SIBF 2022: Did you know these 10 Italian words originally come from Arabic?

‘Buongiorno’, ‘Ciao’, ‘Arrivederci’ – these are some of the words that visitors to the Sharjah International Book Fair will likely overhear over the next few days, with Italy being the guest of honour for the fair’s 41st edition.

In fact, a number of Italian artists, authors and chefs are currently present at the fair, taking part in one of many cultural activities and workshops being organised by the Italian Pavilion.

But what many visitors may not know is that there are many Italian words that are derived from Arabic. “Many books were historically translated from Arabic and through that translation movement, many words were assimilated into the Italian language," said Ida Zilio-Grandi, Director of Italian Cultural Institute in Abu Dhabi.

"Language moves with people and books, and the lexicon of languages become enriched."

Here are 10 words that are Italian but are derived from Arabic:

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