Italy: Unique through cultural differences

  • Published
  • By Nicole Morandini
  • 31st Fighter Wing Public Affairs Italian Intern
AVIANO AIR BASE, Italy --  Italy is a very peculiar place. It's unique--there are a myriad of differences between Italy and the rest of Europe, but there are also differences between various parts of Italy as well.

First of all, let's talk about speaking. The Italian language is rather interesting since it is still pretty new. Italy was the last of the European countries (as we know them) to create a common language amongst all the regions. Before that, only regional dialects were spoken in the different parts of the country. That's where gestures, which stereotypically belong to Italians, come from. People from Tuscany couldn't possibly understand a Sicilian, since they spoke completely different words and phrases. The easier and faster way to understand people, until the language was known by everyone, was to speak loudly, clearly and use body language. Even now, it is almost impossible to interpret a dialect that isn't from your region. Some of them are so complex that they are actually acknowledged as languages of their own (for example: Friulian and Sardinian).

Our language comes directly from ancient Latin and was developed through Dante's words (he's known as one of the greatest authors in Italian history. If you only know him through Dante's Inferno, you should check him out). It became a very complex but also harmonious language that lends itself to poetry and music. The majority of words end with a vowel and our sentences are usually long with many subordinate clauses and adjectives.

After the world wars, and with the rise of TVs in most homes around the 50s, Italian spread all over the country. Still, Italian is unique to Italians since they rely on the use of gestures in addition to their language to communicate with others.

An Italian knows and uses around 10,000 words but unfortunately, there has been a depletion of the language, causing Italian to lose many words in place of foreign ones. We "borrow" many words from the English vocabulary and readapt them. Some are "realizzare," adaptation of "realize" that once was translated as "capire," or "crimine," adaptation of "crime" instead of using "reato." This loss of the original Italian language worries some Italians so much so that they created a movement called "Adopt a Word" in which they commit to using an endangered word as often as possible.

I don't think you need to know all of 10,000 words, nor do you need to commit to anything, but there are some important words you may want to know:

"Buon giorno" and "Buona sera" mean good morning and good evening.
"Buon appetito" is said before you begin eating and means "enjoy your meal."
"Salute" can mean "cheers" if you're about to make a toast, or "bless you!" if someone sneezed.
"Destra" and "sinistra" are useful if you get lost: they mean "right" and "left."

A word you may want to learn to speak perfectly in Italian is "permesso". We ask "permesso?" (literally: "Am I allowed?") whenever we go inside a house that is not our own, even if we're invited. The reason is strictly tied with our concept of "home," which is something very private for us. Even if we are friends it's not guaranteed that I will ever invite you into my home. Still, if you're lucky enough to enter my home at some point in your life, remember not to open the fridge or wander around looking for the bathroom. The advisable order is: ask first and do later. And if you ask "permesso?" my mom, who might have rollers in her hair, will have some time to prepare for your arrival and, thus, maintain our standards of "Bella Figura."

I can't really translate "Bella Figura" since there's too much meaning behind it. Its literal meaning is to "make a good impression," although it's so much more than that. It's the reason why you can't leave home in your PJs. It is also the reason why your socks must match because "what if you have a car accident and everybody sees them?" It's necessary to bring flowers or food if somebody invites you over for dinner, or even for a coffee. "Bella Figura" encompasses both behavior and physical appearance, it means being useful, honest and nice to others. It's your duty to always be at your best. It's like honor, something very important and sometimes pressing in Italian culture. It is impossible for us to get an appointment and not show up without feeling regretful. At the very least, we are going to call the person waiting for us, or text him/her to apologize and let them know that we had to cancel. And when you finally get to the appointment? If it's the first time you've met the person, the usual handshake with direct eye contact and a smile suffices. But once a relationship develops, kissing both cheeks, starting with the right one, is often added. Please just don't embarrass the person offering the cheek by not kissing it!

Those were little tips to help you go through the first encounter with Italy and Italians plus a bit of history (you can talk big next time you run out of lines for conversation). This is important since the language and the culture of this country are tied together, and tell you the story of all Italians, including the ones who live next door.