girarello

Italian

FWOTD – 8 July 2023

Etymology

From girare (“to spin”) +‎ -arello.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /d͡ʒi.raˈrɛl.lo/
• Rhymes: -ɛllo
• Hyphenation: gi‧ra‧rèl‧lo

Noun

girarello m (plural girarelli)

1. (Rome, informal) a spinning thing, e.g. a roulette wheel, a rotary dial, a swift, etc.
   • 1832, Giuseppe Gioachino Belli, “Per un punto er terno”, in Sonetti Romaneschi, lines 3–4:

     Pe’ ffà er terno cór dua der girarello, / Nun ho scartato er tre der Cappuccino?!

     To get three winning numbers with the two of the roulette wheel, I didn't discard the cappuccino's three!?

   • 1894, Cesare Pascarella, “Sonetto XXXIII”, in La scoperta de l'America, lines 1–3:

     Perchè er servaggio, lui, core mio bello, / Nun ci ha quatrini... e manco je dispiace.. / Che lì er commercio è come un girarello.

     Because the savage, sweetheart, doesn't have any money... and he doesn't even mind, because trading there is like a spinny toy.

   • 1930, Trilussa, “Er telefono”, in Libro n. 9‎^[1], page 43, lines 1–4:

     Co’ quello antico? Vergine Maria! / Giravi per un’ora er girarello / e, se volevi un oste, sur più bello / te risponneva quarche farmacia.

     With the ancient one [telephone]? Oh Virgin Mary! You spun for an hour the rotary dial and if you wanted an innkeeper, at the climax, some pharmacy answered.

Further reading

• AIS: Sprach- und Sachatlas Italiens und der Südschweiz [Linguistic and Ethnographic Atlas of Italy and Southern Switzerland] – map 1507: “l'arcolaio, il guindolo” – on navigais-web.pd.istc.cnr.it