Today we would like to share with you some historical curiosities.
As we say here , Venice has been for centuries a leading merchant Republic and that’s why its influence spread across Europe.
The funny thing is that some words, that are now used worldwide, come from the old venetian language.
Here some examples:
- “CIAO”: (“hello”), comes from Venetian “s-ciao/s-ciavo” (“servant, slave”) and it was used to greet people like this: “hello, I am your slave” (how can I help you?).
- “GHETTO”: comes from Venetian ghèto (“foundry”). In Venice the Ghetto was the area in which Jews were compelled to live by the government of the Venetian Republic.
- “REGATTA”: it was used to indicate a competition;
- “TO BE BROKE”: this idiom derives from the Venetian ghetto. There, lenders used to work on stone desks. When a lender went bankrupt, they used to break its desk, i.e. “to be broke”.
Moreover, the word Ombra (literally translated in English ”shadow”) applies to a glass of red wine, which is a very common drink in every bacaro. Apparently, it should derives from the custom of storing the wines in the shades to keep it fresh.
Another thing some of you may not know it’s that the Venice Casinò is the first casinò in the world. It was opened in Venice in 1638.
Stay tuned for more, interesting curiosities about Venice…
… and feel free to share with us your experience, we would be happy to publish it on out lovely blog 🙂
