Students often ask: “Why is Italian such a “romantic” language?” Is it because of its long history of beautifully written poetry, prose, and opera? Is it its musicality and rhythm that evokes that sense of passion and romance? No, it’s because the very root of the word romantic is the word Roman!! Valentine’s Day is the perfect occasion to realize that most of the original languages of Europe, and all of the languages that they influenced, all come back to Latin. This ancient language is the GOAT that started it all, as the Romans went roaming all over the planet over 2,000 years ago!
Young couple tourist walking towards Roman Forum at sunrise.
It is on holidays such as Valentine’s Day, we realize that despite speaking different languages, we are all cut from the same proverbial cloth. We express the same basic human thoughts and ideas using language! And speaking of proverbs, here are five sayings (or “modi di dire”) to help make the point that around the world, we all express the same thoughts in our different languages!
5 Beautiful Italian Phrases about Love
- Colpo di fulmine – love at first sight
- Appuntamento – date
- Prendere qualcuno per la gola – The way to the heart is through the stomach
- Fare il filo – to flirt
- Fiori d’arancio – wedding bells
We are all more similar than we are different.
It’s eye-opening to realize that our various cultures came to be and developed in isolation from each other. Yet, as a species, we are pre-programmed to master language. Despite the thousands of miles that separated us on continents separated across the globe, we share priorities and perspectives. So even though our languages are all either slightly or completely distinct from one another, we communicate similar ideas in similar ways, using metaphors, similes, and other comparatives.
So please use the occasion to recognize that we are all more similar than we are different. And it has been like this since the beginning of our shared human history. Happy Valentine’s Day to you – all of our students past, present, and to come.
Speaking of romance, if you would like to learn Tips on how to Flirt in Italian, click here!