10 (plus one) forgotten Italian words to dust off

Italian is a very rich language, capable of expertly mixing classical roots, regionalisms and foreign borrowings. Yet, in everyday life, many precious words end up forgotten, crushed by the speed of digital, by emojis or abbreviations. Terms like scilinguagnolo, rutilante or eristico are not just curiosities: they contain nuances and images that make our speech more vivid, multifaceted and fun.

Rediscovering these words means not only enriching the language, but also giving yourself a small pleasure: stopping, observing the world carefully and finding the most fitting term to describe a sensation, a person or an event. Here are ten wonderful Italian words, little used today, that deserve to be rediscovered, terms with particular connotations that can creatively enrich our way of expressing ourselves.

1. Tongue-in-cheek

   A word that sounds like it comes out of a cartoon. In ancient times it was used to indicate the frenulum of the tongue, therefore its lower part. Today it is used in a metaphorical sense as a synonym for “talking”, therefore it indicates the ability to have conversations fluently, the tendency to strike up conversations and submerge the interlocutor with a sea of ​​words. It comes from the Latin noun sublinguaneum (literally “under the tongue”). It is a perfect term to describe the attitude of those who chat without restraint, with overflowing sympathy and excessive enthusiasm. “Luca has a real tongue: once he starts you can’t stop him”.

2. Arrogance

   A little medieval-esque, it is a noun that indicates arrogance driven by presumption, which reaches the point of pride. The adjective “arrogant” derives from the name, which has the same meaning. It comes from Greek thrakōtēswhich literally means “recklessness”. The term is used to define, in a derogatory sense, people who cannot in any way avoid flaunting their supposed superiority. “His arrogance during the meeting was unbearable.”

3. Sollazzo

   This term, however, is not too obsolete but certainly deserves more widespread use and greater popularity. It is a noun that means light satisfaction, pleasant leisure. The etymology refers to Latin solaciumwhich means “comfort, consolation”. “After a hellish day, give me a little relaxation on the sofa!”.

4. Jumble

   This too is not too disused, a perfect term to colorfully describe the disorder or confusing mixture of different elements. The etymology of the term is not certain, it could be an onomatopoeia deriving from the verbs “guazzare” (literally “agitate” referring to liquid substances) and “boil”, indicating a chaotic and without criterion movement. “My brain is a jumble of ideas and caffeine this morning.”

5. Melanso

   An extremely biting adjective describing a person who lacks sharpness or intellect, is slow on the uptake, or even dull. It does not have a certain etymology, but the adverb “melensamente” and the noun “melensaggine” derive from it. “Only a dull person could like that film.”

6. Nefarious

   An impactful adjective that can very well be found in a classic literary work, a theatrical word at the right point: it is a synonym of “wicked, horrible, unspeakable” if not even in the extreme sense “worthy of abomination”. It comes from the Latin adjective nefandus“which must not be said.” “The cuisine of that restaurant is nefarious.”

7. Glowing

   It is an adjective that certainly stands out if used wisely: it indicates something that shines with a golden red, like a sword in the sun or a sunset full of molten metal, or even to describe a person’s radiant and shining face. It comes from the Latin verb rutilize“to shine red.” “The city at sunset was glowing, it seemed painted”.

8. Self-evident

   Very well known but often underestimated, it is an adjective that indicates something so evident as to be almost superfluous and ridiculous to specify. It comes from the title of the famous one Jacques de Chabannelord of La Palice, in reference to the naive and somewhat obvious verses that the soldiers sang to celebrate him after he had fallen in the battle of Pavia. “Saying that it rains when we are soaked is definitely self-evident.”

9. Glaucus

   If we see a fascinating, bright and varied colour, between grey-blue and grey-silver, or a yellow tending towards greenish, we can say that it is glaucus. Also an uncommon male first name, the common name glaucous derives from Greek glaukos“bright, cerulean.” “The sea this morning had a glaucous postcard colour”.

10. Eristic

    It is a term taken from the technical and specialist lexicon, used as an adjective in the artistic and philosophical fields. But, if you think about it, it can very well be used in everyday life. It indicates the art of argument as an end in itself, the one in which we argue not to arrive at a truth but for the pleasure (or vice) of contradicting. It derives, in fact, from the Greek eriswhich means “dispute”. “Talking to him is always an emotional clash: even a simple ‘good morning’ can turn into a reason for discussion.”

11. Sesquipedalophobia

And finally, if this long list of words has provoked a bit of logophobiathen it is also interesting sesquipedalophobia. From Latin sesquipedalis “of a foot and a half” e phobos “fear” indicates the fear of long words, and obviously it could only be ironically long (but never as long as the iconic supercalifragilisticexpialidocious). “Ironic that someone with sesquipedalophobia, so to speak, has to face their worst fear.”

After all, dusting off forgotten words is not a whim for linguists, but a way to remind ourselves how many unused possibilities we already have at home. Language changes, of course, and will continue to do so, but this does not mean giving up its more creative side.