|
|
Post by durnisi on Jan 26, 2006 22:28:31 GMT -5
So, is it true that M.A.F.I.A. actually means Morte A la Francese, Italia An ela, which, although i dont know Italina and my spelling must be really terrible, Death to the French, Forza Italia! , and is something that the Sicilians came up when under occupation? Correct? Eh thats assuming the Mafia originated with the Sicilian Vespers. But I don't think that's right because the object was to liberate Sicily. "Italy" didn't matter to the Sicilian kingdom. |
|
|
|
Post by annienormanna on Jan 26, 2006 22:41:49 GMT -5
So, is it true that M.A.F.I.A. actually means Morte A la Francese, Italia An ela, which, although i dont know Italina and my spelling must be really terrible, Death to the French, Forza Italia! , and is something that the Sicilians came up when under occupation? Correct? Eh thats assuming the Mafia originated with the Sicilian Vespers. But I don't think that's right because the object was to liberate Sicily. "Italy" didn't matter to the Sicilian kingdom. :)I think this might help: www.sicilianculture.com/mafia/mafiawords.htm |
|
|
|
Post by durnisi on Jan 26, 2006 22:48:10 GMT -5
Eh thats assuming the Mafia originated with the Sicilian Vespers. But I don't think that's right because the object was to liberate Sicily. "Italy" didn't matter to the Sicilian kingdom. :)I think this might help: www.sicilianculture.com/mafia/mafiawords.htmno doubt on the word, mafiusu, meaning beautiful. hehe |
|
|
|
Post by annienormanna on Jan 26, 2006 22:51:01 GMT -5
no doubt on the word, mafiusu, meaning beautiful. hehe  |
|
|
|
Post by eufrenio on Jan 28, 2006 13:55:47 GMT -5
What percentage of Italian-Americans are Sicilian?
|
|
|
|
Post by durnisi on Jan 28, 2006 14:53:15 GMT -5
What percentage of Italian-Americans are Sicilian? Hmm.... There are 5 million Sicilians in Sicily, and another 5 million scattered throughout the world. I'd say that... 2-3 million would be in the United States and there are about 16 million Italian-Americans so I'd say 13-30%. But just me guessing. ;D |
|
|
|
Post by Dienekes on Jan 28, 2006 16:27:15 GMT -5
no doubt on the word, mafiusu, meaning beautiful. hehe Almost certainly of Greek origin, from eumorphos, well-shaped, Md. Greek omorfos (=beautiful) with the (o) sometimes silent as in morfonios/a (=beautiful man/woman) and rf = > ff => f with a Latinate ending -osus. |
|
|
|
Post by durnisi on Jan 28, 2006 16:50:50 GMT -5
no doubt on the word, mafiusu, meaning beautiful. hehe Almost certainly of Greek origin, from eumorphos, well-shaped, Md. Greek omorfos (=beautiful) with the (o) sometimes silent as in morfonios/a (=beautiful man/woman) and rf = > ff => f with a Latinate ending -osus. See Dienekes, we didn't loose all of our Hellenicity hehe. Here are more Greek words still used in Sicilian: Greek influences The following Sicilian words are of a Greek origin (including some examples where it is unclear whether the word is derived directly from Greek, or via Latin): * appizzari - to rot, go bad (as in fruit), ruin (from (eks)èpeson) * babbiari - to fool around (from babazo, which also gives the sicilian words: babbazzu and babbu - stupid; but Latin babulus and Spanish babieca) * bucali - pitcher (from baukalion) * bùmmulu - water receptacle (from bombylos; but Latin bombyla) * cartedda - basket (from kartallos; but Latin cratellum) * carusu - boy (from kouros; but Latin carus - dear, Sanskrit caruh - amiable) * casèntaru - earthworm (from gas enteron) * cirasa - cherry (from kerasos; but Latin cerasum) * cona - icon, image, metaphor (from eikyon; but Latin icona) * cuddura - type of bread (from kollyra; but Latin collyra) * grasta - flower pot (from gastra; but Latin gastra) * naca - cradle (from nake) * ntamari - to stun, amaze (from thambeo; but Calabrese tàmmaru - stupid, comes from Arabic tammar date vendor) * pistiari - to eat (from apestiein) * tuppuliàri - to knock (from typto). www.answers.com/topic/sicilian-language |
|
