. The territory of the province, the only in Sicily not bordering the sea, includes remarkable environments, such as the Rossomanno forest and the salty Lake of Pergusa, near whose waters, according to the legend, Pluto kidnapped Proserpina, Ceres' daughter. The economy in the past was based partly on the mines of Floristella-Grottacalda, which are today being changed into a monument of industrial archeology; thanks to the mountain climate and the many art and history site, there has been a growing tourist development in recent years. The "Comuni" in the Province of Enna Agira | Aidone | Assoro | Barrafranca | Calascibetta | Catenanuova | Centuripe | Cerami | Enna | Gagliano Castelferrato | Leonforte | Nicosia | Nissoria | Piazza Armerina | Pietraperzia | Regalbuto | Sperlinga | Troina | Valguarnera Caropepe | Villarosa ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Province of MESSINA Region SICILIA (SICILY) Official Website: www.provincia.messina.it The Province occupies the north-western corner of Sicily, and borders the Thyrrhenian Sea to the north and the Ionian to the east, separated by the Messina strait. The territory is mostly mountainous, with the exception of the Milazzo plain, where the 2 populous towns of Milazzo and Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto are situated. The hinterland is occupied by the Monti Peloritani (reaching 1300 mt) and the Monti Nebrodi or Caronie (reaching 1900 mt), where a Regional Natural Park was established. The province of Messina includes also the beautiful Aeolian islands in the Thyrrhenian Sea, 7 in all, with 4 different communes, Lipari which includes the isles of Alicudi, Filicudi, Lipari, Panarea, Stromboli and Vulcano, while on the large island of Salina are the comuni of Malfa, Leni and Santa Maria Salina. Info: Area: 3247 km² -- Population: over 680,000 inhabitants -- Zip/postal codes: 98000-98100 -- Phone Area Codes: 090, 0941, 0942 -- Car Plate: ME -- Communes: 108 communes -- History Already in Roman times Messina, a faithful allied town of Rome, had jurisdiction over a wide area including Milazzo, and this area was the origin of the present province. Under the Arab domination, when Sicily was divided into the three provinces of Val di Mazara (western Sicily), Val di Noto (the south-east) and Val Demone (north and east), Messina was the main center of the Val di Demone including Catania to the South and Cefalù. Between 1815 and 1825 the Bourbon government reduced the "Vallo di Messina", creating the "Vallo di Catania" with the area around Mount Aetna and moving Cefalù to the "Vallo di Palermo". At the time the province acquired more or less the present boundaries, and was furtherly divided into the four districts of Messina, Mistretta, Patti and Castroreale. The population of 236.632 in 1798 grew to 380.279 in 1852, lived in 95 communes, with 105,000 people in the city of Messina. In 1860, when Sicily was included in the kingdom of Italy, the seven bourbon "valli" took the names of "Provinces". The apocalyptic earthquake of 28 December 1908 destroyed most of the provinces of Messina and Reggio Calabria, only in Messina victims were between 60,000 and 80,000. After decades of reconstruction further destruction came with WW2 bombings in 1943. The "Comuni" of the Province Acquedolci | Alcara li Fusi | Alì | Alì Terme | Antillo | Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto | Basicò | Brolo | Capizzi | Capo d'Orlando | Capri Leone | Caronia | Casalvecchio Siculo | Castel di Lucio | Castel Mola | Castell'Umberto | Castroreale | Cesaro | Condro' | Falcone | Ficarra | Fiumedinisi | Floresta | Fondachelli Fantina | Forza d'Agrò | Francavilla di Sicilia | Frazzano' | Furci Siculo | Furnari | Gaggi | Galati Mamertino | Gallodoro | Giardini Naxos | Gioiosa Marea | Graniti | Gualtieri Sicamino | Itala | Leni | Letojanni | Librizzi | Limina | Lipari | Longi | Malfa | Malvagna | Mandanici | Mazzarra Sant'Andrea | Meri | Messina | Milazzo | Militello Rosmarino | Mirto | Mistretta | Mojo Alcantara | Monforte San Giorgio | Mongiuffi Melia | Montagnareale | Montalbano Elicona | Motta Camastra | Motta d'Affermo | Naso | Nizza di Sicilia | Novara di Sicilia | Oliveri | Pace del Mela | Pagliara | Patti | Pettineo | Piraino | Raccuja | Reitano | Roccafiorita | Roccalumera | Roccavaldina | Roccella Valdemone | Rodi Milici | Rometta | San Filippo del Mela | San Fratello | San Marco d'Alunzio | San Pier Niceto | San Piero Patti | San Salvatore di Fitalia | San Teodoro | Santa Domenica Vittoria | Santa Lucia del Mela | Santa Marina Salina | Santa Teresa di Riva | Sant'Agata di Militello | Sant'Alessio Siculo | Sant'Angelo di Brolo | Santo Stefano di Camastra | Saponara | Savoca | Scaletta Zanclea | Sinagra | Spadafora | Taormina | Terme Vigliatore | Torregrotta | Torrenova | Tortorici | Tripi | Tusa | Ucria | Valdina | Venetico | Villafranca Tirrena ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Province of RAGUSA Region SICILIA (SICILY) Official Website: www.provincia.ragusa.it The Province of Ragusa has a surface area of 1614 square km, with a total population of about 300,000 inhabitants. It is administratively divided into 12 Municipalities. It is the smallest and youngest of the Sicilian provinces, being established in 1926. It occupies the south-eastern part of Sicily, and shares the beautiful landscapes and fascinating history of this area of the island. Ther rocky coasts, covered of green vegetation from the gulf of Gela, offer exceptional views on the Ippari valley and the Iblei Mountains. The "Comuni" of the Province Acate | Chiaramonte Gulfi | Comiso | Giarratana | Ispica | Modica | Monterosso Almo | Pozzallo | Ragusa | Santa Croce Camerina | Scicli | Vittoria ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Province of SIRACUSA Region SICILIA (SICILY) Official Website: www.provincia.siracusa.it The Province of Siracusa has a surface area of 2108 square km, with a total population of about 400,000 inhabitants. It is administratively divided into 21 Municipalities. It is on the eastern side of Sicily, on the Ionian Sea, and is very rich in waters: there is the Lentini lake, and the rivers Ciane, Anapo and Cassibile, which flow into the sea south of Siracusa, the marshes of Vendicari, Pozzallo and Priolo Gargallo, all areas of great environmental importance for vegetation and wildlife, many of which are natural reserves and protected areas. The natural beauty is accompanied by an outstanding artistic and historical heritage: the localities of Siracusa, Noto, Palazzolo Acreide and Pantalica, as well as the archeological sites of Leontinoi, Akrai, Megara Iblea, Eloro, Avola antica, Noto antica and Siracusa are included among the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The "Comuni" of the Province Augusta | Avola | Buccheri | Buscemi | Canicattini Bagni | Carlentini | Cassaro | Ferla | Floridia | Francofonte | Lentini | Melilli | Noto | Pachino | Palazzolo Acreide | Portopalo di Capo Passero | Priolo Gargallo | Rosolini | Siracusa | Solarino | Sortino ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Province of TRAPANI Region SICILIA (SICILY) Official Webste: www.provincia.trapani.it The Province of Trapani has a surface area of 3041 square km, with a total population of about 470,000 inhabitants. It is administratively divided into 24 Municipalities. Besides the capital Trapani, other cities and places of interest in the province include Segesta, Gibellina, Erice, Alcamo, Marsala, Mazara del Vallo, Castellammare del Golfo, and Mozia. The nearby island of Pantelleria, and the Aegadian Islands (where the town of Favignana is situated) are also included in the province. The province of Trapani alone produces more wine than the entire regions of Tuscany or Piedmont or such nations as Hungary, Austria or Chile. The "Comuni" of the Province Comune of Alcamo | Comune of Buseto Palizzolo | Comune of Calatafimi | Comune of Campobello di Mazara | Comune of Castellammare del Golfo | Comune of Castelvetrano | Comune of Custonaci | Comune of Erice | Comune of Favignana (Aegadians) | Comune of Gibellina | Comune of Marsala | Comune of Mazara del Vallo | Comune of Paceco | Comune of Pantelleria | Comune of Partanna | Comune of Petrosino | Comune of Poggioreale | Comune of Salaparuta | Comune of Salemi | Comune of San Vito lo Capo | Comune of Santa Ninfa | Comune of Trapani | Comune of Valderice | Comune of Vita ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Italian Language Common Variations in the Writing Systems Some variations in the usage of the writing system may be present in practical use. These are scorned by educated people, but they are so common in certain contexts that knowledge of them may be useful. Usage of x instead of per: this is very common among teenagers and in SMS abbreviations. The multiplication operator is pronounced "per" in Italian, and so it is sometimes used to replace the word "per", which means "for"; thus, for example, "per te" ("for you") is shortened to "x te" (compare with English "4 U"). Words containing per can also have it replaced with x: for example, perché (both "why" and "because") is often shortened as xché or xké or x' (see below). This usage might be useful to jot down quick notes or to fit more text into the low character limit of an SMS, but it is considered unacceptable in formal writing. Usage of foreign letters such as k, j and y, especially in nicknames and SMS language: ke instead of che, Giusy instead of Giuseppina (or sometimes Giuseppe). This is curiously mirrored in the usage of i in English names such as Staci instead of Stacey, or in the usage of c in Northern Europe (Jacob instead of Jakob). The use of "k" instead of "ch" or "c" to represent a plosive sound is documented in some historical texts from before the standardization of the Italian language; however, that usage is no longer standard in Italian. Possibly because it is associated with the German language, the letter "k" has sometimes also been used in satire to suggest that a political figure is an authoritarian or even a "pseudo-nazi": Francesco Cossiga was famously nicknamed Kossiga by rioting students during his tenure as minister of internal affairs. [Cf. the politicized spelling Amerika in the USA.] Usage of the following abbreviations is limited to the electronic communications media and is deprecated in all other cases: nn instead of non (not), cmq instead of comunque (anyway, however), cm instead of come (how, like, as), d instead of di (of), (io/loro) sn instead of (io/loro) sono (I am/they are), (io) dv instead of (io) devo (I must/I have to) or instead of dove (where), (tu) 6 instead of (tu) sei (you are). Inexperienced typists often replace accents with apostrophes, such as in perche' instead of perché. Uppercase È is particularly rare, as it is absent from the Italian keyboard layout, and is very often written as E' (even though there are several ways of producing the uppercase È on a computer). This never happens in books or other professionally typeset material. Samples Yes Sì No No Of course! Certo! / Certamente! / Naturalmente! Hello! Ciao! (informal) / Salve! (general) How are you? Come stai? (informal) / Come sta? (formal) / Come state? (plural) / Come va? (general) Good morning! Buongiorno! (= Good day!) Good afternoon! Buon pomeriggio! (unusual) / Buonasera! (more usual) Good evening! Buonasera! Good night! Buonanotte! (for a good night sleeping) / Buona serata! (for a good night awake) I love you! Ti amo! Have a good lunch/dinner! Le (plural, Vi) auguro un buon pranzo/una buona cena! (formal) / Buon appetito! (informal) Welcome [to...] Benvenuto/-i (for male/males or mixed) / Benvenuta/-e (for female/females) [a / in...] Goodbye! Arrivederci (formal) /Ciao! (informal) Have a nice day! Buona giornata! (formal) Good luck! Thank you! Buona fortuna! Grazie! (general) / In bocca al lupo! Crepi (il lupo)! (to wish s.o. to overcome a difficulty) (the call and response literally means: "Into the mouth of the wolf!" "May it die!" Please Per piacere / Per favore / Per cortesia Thank you! Grazie! (general) / Ti ringrazio! (informal) / La ringrazio! (formal) / Vi ringrazio! (plural) You're welcome! Prego! / I'm sorry Mi dispiace (general) / Scusa(mi) (informal) / Mi scusi (formal) / Scusatemi (plural) / Sono desolato (if male) / Sono desolata (if female) Excuse me Scusa(mi) (informal) / (Mi) scusi (formal) / Scusate(mi) (plural) / (Con) permesso! (in order to pass on, to advance) Who? Chi? What? Che cosa? / Cosa? / Che? When? Quando? Where? Dove? Why? Perché? What's your name? Come ti chiami? (informal)/Come si chiama? (formal) Because Perché How? Come? How much? / How many? Quanto? / Quanti? / Quante? I do not understand. Non capisco. / Non ho capito. Yes, I understand. Sì, capisco. / Ho capito. Help me! Aiutami! (informal) / Mi aiuti! (formal) / Aiutatemi! (plural) / Aiuto! (general) You're right/wrong! (Tu) hai ragione/torto! (informal) / (Lei) ha ragione/torto! (formal) / (Voi) avete ragione/torto! (plural) What time is it? Che ora è? / Che ore sono? Where is the bathroom? Dov'è il bagno? (listen) Do you speak English? Parli inglese? (informal) / Parla inglese? (formal) / Parlate inglese? (plural) I don't understand Italian. Non capisco l'italiano. / Non comprendo l'italiano. The check, please. (In restaurant) Il conto, per favore. The study of Italian sharpens the mind. Lo studio dell'italiano acuisce l'ingegno. Examples Cheers: "Salute!" English: inglese /iŋˈglese/ Good-bye: arrivederci /arriveˈdertʃi/ Hello: ciao /ˈtʃao/ Good day: buon giorno /bwɔnˈdʒorno/ Good evening: buona sera /bwɔnaˈsera/ Yes: sì /si/ No: no /nɔ/ How are you? : Come stai /ˈkome ˈstai/ (informal); Come sta /ˈkome 'sta/ (formal) Sorry: mi dispiace /mi disˈpjatʃe/ Excuse me: scusa /ˈskuza/ (informal); scusi /ˈskuzi/ (formal) Again: di nuovo, /di ˈnwɔvo/; ancora /aŋˈkora/ Always: sempre /ˈsɛmpre/ When: quando /ˈkwando/ Where: dove /'dove/ Why/Because: perché /perˈke/ How: come /'kome/ How much is it?: quanto costa? /ˈkwanto/ Thank you!: grazie! /ˈgrattsie/ Bon appetit: buon appetito /ˌbwɔn appeˈtito/ You're welcome!: prego! /ˈprɛgo/ I love you: Ti amo /ti ˈamo/, Ti voglio bene /ti ˈvɔʎʎo ˈbɛne/. The difference is that you use "Ti amo" when you are in a romantic relationship, "Ti voglio bene" in any other occasion (to parents, to relatives, to friends...) Counting to twenty: One: uno /ˈuno/ Two: due /ˈdue/ Three: tre /tre/ Four: quattro /ˈkwattro/ Five: cinque /ˈʧiŋkwe/ Six: sei /ˈsɛi/ Seven: sette /ˈsɛtte/ Eight: otto /ˈɔtto/ Nine: nove /ˈnɔve/ Ten: dieci /ˈdjɛʧi/ Eleven: undici /ˈundiʧi/ Twelve: dodici /ˈdodiʧi/ Thirteen: tredici /ˈtrediʧi/ Fourteen: quattordici /kwat'tordiʧi/ Fifteen: quindici /ˈkwindiʧi/ Sixteen: sedici /ˈsediʧi/ Seventeen: diciassette /diʧas'sɛtte/ Eighteen: diciotto /di'ʧɔ  |