Italy

Pronunciation

• UK IPA: /ˈɪtÉ™li/
• US IPA: /ˈɪtÉ™li/, ˈɪɾlÌ©i

Origin

From Middle English Italy, Italie, from Old English Italia ("Italy"), from Latin Ītalia ("Italy"), via Ancient Greek Ἰταλία (Ītaliā), from Oscan 𐌅𐌝𐌕𐌄𐌋𐌉𐌞 (Víteliú) (a name for the southwestern tip of the boot of Italy), meaning "land of bulls" in Oscan; usually assumed to be a cognate of vitulus ("calf"), despite the different length of the i.

Full definition of Italy

Proper noun

1. A country in southern Europe, one of the states of the European Union. Official name: The Italian Republic (in Italian, la Repubblica Italiana).
2. A peninsula in the Mediterranean, occupied by the countries of Italy, San Marino and the Vatican.

Related terms

• Italian
• Italianate
• Italianise, Italianisation, Italianize, Italianization
• Italic
• Italish
• Italo-
• Italophile

Anagrams

• laity