In this article, we’ll discuss Spanish words of Italian origin, such as salchicha(sausage) and pizza(pizza).
Questions This Article Answers
Are there similarities between Spanish and Italian?
Examples of Spanish words with Italian origin?
Are there Italian loanwords in Spanish?
Introduction of Italian Words Into Spanish
Elitaliano(Italian) is a lenguaromance(Romance language) derived from latínvulgar(vulgar Latin), just like español(Spanish).
Italian had a significant influence in Spanish especially during the Renacimiento(Renaissance). Many of the Italian words borrowed by Spanish are related to music, theater, paint, architecture, gastronomy, commerce, navigation, economy, and war.
Adaptations, Calques, and Loanwords
A linguistic adaptación(adaptation) is a word or phrase taken from another language but adapted to the target language for phonologic, lexical, or syntactic reasons. For example, breeze is an adaptation of the Spanish word brisa.
A calco(calque) is a word or phrase translated literally into another language. For example, roadrunner is a calque of the Spanish word correcaminos (correr: to run + caminos: roads).
A préstamolingüístico(loanword) is a word or phrase taken from another language and used in its original form. For example, patio is a loanword taken from Spanish.
Spanish Words of Italian Origin
The following words are italianismos(words of Italian origin adapted to Spanish) related to lagastronomía(gastronomy).
Italian
Spanish
English
banchetto
banquete
banquet
bolognese
boloñesa
Bolognese sauce
broccoli
brócoli
broccoli
camalaro
calamar
squid
cappuccino
capuchino
cappuccino
caviaro
caviar
caviar
cotoletta alla milanese
milanesa
cutlet
gnocchi
ñoqui
gnocchi
lasagna
lasaña
lasagna
maccarone
macarrón
macaroni
mortadella
mortadela
mortadella
ramolaccio
remolacha
beet
salciccia
salchicha
sausage
spaghetti
espagueti
spaghetti
The following words are italianismos related to elarte(art).
Italian
Spanish
English
acquarella
acuarela
watercolor
arlecchino
arlequín
harlequin
concerto
concierto
concert
duetto
dueto
duet
graffiti
grafiti
graffiti
novella
novela
novel
opera
ópera
opera
pagliaccio
payaso
clown
pianoforte
piano
piano
porcellana
porcelana
porcelain
sonetto
soneto
sonnet
tarantella
tarantela
tarantella
violino
violín
violin
violoncello
violonchelo
cello
The following are italianismos related to laguerra(war).
Italian
Spanish
English
accampare
acampar
to camp
all'arme
alarma
alarm
all'erta
alerta
alert
assalto
asalto
assault
attaccare
atacar
to attack
bussola
brújula
compass
colonnello
coronel
coronel
Colosseo
coliseo
coliseum
fregata
fragata
frigate
scaramuccia
escaramuza
skirmish
schioppetto
escopeta
shotgun
sentinella
centinela
sentry
stroppiare
estropear
to damage
trincera
trinchera
trench
The following are italianismos related to laarquitectura(architecture).
Italian
Spanish
English
balcone
balcón
balcony
cupola
cúpula
dome
disegnare
diseñar
to design
facciata
fachada
façade
muraglia
muralla
wall
passerella
pasarela
footbridge
Here are even more italianismos!
Italian
Spanish
English
bagatella
bagatela
trivilality
capriccio
capricho
whim
ciao
chao, chau
goodbye
ciarlare
charlar
to chat
ciüsma
chusma
rabble
festeggiare
festejar
to celebrate
gazzetta
gaceta
gazette
gondola
góndola
gondola
grottesco
grotesco
grotesque
impresa
empresa
company
loggia
logia
lodge
malandrino
malandrín
crook
taccagno
tacaño
stingy
examples
Comí espagueti con boloñesa.
I ate spaghetti with Bolognese sauce.
¿Quién diseñó la fachada de ese edificio?
Who designed the façade of that building?
Francisca toca el piano y el violín.
Francisca plays piano and violin.
Italian Calques in Spanish
The following list shows Italian calcos(calques) used in Spanish.
Italian
Spanish
English
banca rotta (“bench broken”)
bancarrota
bankruptcy
chiaroscuro (“bright dark”)
claroscuro
chiaroscuro
frutto di mare (“fruit of the sea”)
frutos demar
seafood
papamobile (“pope mobile“)
papamóvil
Popemobile
Italian Loanwords in Spanish
The following list shows Italian préstamoslingüísticos(loanwords) used in Spanish.
Spanish
English
adagio
adagio
aria
aria
birra
beer
camerino
dressing room
cantata
cantata
cantina
canteen
capo
boss
caricatura
caricature
carnaval
carnival
casino
casino
comparsa
carnival troupe
fiasco
fiasco
gamba
leg
mafia
mafia
palco
theater box
partitura
music score
pesto
pesto
piloto
pilot
pizza
pizza
rotonda
roundabout
serenata
serenade
sonata
sonata
soprano
soprano
vendetta
vendetta
viola
viola
examples
Hoy es noche de pizza y birra.
Tonight we're having pizza and beer.
Los músicos interpretaron cantatas y sonatas.
The musicians played cantatas and sonatas.
¿Qué ingredientes usaste para el pesto?
Which ingredients did you use for the pesto?
Learn more loanwords and regional varieties of Spanish with these articles:
