THE MAGIC OF A WORD - PIZZA, A CULTURAL SYMBOL
THE MAGIC OF A WORD - PIZZA, A CULTURAL SYMBOL

Summary/Abstract: We propose to dedicate this article to the gastronomical term pizza, to present its etymology, evolution, history and the magic which have accompanied it along the centuries or even along the milennia, according to some opinions. We will also mention and comment on some phrases in Italian, in which the word pizza has different connotations and a figurative meaning. The word, already an international one, has roused the interest of many Italian linguists, who have dedicated it many interesting studies. The Italian linguist Paolo D’Achille’s recent book (2017) made us write a few pages about this magical word, while not knowing of any other study on this subject in Romanian. In this article we will refer just to some hypotheses regarding the origin of the word pizza, especially to those referring to Latin and Greek. The term may have Gothic origins, may come from the Germanic bizzo-pizzo, derived from the verb bizan, to bite, bite, piece, morsel, mouthful (in Romanian).This is the hypothesis shared by the Italian lexicogtaphers regarding the origins of the word pizza.

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