Sicilian Proverbs, Sayings, and Expressions

Sicilian Proverbs, Sayings, and Expressions Sicilian is a Romance language mainly spoken in Sicily, an Italian island in the Mediterranean Sea. The language is distinct from Italian, though the two languages have influenced each other and some people speak a dialect that combines elements of both. If you are ​traveling to Sicily or one of its nearby islands, you will want to familiarize yourself with some common Sicilian proverbs and expressions. Faith Like the rest of Italy, Sicily has been hugely influenced by the theology and traditions of the Roman Catholic Church. The language is filled with expressions related to faith, sin, and divine justice. Ammuccia lu latinu gnuranza di parrinu.Latin hides the stupidity of the priest. Fidi sarva, no lignu di varca.Faith is salvation, not the wood of a ship. Jiri n celu ognunu và ²; larmu ccà ¨, li forzi no.Everyone wants to go to heaven; the desire is there but the fortitude is not. Lu pintimentu lava lu piccatu.Repentance washes away sin. Lu Signiuruzzu li cosi, li fici dritti, vinni lu diavulu e li sturcà ¬u.God made things straight, the devil came and twisted them. Zoccu à ¨ datu da Diu, nun pà ² mancari.What is given by God, cant be lacking. Money Many Sicilian proverbs, like those in English, are expressions of financial wisdom and advice that have been passed down through the ages, including recommendations about buying, selling, and living within ones means. Accatta caru e vinni mircatu.Buy good quality and sell at the market price. Accatta di quattru e vinni dottu.Buy at the cost of four and sell at the cost of eight. Cu accatta abbisogna di centocchi; cu vinni dun sulu.Buyer beware. Cui nun voli pagari, sassuggetta ad ogni pattu.Who doesnt intend to pay, signs any contract. La scarsizza fa lu prezzu.Scarcity sets the price. Omu dinarusu, omu pinsirusu.A wealthy man is a pensive man. Riccu si pà ² diri cui campa cu lu so aviri.One who lives within his means can be said to be rich. Sà ¬ggiri prestamenti, pagari tardamenti; cu sa qualchi accidenti, non si ni paga nenti.Collect promptly, pay slowly; who knows, in case of an accident, youll pay nothing. Unni ccà ¨ oru, ccà ¨ stolu.Gold attracts a crowd. Zicchi e dinari su forti a scippari.Ticks and money are difficult to pluck out. Food Drink Sicily is famous for its cuisine, and its no surprise that the language has several sayings about food and drink. These will surely come in handy when youre out dining with family and friends. Mancia cudu e vivi friddu.Eat warm and drink cold. Mancia di sanu e vivi di malatu.Eat with gusto but drink in moderation. Non cà ¨ megghiu sarsa di la fami.Hunger is the best sauce. Weather Seasons Like other Mediterranean destinations, Sicily is known for its mild climate. The only unpleasant time of year might be February- the worst month, according to one Sicilian saying. Aprili fa li ciuri e le biddizzi, lonuri lhavi lu misi di maju.April makes the flowers and the beauty, but May gets all the credit. Burrasca furiusa prestu passa.A furious storm passes quickly. Frivareddu à ¨ curtuliddu, ma nun cà ¨ cchià ¹ tintu diddu.February may be short but its the worst month. Giugnettu, lu frummentu sutta lu lettu.In July, store the grain under the bed. Misi di maju, mà ¨ttiti n casa ligna e furmaggiu.Use your time in May to stock up for winter. Pruvulazzu di jinnaru crrica lu sularu.A dry January means a filled hayloft. Si jinnaru un jinnarà ­a, frivaru malu pensa.If it isnt wintry in January then expect the worst in February. Una bedda jurnata nun fa stati.One beautiful day doesnt make a summer. Miscellaneous Some Sicilian expressions are common in English, too, such as  batti lu ferru mentri à ¨ cudu  (strike while the iron is hot). The sayings below can be used in a variety of situations. A paisi unni chi vai, comu vidi fari fai.When in Rome, do as the Romans do. Batti lu ferru mentri à ¨ cudu.Strike while the iron is hot. Cani abbaia e voi pasci.Dogs bark and oxen graze. Cu vigghia, la pigghia.The early bird catches the worm. Cui cerca, trova; cui sà ¨cuta, vinci.Who seeks, finds; who perseveres, wins. Cui multi cosi accumenza, nudda nni finisci.Who starts many things,  finishes nothing. Cui scerri cerca, scerri trova.Who looks for a quarrel, finds a quarrel. Di guerra, caccia e amuri, pri un gustu milli duluri.In war, hunting, and love you suffer a thousand pains for one pleasure. È gran pazzia lu cuntrastari cu du nun pà ´ vinciri nà © appattari.Its insane to oppose when you can neither win nor compromise. Li ricchi cchià ¹ chi nnhannu, cchià ¹ nni vonnu.The more you have, the more you want. Ntra greci e greci nun si vinni abbraciu.Theres honor among thieves. Nun mà ¨ttiri lu carru davanti li voi.Dont put the cart before the horse. Ogni mali nun veni pri nà ²ciri.Not every pain comes to harm you. Quannu amuri tuppulà ¬a, un lu lassari nmenzu la via.When love knocks, be sure to answer. Supra lu majuri si nsigna lu minuri.We learn by standing on the shoulders of the wise. Unni ccà ¨ focu, pri lu fumu pari.Where theres smoke, theres fire. Vali cchià ¹ un tistimonà ¬u di visu, chi centu doricchia.The testimony of one eyewitness is worth more than the hearsay of a hundred.

Definition and Examples of Modality in Grammar

Definition and Examples of Modality in Grammar In grammar and semantics, modality refers to linguistic devices that indicate the degree to which an observation is possible, probable, likely, certain, permitted, or prohibited. In English, these notions are commonly (though not exclusively) expressed by modal auxiliaries, such as can, might, should, and will. They are sometimes combined with not. Martin J. Endley suggests that the simplest way to explain  modality  is  to say that it has to do with the stance the speaker adopts toward some situation expressed in an utterance...[M]odality reflects the speakers attitude toward the situation being described (Linguistic Perspectives on English Grammar, 2010). Deborah Cameron illustrates with an example: [Modality] is what makes the difference between a factual assertion like  unicorns never existed, and a more guarded view, such as  it seems unlikely that unicorns could ever have existed- or a bolder claim like  the existence of unicorns must always have been a myth.  Modality, then, is a resource  speakers  and writers use when they are staking claims to knowledge: it allows them to formulate different kinds of claims (e.g., assertions, opinions, hypotheses, speculations) and indicate how committed they are to those claims. (The Teachers Guide to Grammar, Oxford University Press, 2007) Indicating Modality Grammatically Just as tense indicates a time aspect of a verb, words that are used to show modality indicate the mood of the sentence- that is, how factual or assertive the statement is- and it can be done in any number of ways, including with adjectives. Martin J. Endley in Linguistic Perspectives on English Grammar  explains: Thus, a situation might be described as  possible, probable, necessary, or  certain. The  noun  counterparts of these adjectives also express modality so that a situation can be described as a  possibility, a  probability, a  necessity, or a  certainty. Moreover, it is possible to use ordinary  lexical verbs  to convey modality....And think  about the difference between saying that you  know  something and saying that you  believe  something. Such differences are essentially a matter of modality. Finally, English also contains certain semi-fixed lexical phrases (e.g.,  rumor has it) that are, basically, modal expressions.  (IAP, 2010) Other terms that express modality are marginal modals, such as need, ought to, dare, or used to. In Depth: Types of Modality The range of possibilities expressed when using modality is a broad spectrum, ranging from not very likely to very likely; to express these different levels, modality comes with named gradations, as explained by authors  Gà ¼nter Radden and Renà © Dirven, in Cognitive English Grammar:   Modality is concerned with the speakers assessment of, or attitude towards, the potentiality of a state of affairs. Modality, therefore, relates to different worlds. Assessments of potentiality, as in You must be right, relate to the world of knowledge and reasoning. This type of modality is known as epistemic modality. Modal attitudes apply to the world of things and social interaction. This type of modality is known as root modality. Root modality comprises three subtypes: deontic modality, intrinsic modality and disposition modality. Deontic modality is concerned with the speakers directive attitude towards an action to be carried out, as in the obligation You must go now. Intrinsic modality is concerned with potentialities arising from intrinsic qualities of a thing or circumstances, as in The meeting can be canceled, i.e. it is possible for the meeting to be canceled. Disposition modality is concerned with a things or a persons intrinsic potential of being actualised; in particu lar abilities. Thus, when you have the ability to play the guitar you will potentially do so....Modal verbs have a special status among modal expressions: they ground a situation in potential reality. (John Benjamins, 2007)