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LANGUAGE AND CULTURE

Italian word of the day: ‘Ninnananna’

Need a nap? Let this soothing word help you drift off.

Italian word of the day: 'Ninnananna'
Photo: DepositPhotos

Most of the time, we try to pick Italian words that are really useful: words like allora, quindi, cioè and insomma that we know you can use every day (and even every other sentence if you feel like it).

But sometimes we allow ourselves to pick words just because we like them. And that's what we're doing today with ninnananna.

Say it out loud and you might be able to guess at what it means: una ninnananna, with its sing-song sound and repeating Ns (six! count 'em!) is the Italian word for a lullaby.

It's related to the verb ninnare, which means to lull someone to sleep. And how better to do that than by singing them a sweet tune (cantare una dolce ninnananna)?

È la ninnananna che mi cantava la mamma.
It's the lullaby my mum used to sing to me.

You might also see it written as two separate words: either spelling is perfectly fine.

La sua voce è calma, come una ninna nanna.
His voice is soft, like a lullaby.

To give you some ideas, here's a traditional Italian ninnananna called 'Fate la nanna, coscine di pollo', which roughly translates as: “Go to beddy-byes, little chicken legs”. (Now that we can't explain.)

Listen out for the lines:

Ninnananna, ninnananna,
Il bambino è della mamma,
Della mamma e di Gesù,
Il bambino non piange più.

Lullaby, lullaby,
Baby belongs to mother,
To mother and to Jesus,
Baby cries no more.

 
Do you have a favourite Italian word, phrase or expression you'd like us to feature? If so, please email our editor Jessica Phelan with your suggestion.
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ITALIAN WORD OF THE DAY

Italian word of the day: ‘Rimorchiare’

Here's an Italian word you'll want to pick up.

Italian word of the day: 'Rimorchiare'

If you’ve ever studied for your foglio rosa (provisional driver’s licence) exam in Italy, you’re sure to have come across the word rimorchio (trailer).

Theory test T/F question: ‘The width of the trailer must never exceed that of the vehicle pulling it.’

Credo che dovremo noleggiare un rimorchio per trasportare tutta la merce.
I think we might need to rent a trailer to transport all the goods.

And rimorchiare, along with the more formal trainare, means to haul or tow.

La barca è stata rimorchiata a riva.
The boat was towed to shore.

But rimorchiare isn’t just used to talk about vehicles. It also means to pick or chat someone up, or hook up with them.

Sono usciti per rimorchiare.
They’ve gone out on the pull.

Se n’è appena andata con un tipo che ha rimorchiato.
She just left with some guy she picked up.

A rimorchiatore is a tugboat, but can also mean a player/persistent flirt, and rimorchione/a also describes someone who’s constantly chatting people up.

got talent nina GIF by Italia's Got Talent

In some parts of the country, meanwhile, you might hear someone described as a provolone – a big tryhard or wannabe player.

That’s a wordplay based on the reflexive verb provarci, meaning ‘to try it on with’, and the famous Italian cheese. 

È un gran provolone ma non riesce mai a rimorchiare.
He’s a real tryhard but he never manages to pull.

Do you have a favourite Italian word or expression you’d like us to feature? If so, please email us with your suggestion.

Don’t miss any of our Italian words and expressions of the day: download our app (available on Apple and Android) and then select the Italian Word of the Day in your Notification options via the User button.

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