2007-09-17 19:29:55 · 7 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Languages
No, my daughter is "me fighia" (in sicilian) nothing to do with mafia.
The word "mafia" is taken from the old Sicilian adjective mafiusu, which has its roots in the Arabic mahyas, meaning "aggressive boasting, bragging" or marfud meaning "rejected". Roughly translated, it means "swagger", but can also be translated as "boldness, bravado". In reference to a man, mafiusu in 19th-century Sicily was ambiguous, signifying a bully, arrogant but also fearless, enterprising, and proud,
"The adjective mafiusu (mafioso, in Italian) has been common in Sicily for at least two hundred yers. verses from the eighteenth century manuscript:
Quannu vinisti vui, piciotta bedda
tutta la briaria si ribiddau
chista è la donna chiù mafiusiedda
chi l'anncilu, bedd' ancilu purtau.
(when you came, beautiful girl
the entire prison revolted
she is the finest-looking woman
that the angel, the beautiful angel, brought down).
The word was common in the Borgo section of Palermo and that it meant beauty, charm, perfection, excellence. Thus in Palermo, street vendors, or peddlers would advertise their brooms as scupi d''a mafia! Haju chiddi mafiusi veruu (Brooms that can't be beat! I have the real stuff).
The word mafia is still used in the sicilian language, very common, meaning beauty, charm.....
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mafia http://www.sicilianculture.com/mafia/mafiawords.htm
Ciao
2007-09-17 21:51:47 · answer #1 · answered by Angie 7 · 5⤊ 0⤋
What Does Mafia Means
2017-01-19 11:27:44 · answer #2 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
well, my daughter in italian is actually "mia figlia". however, in the southern dialect, "mia" becomes "ma" and "figlia" becomes "fi'ia" with a prolonged "i". Hence the word "mafia". If you've noticed in the Mafia history, the mafia guys would do anything to protect their family, but two things they will never let others hurt them especially: their mothers and their daughters. Especially because fathers are more attached to daughters than their mothers are. Thus, "mafia" has a similar origin from that too. If you want confirmation, you can ask one of them, they'll be happy to answer your question! lol
2007-09-17 20:31:46 · answer #3 · answered by Kool J. B. 4 · 2⤊ 2⤋
well, breaking up a word into parts isnt always the best way to understand it's roots. try this: The word "politics" comes from the Greek word "Πολιτικά" (politika), modeled on Aristotle's "affairs of state", the name of his book on governing and governments, which was rendered in English mid-15 century as Latinized "Polettiques".[4] Thus it became "politics" in Middle English c. 1520s (see the Concise Oxford Dictionary). The singular "politic" first coined in English 1430 and comes from Middle French "politique", in turn from Latin "politicus",[5] which is the romanization of the Greek "πολιτικός" (politikos), meaning amongst others "of, for, or relating to citizens", "civil", "civic", "belonging to the state", [6] in turn from "πολίτης" (polites), "citizen"[7] and that from "πόλις" (polis), "city".[8] it's like saying the bible is actually referring to 2 balls.. >_> but yeah i get what you're saying haha. politics is messy and full of deception.
2016-05-17 10:59:26 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think it comes from -ma[my] fia[trust] I speak Spanish.
2007-09-18 06:42:08 · answer #5 · answered by Don Verto 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, It means death to france.
2007-09-17 19:39:56 · answer #6 · answered by Rick G 4 · 2⤊ 5⤋
it means "our family"
la cosanosta "our thing/this thing of ours"
2007-09-17 19:36:56 · answer #7 · answered by Randall P. McMurphy 3 · 1⤊ 3⤋