The Italian language is a language with a large set of inflammatory terms and phrases, almost all of which originate from the several dialects and languages of Italy, such as theTuscan dialect, which had a very strong influence in modern standard Italian, and is widely known to be based on theFlorentine language.[1] Several of these words havecognates in otherRomance languages, such asPortuguese,Spanish,Romanian, andFrench.
Profanities differ from region to region, but a number of them are diffused enough to be more closely associated to the Italian language, and are featured in all the more popular Italian dictionaries.
cagare (cacare is usually more common inSouthern Italy. SeeRegional varieties of the Italian language): to shit, todefecate. It is used idiomatically to mean "to give a fuck" or, typically, "not to give a fuck" (with the verb in a negative form) about someone:"A scuola nessuno mi caga" ("At school, nobody gives a fuck about me"). Cognate with Spanish and Portuguesecagar, ultimately from Latincacare.
scazzare: this word has many meanings: to annoy, bore, irritate someone, to fight with someone, to make somebody angry, to talk bullshit and to make mistakes.[18]
scazzo: difficult situation, boredom or fight, quarrel.[20]
coglione (pl.coglioni)[koʎˈʎoːne]: a vulgar version oftesticle; when referring to a person, it usually meansidiot, berk, twit, fool.Coglione was also featured in worldwide news when used by ex Italian Prime MinisterSilvio Berlusconi, referring to those who would not vote for him during the2006 Italian election campaign.[21] It derives from Latincoleo (pl.coleones), and is thuscognate to the Spanishcojones and Portuguesecolhões. In addition, it can be used in several phrases, such as:
rincoglionire: to make someone stupid or to become stupid.[31]
rincoglionito: person who has become stupid or who is acting stupid.[32]
rincoglionimento: the action and the result of becoming stupid.[33]
rompicoglioni orscassacoglioni: unbearable and irritating person, pain in the ass.[34]
cornuto (pl.cornuti)[korˈnuːto]:[35] (lit.'horned'[36])cuckold,[37] referring to a male whose female partner is cheating on him (or vice versa in the feminine formcornuta). Occasionally, it might be accompanied by thecorna gesture when the word is used as a direct insult. In Southern Italy, it is considered a rough insult.[citation needed]
fica orfiga (pl.fiche orfighe)[ˈfiːka][ˈfiːga]: pussy. In past times, it was also the name of an obscene gesture calledgesto delle fiche. It also means sexy, hot, and attractive if referring to a woman (or a man when sayingfigo) Contrary to popular belief,figa is not necessarily an offensive term. If referring to a guy (figo), it means someone really cool, a stud,[45] someone "who always knows how to get pussy."Valentino Rossi is associated with the lettersWLF (for example, wearing them on his motorcycle leathers); these are known to refer toViva la figa.Figo may also mean someone really skilled in doing something. When referring to a woman, the termstrafiga means "smoking hot". The derived termfigata means something cool. A less common synonym, mainly used inRome andNaples respectively, isfregna[46] andfessa. (even iffessa, m.fesso, can simply mean pussy, but also stupid girl)
finocchio (pl.finocchi)[fiˈnɔkkjo]: (lit.'fennel') a male homosexual; faggot; poof. A suggestive and very popular hypothesis suggests it may derive from the age of theHoly Inquisition in thePapal State, when fennel seeds would be thrown on homosexuals executed by burning at the stake—in order to mitigate the stench of burned flesh. However, there is no proof that this is the case.[47]
fottere to fuck, commonly used in the expression"vai a farti fottere," meaning "go and get fucked," or "go fuck yourself";[48]ciulare andchiavare are synonyms, used in the North and in the South, respectively.
frocio (pl.froci)[ˈfrɔːtʃo]: roughly equivalent to the American "faggot", this term originated in Rome, but is now widely used nationwide. Less-used synonyms include:ricchione (mainlySouthern Italy, especially inCampania);culattone orculo (mainly inNorthern Italy);busone (common inEmilia-Romagna, and also a rough synonym for "lucky");buco orbucaiolo (common inTuscany); andfinocchio (see). The usage of this word in Italian may be considered by some individuals ashomophobic andpolitically incorrect.[49]
gnocca (pl.gnocche)[ˈɲɔkka]:[50] typicalBolognese version offiga; is mostly conjugated in its feminine form, although sometimes can be used in the masculine form. Although very vulgar, it is not offensive, but instead complimentary. Indeed, it is used nationwide to refer to an attractive woman.
maiala[maˈjaːla]: (lit.'sow') slut, used to insult or label a woman who is overly sexual or sexually promiscuous; common in Tuscany andUmbria.
mannaggia[manˈnaddʒa]: a generic expression of frustration, mostly used in Southern Italy. It is not considered particularly vulgar or insulting, and is most often used jokingly; often translated as "damn" in English. The term comes from the contraction of a former utterance, "mal ne aggia," which inNeapolitan language means "may he/she get mischief out of it." Also used in books written in English, such asMario Puzo'sThe Fortunate Pilgrim.[54]
merda (pl.merde)[ˈmɛrda]: roughly the same as English word "shit". Cognate to Spanishmierda and Frenchmerde.[55]
smerdare: to shame, to take down a peg or two.[56]
mignotta (pl.mignotte)[miɲˈɲɔtta]: same meaning ofputtana; according to some sources,[57] it may be the contraction of the Latinmatris ignotae ("of unknown mother"), where the notefilius m. ignotae ("son of unknown mother") appeared in the registries that referred to abandoned children; other sources[58] derive it from the Frenchmignoter ("to caress") ormignon/mignonne.
minchia (pl.minchie)[ˈmiŋkja]: the same meaning ascazzo, but notably a feminine name. Originates fromSicilian language;[59] nowadays, it is common anywhere in Italy, where it is also used as exclamation of surprise, or even appreciation. It derives from Latinmentula.
Testa di minchia: Dickhead.
Minchione: Muggins, simpleton, fool.
Minchiata: Bullshit, crap.
Minchia!: Damn! Shit! Hell!
Bimbominkia: Stupid kid, especially referring to internet users.
mona (pl.mone): dialectic form of "cunt" or "pussy." Commonly used in North Eastern Italy, more specifically inVeneto andFriuli-Venezia Giulia.[60]
palla orballa: (lit.'ball') testicle, used chiefly in the plural form.[61]
sega (pl.seghe)[ˈseːga]: wank,handjob. Literally, the term could be translated as "saw."[88] The derivative verb is not onlysegare (which, in this context, is usually used in the reflexive form "segarsi"), but more commonlyfare/[farsi] una sega (get a handjob /[from yourself; to jerk off]).[89] This causedSEGA to alter its pronunciation in Italian to "SEE-gah" for ads in the Italian market.[90]
sfiga (pl.sfighe): Literally "without pussy." Has the meaning of "bad luck."[94] A typical exclamation when something goes wrong in Italy is"che sfiga!" ("What a bad luck!")
sfigato (pl.sfigati): Literally means "withoutfiga," in English "without pussy." It can be translated as "loser", "unlucky" or "uncool" person.[95]
stronzo (pl.stronzi)[ˈstrontso]: Literally "turd",[97] but also "arsehole" or "asshole", "bitch", "idiot", "stupid", "sod." It is used as anadjective to indicate that somebody is really a bad, cruel man/woman.
Italian writers have often used profanity for the "spice" it adds to their publications. This is an example from a seventeenth century collection of tales, thePentamerone,[100] by the NeapolitanGiambattista Basile:
"Ah, zoccaro, frasca, merduso, piscialetto, sauteriello de zimmaro, pettola a culo, chiappo de 'mpiso, mulo canzirro! ente, ca pure le pulece hanno la tosse! va', che te venga cionchia, che mammata ne senta la mala nuova, che non ce vide lo primmo de maggio! Va', che te sia data lanzata catalana o che te sia dato stoccata co na funa, che non se perda lo sango, o che te vangano mille malanne, co l'avanzo e priesa e vento alla vela, che se ne perda la semmenta, guzzo, guitto, figlio de 'ngabellata, mariuolo!"
"Ah, good for nothing, feather, full of shit, bed-pisser, jack of the harpsichord, shirt on the arse, loop of the hanged, hard-headed mule! Look, now also lice cough loudly! Go, that palsy get you, that your mom get the bad news, that you cannot see the first of May. Go, that a Catalan spear pass through you, that a rope be tied around your neck, so that your blood won't be lost, that one thousand illnesses, and someone more, befall you, coming in full wind; that your name be lost, brigand, penniless, son of a whore, thief!"
1633 plaque inVenice forbidding gambling, selling goods, and blaspheming
Profanities in the original meaning ofblasphemous profanity are part of the ancient tradition of thecomic cults, which laughed and scoffed at the deity.[101] In Europe during theMiddle Ages, the most improper and sinful "oaths" were those invoking the body of the Lord and its various parts—such asBergamo dialect expressionpota de Cristo ("Christ's cunt")—which resulted in these oaths being used the most frequently.[102]
Nowadays, the most common kind of blasphemous profanity involves the name of God (Dio), Christ (Cristo), Jesus (Gesù), or the Virgin Mary (Madonna), combined with aninsult or sometimes an animal—the most used beingporco ("pig"), as inporco Dio ("God [is a] pig") andporca Madonna ("the Virgin Mary [is a] pig"); orcane ("dog"), as inDio cane ("God [is a] dog").
Common blasphemous profanities in Italian are:porco Dio (often writtenporcodio or alsoporcoddio, more rarely asporco Iddio);Dio cane ("God [is a] dog");Dio merda;Dio bestia;Dio maiale;porco Gesù;Gesù cane;Madonna puttana;porco il Cristo;Dio stronzo; andDio Fauss with "Fauss" meaning "false, hypocrite" in Piedmontese (orDio Fa, more colloquially).
Another common formula for blasphemy combines a divinity, an animal and an atrocious death, like indio porco scannato.
At the same time, it is not an entirely uncommon pastime to come up with creative and articulatedbestemmie,[105][106] especially among the lower social classes, such as dockers.[107]
Since the advent of theWorld Wide Web, several websites[108][109][110] have come and gone that featured user-submitted or machine-generated collections of complexbestemmie, and manuals compiling these collections ofbestemmie have been printed.[111]
In theItalian language, profanities belonging to this category are calledbestemmie (singular:bestemmia), in whichGod, theVirgin Mary,Jesus, theSaints, or theRoman Catholic Church are insulted. This category is so strong it is usually frowned upon, even by people who would make casual or even regular use of the profanities above.[citation needed]
Bestemmiare ("swearing") is amisdemeanor in Italian law, but the law is seldom enforced. However, it is still considered a strong social taboo, at least on television. For example, anyone caught utteringbestemmie in the Italian version of the reality television franchiseBig Brother (Grande Fratello) "must be immediately expelled," because they offend "millions of believers."[112]
Until 1999,uttering blasphemies in public was considered a criminalmisdemeanor in Italy (although enforcement was all but non-existent), although nowadays, it has been downgraded to an administrative misdemeanor. Some local administrations still ban the practice. For example, after thecurate complained about the frequency of blasphemous profanity in the parish recreation centre, thecomune ofBrignano Gera d'Adda banned the practice in thecivic centre, and in all places of retail business, be it public or private.[113] As of July 2011, only obscenities that are directly related to God are classified as abestemmia under Italian law. Any insult to Mary or the various saints do not actually represent abestemmia, or any violation of existing laws and rules.[114]
These profanities are also commonly altered tominced oaths, with very slight changes in order not to appear blasphemous.[115] For instance:
Porco zio, usingzio instead ofDio, wherezio is Italian for uncle; ororco Dio, whereporco is replaced byorco ("ogre"), even though this second one results in a profanity as well. Other similarly minced oaths can be created by replacingDio with a series of existent or meaningless terms, like:disi, Diaz, due (two),disco, dinci, Dionigi (Dionysius),Diomede (Diomedes), andDiavolo (devil). A more recent alteration iszio pera, whereporco is replaced bypera ("pear").
Maremma maiala, usingMaremma instead ofMadonna (Maremma is a seaside zone of Tuscany, andmaiala means "sow"). Theidiom is widely used in Tuscany,[116] in which the origin is attributed to the swamps of Maremma that used to causemalaria and other diseases among the Tuscan population. An expression somewhat similar isMaremma bucaiola (bucaiola meaning "sodomite").
Porca madosca, usingmadosca instead ofMadonna,[117] wheremadosca means nothing, and it sounds like amacaronic Russian version ofMadonna.
Dio boria, used instead ofDio boia.Boria means "arrogance",boia means "executioner".
Porco disco (literally "swine disk"), used instead ofPorco Dio.
Zio pera, used instead ofdio porco. Literally translates to "uncle pear". This variation has been recently popularized by media, such as twitch streamer[118]
Other minced oaths can be createdad libitum when people begin to utter one of the above blasphemies, but then choose to "correct" themselves in real time. The principal example is somebody beginning to say"Dio cane" (wherecane means "dog"), and choosing to say instead"Dio cantante"[119] ("God [is a] singer") or"Dio cantautore" ("God [is a]songwriter"). Other common minced oaths include:"Dio caro" (typically used inVeneto,Lazio, andUmbria), meaning "dear God";"Dio bono" (withbono being a contraction ofbuono, that means "good") or"Dio bonino" (same meaning, typically used inTuscany); and"Dio bon" or "Dio bonazzo" (same meaning, used inCastelfranco Veneto) instead of"Dio boia" (whereboia means "executioner"). In Trentino, it is also common"Dio canederlo", where the name of God is associated with one of the most known local dishes.In theprovince of Pordenone,Friuli-Venezia Giulia,"Dio Pordenone" is often used instead of"Dio porco".
Another minced oath is"Dio mama" (mum God), common in Veneto, and another one isCodroipo, the name of a town inFriuli-Venezia Giulia which is ananagram of"porco Dio". A peculiar minced oath created extemporaneously, especially popular among Italian teenagers, has the form of arhyme, and read as follows:"Dio can...taci il Vangelo, Dio por...taci la pace!" and translates as: "God, sing to us the Gospel, God bring us peace!"
Cristo! orCristo santo!, used to express rage and/or disappointment (similar to "Oh my God" or "Holy Christ"), is usually not considered abestemmia, though it may be assumed to violate thesecond commandment of not making "wrongful use of the name of the Lord Thy God." Same for"Dio Cristo."
^See the corresponding Frenchporter des cornes; deriving from the mating habits ofstags, who forfeit their mates when they are defeated by another male.
^"cornuto". WordReference.com. Retrieved6 July 2017.
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