{"id":729,"date":"2011-05-18T09:51:55","date_gmt":"2011-05-18T09:51:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/italian\/?p=729"},"modified":"2011-08-01T20:59:46","modified_gmt":"2011-08-01T20:59:46","slug":"nomi-composti","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/italian\/nomi-composti\/","title":{"rendered":"Nomi Composti"},"content":{"rendered":"

Not content with confusing foreigners with multisyllabic words we frequently like to stick a couple of them together – just for fun! These nouns, which consist of two or more words joined together, are called nomi composti<\/strong>. Here are a few common ones:<\/span><\/p>\n

1. formed from the verb parare<\/strong> = to shield \/ to protect from:<\/span><\/p>\n

parabrezza<\/strong> from para <\/strong>(shield) + brezza <\/strong>(breeze) = ‘windscreen’ or ‘windshield’<\/span><\/p>\n

paraurti<\/strong> from para <\/strong>(shield) + urti <\/strong>(crashes) = ‘bumper’ or ‘fender’<\/span><\/p>\n

parafango <\/strong>from para <\/strong>(shield) + fango <\/strong>(mud) = ‘mudguard’<\/span><\/p>\n

paracadute<\/strong> from para<\/strong> (protect from) + cadute <\/strong>(falls) = ‘parachute’<\/span><\/p>\n

paralume <\/strong>from para <\/strong>(shield) + lume <\/strong>(light) = ‘lamp shade’<\/span><\/p>\n

parafulmine <\/strong>from para <\/strong>(protect from) + fulmine <\/strong>(lightning) = ‘lightning-conductor’<\/span><\/p>\n

N.B. para-<\/strong> as in ‘paramedic’ or ‘paramilitary’ has a different meaning. In this case para-<\/strong> means ‘beside’ as in ‘parallel’.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

2. formed from the verb portare <\/strong>= to carry:<\/span><\/p>\n

portapacchi<\/strong> from porta <\/strong>(carry) <\/strong>+ pacchi <\/strong>(parcels) = ‘roof rack’ <\/span><\/p>\n

portachiavi <\/strong>from porta<\/strong> (carry)\u00a0<\/strong>+ chiavi<\/strong> (keys) = ‘key ring’ <\/span><\/p>\n

portacenere<\/strong> from porta <\/strong>(carry)\u00a0<\/strong>+ cenere<\/strong> (ash) = ‘ashtray’ <\/span><\/p>\n

portaerei <\/strong>from porta <\/strong>(carry) + aerei<\/strong> (airplanes) = ‘aircraft carrier’ <\/span><\/p>\n

portafoglio <\/strong>from porta <\/strong>(carry)\u00a0<\/strong>+ foglio<\/strong> (sheet \/ banknote) = ‘wallet’ <\/span><\/p>\n

portamonete<\/strong> from porta <\/strong>(carry)\u00a0<\/strong>+ monete <\/strong>(coins) = ‘purse’ <\/span><\/p>\n

portaombrelli <\/strong>from porta <\/strong>(carry)\u00a0<\/strong>+ ombrelli<\/strong> (umbrellas) = ‘umbrella stand’ <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

portaocchiali <\/strong>from porta <\/strong>(carry) + occhiali<\/strong> (glasses) = ‘glasses case’<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

3. formed from the word capo<\/strong> (head \/ master \/ leader):<\/span><\/p>\n

caposquadra<\/strong> from capo <\/strong>(head) + squadra <\/strong>(squad \/ team) = ‘foreman’ or ‘team leader’<\/span><\/p>\n

capolinea <\/strong>from capo <\/strong>(head) + linea <\/strong>(line) = ‘bus or tram terminus’<\/span><\/p>\n

capoluogo <\/strong>from capo <\/strong>(head) + luogo <\/strong>(place) = ‘main town’<\/span><\/p>\n

capolavoro <\/strong>from capo <\/strong>(master) + lavoro <\/strong>(work) = ‘masterpiece’<\/span><\/p>\n

capodanno<\/strong>\u00a0 from capo <\/strong>(head) + d’anno <\/strong>(of the year) = ‘new year’s day’<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

4. odds and ends:<\/span><\/p>\n

spazzaneve<\/strong> from spazzare <\/strong>(to sweep) +\u00a0 neve<\/strong>\u00a0 (snow) = ‘snow plough’<\/span><\/p>\n

arcobaleno <\/strong>from arco <\/strong>(arch \/ bow) + baleno <\/strong>(flash of lightning) = ‘rainbow’<\/span><\/p>\n

cassapanca<\/strong> from cassa <\/strong>(crate) + panca<\/strong> (bench) = ‘bench chest’ (it’s a sort of chest that you can sit on!)<\/span><\/p>\n

colapasta<\/strong> from colare <\/strong>(to drain) + pasta <\/strong>(pasta) = ‘colander’<\/span><\/p>\n

cavolfiore <\/strong>from cavolo <\/strong>(cabbage) + fiore <\/strong>(flower) = ‘cauliflower’<\/span><\/p>\n

attaccapanni <\/strong>from attaccare <\/strong>(to attach) + panni <\/strong>(clothes) = ‘clothes peg’ or ‘clothes-stand’<\/span><\/p>\n

reggiseno <\/strong>from reggere <\/strong>(to hold) + seno <\/strong>(breast) = ‘bra’<\/span><\/p>\n

reggicalze <\/strong>from reggere <\/strong>(to hold) + calze<\/strong> (stockings \/ socks) = ‘suspender belt’ or ‘garter belt’<\/span><\/p>\n

mangianastri <\/strong>from mangiare <\/strong>(to eat) + nastri <\/strong>(tapes) = ‘portable cassette player’<\/span><\/p>\n

pescespada <\/strong>from pesce <\/strong>(fish) + spada <\/strong>(sword) = ‘swordfish’<\/span><\/p>\n

grattacielo <\/strong>from grattare <\/strong>(to scratch) + cielo <\/strong>(sky) = ‘skyscraper’<\/span><\/p>\n

salvagente <\/strong>from salvare<\/strong> (to save) + gente <\/strong>(people) = ‘lifebelt’ or ‘life-jacket’<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Not content with confusing foreigners with multisyllabic words we frequently like to stick a couple of them together – just for fun! These nouns, which consist of two or more words joined together, are called nomi composti. Here are a few common ones: 1. formed from the verb parare = to shield \/ to protect…<\/p>\n

Continue Reading<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[16905,16904],"class_list":["post-729","post","type-post","status-publish","hentry","category-grammar","tag-italian-compound-nouns","tag-nomi-composti"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t