Officially, ham comes from the hind leg of a pig. The English word ham comes from Old English hom, meaning “hollow” or “bend of the knee.” It traces back to a Germanic base where it meant “crooked.” A primitive version of ham was present as early as the Etruscan civilization in Italy and eventually merged…
Tag: italy
Fun Facts and Trivia About Pope Francis
Pope Francis was born Jorge Mario Bergoglio and used that name for most of his life before becoming the head of the Catholic Church. He chose the name Francis after Saint Francis of Assisi, symbolizing his dedication to poverty, humility, and peace. Pope Francis was born into a family in Argentina, though they were mostly…
Fun Facts and Trivia About The Italian Language
Italian, like all the other Romance languages, evolved from Vulgar Latin. Since Italy is the home of Rome, it is the least divergent from Latin among the major Romance languages. Italian is an official language in Italy, San Marino, Switzerland, and Vatican City. It is also notably recognized and spoken in parts of Slovenia, Croatia,…
Fun Fact: Ocarina Etymology
The word ocarina is from the Italian word for goose which is “oca.” The Italian music maker Giuseppe Donati invented the modern standard concept of a ocarina out of clay.
Fun Facts and Trivia About Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa Painting
Due to its fame and renown, the Mona Lisa is often called the most visited, most talked about, and most parodied piece of art in the world. The Italian name for the painting is La Gioconda or Monna Lisa, the former translates to “The happy one” in English. The background behind her is not a…