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Alright, I am about to step on really thin ice
and will likely be accused of being just another snobby European. Here it goes: When will the linguistic
globalization finally reach America? Did you know when you order a panini, you
technically order a rolls? No, not a typo. Panini in Italian is plural for panino (a
roll). I wish they charged you for rolls
instead of one roll but they don’t know any better. Same with cappuccino. No, it’s not cappuccinos, Dio mio! See panino, and you will know the answer.
So,
why do I care? Frankly, despite my rant,
I have pretty much given up. Actually, I use a pen name to order my cappuccino
at Starbucks, because my first name is such a challenge. You wouldn’t believe it, but I use an Italian
name. It is phonetically much easier on
everybody than the French first name my parents bestowed on me.
So
back to why I care. I care, because I
love language and its many meanings.
Ultimately, it really doesn’t matter whether you are American, Chinese
or Italian. We all struggle, even with
our mother tongue. But there is such a
thrill in learning more about a language and putting it to use. I still get a kick out of using a new word
for the first time…hopefully in the right context. And, I am the first one to admit, there is
still a whole lot for me to learn about the English language. For example, when I went in to see an
optometrist and asked to see the ophthalmologist.
I
know, similar and yet quite different.
But who cares?!
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