Many Italian words have entered the English language.
Pizza, spaghetti and ravioli are just some of them.
Many technical words in music are Italian, such as forte and allegro, pianoforte (Piano)
Many musical instrument names are also Italian,such as cello and tuba.
From the darker side of Italian life
we get Mafia and vendetta. And Bravo! Via Internet:p

falsetto, graffiti, stiletto, gusto, bravado, bragadoccio, ghetto

video and audio...

But for those of us learning Italian we have to be careful of words that are similar in both languages but have different meanings:
factory - fattoria
sensible - sensibile
sensitive - sensitivo
actually - attualmente

:confused:

Those words are similar because they are Latin based. There are a million of them, if there are a million words. And these words are the rescue doughnut for those struggling to say words in Italian, I know they help me to remember many.

I teach English as a foreign language here and these words always lead to interesting conversations, as well as the differences between US English and British English.
...these words are the rescue doughnut...
I've never heard of a rescue doughnut before... it conjures up an interesting image!

I also hear many English words in the Italian language, such as:

Andiamo al Pub? Così ci spariamo un hamburgher!
In the military:
Mike, abbiamo un tank (carro armato)
(Once we painted a tank all blue and wrote SIMMENTAL all over it (Simmental is a famous Italian brand of canned meat!):D

What about cappucino espresso latte ?
latte for example comes from caffe'-latte ( coffe and milk) : In the US is used if you want to order a caffe' latte. But the caffe' was dropped from the original italian phrase and now it means something different ( milk ).

A few more examples of Italian words in English

a cappella Singing without music. One of many musical terms from Italian.
alarm call to arms One of many military terms from Italian.
allegro lively, gay Musical term: in brisk time.
America Continent named after an Italian navigator and cartographer.
aria Musical term: a long accompanied song for one voice.
attack
balcony One of many architectural terms from Italian.
ballot From the balls used for voting.
bandit
bank money lenders' table
bankrupt broken money lenders' table The table would be broken if the money lender was unable to trade.
bravo Cry of approval.
broccoli A vegetable. One of many food terms from Italian.
buffoon
canon large tube
canteen
cartoon
casino
colonel Military rank.
concerto Musical term: music for a single instrument accompanied by orchestra.
confetti little sweets Thrown at a newly married couple.
corridor
crescendo grow Musical term: gradual increase in loudness.
desk table
ditto said
dome
escort
fascist bundle From the symbol of Roman imperial power.
fiasco
fresco Method of painting.
gazette Venetian small coin From the cost of a news sheet.
ghetto From the name of a Jewish area in 15th century Venice.
gondola Originally a cabin on an airship.
graffiti
gusto
incognito
inferno
influenza An illness.
lava
libretto little book Musical term: the text of an opera.
lido A bathing place near Venice now a generic term for swimming pools in the UK.
macaroni A type of pasta.
madrigal Musical term: short song for several voices.
maestro
Mafia
malaria bad air It used to be thought that malaria was caused by stale air.
manager
mandolin A stringed musical instrument.
mezzanine middle Middle level floor in a building.
Morocco from Marrakesh North African country.
motto saying
moustache
nepotism nephew Giving jobs to relatives.
opera works Plural of "opus" (work).
parasol for the sun
partisan
pasta paste From the dried flour paste used in cooking.
piano from "pianoforte" - soft loud Musical instrument.
pizza
porcelain
portfolio
prima donna first lady
propaganda Originally a religious term.
quartet Musical term: for four voices or instruments.
regatta boat race
risk run into danger
semolina little bran Grains left after the milling of flour.
solo Single performer.
sonata Composition for a single instrument.
soprano The highest female voice.
staccato detach Musical term: play in an abrupt manner.
stiletto little dagger Originally a dagger, then the heel of a female's shoe.
stucco
studio
spaghetti little strings A type of pasta.
tarantula Named after area where found in Italy.
tempo Musical term: time.
torso trunk
trio Musical term: for three voices or instruments.
umbrella little shadow
vendetta
vermicelli little worms A type of pasta.
viola Musical term; a stringed instrument.
violin Musical term; a stringed instrument.
virtuoso
volcano
zany Venetian version of "John".

What does this have to do do with jokes??

What does this have to do do with jokes??

Parliamo: Italian Language General Anything related to the Italian language itself.

In the New York area we have an Italian-American word "stunad" that derived from the Italian word "stonato." A stonato is a musical note that is off key, and a stunad is a person who isn't all there.

Another word my mother-in-law used to use was "baccausa" for restroom. It derives from the English words "back house" (i.e. outhouse).


I don't think anyone is using baccausa anymore, but I do hear the word stunad from time to time.