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The Sicilian adjective mafiusu may derive from 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, according to scholar Diego Gambetta.[7]






The Mafia (also known as Cosa Nostra) is a Sicilian criminal secret society which first developed in the mid-19th century in Sicily. An offshoot emerged on the East Coast of the United States and in Australia[1] during the late 19th century following waves of Sicilian and Southern Italian emigration (see also Italian diaspora). In North America, the Mafia often refers to Italian organized crime in general, rather than just traditional Sicilian organized crime. According to historian Paolo Pezzino: "The Mafia is a kind of organized crime being active not only in several illegal fields, but also tending to exercise sovereignty functions – normally belonging to public authorities – over a specific territory..."[

2007-12-10 00:21:15 · answer #1 · answered by Miss Rhonda 7 · 0 0

KP is totally right, although the other explanations given by other people are good, today all the Mafia historicians think the definition about Death to France etc. is the corect one. I do not know so much about it even if I am 100% italian and living in Italy, but have been told several times that the word Mafia means "Morte alla Francia Italia anela" which means, more or less "Death to France Italy looks for".

2007-12-10 04:04:28 · answer #2 · answered by Lara B 3 · 0 0

it means death to France is Italy's cry mafia is an acronym

2007-12-10 02:06:36 · answer #3 · answered by kp 5 · 0 0

literally--"our thing"

not your thing or everybody's thing but us guys thing

fa get about it

2007-12-10 00:34:52 · answer #4 · answered by cameo 1 · 0 1

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