Lesson 5: Gender in sicilian language

The words in the Sicilian language have a gender, that is words refer to objects as if they were feminine or masculine. It is not a gender in the anatomic sense of the word, but a grammatical gender. As a general rule the masculine nouns end in u, as in:

Trenu train

Muru wall

Ferru iron

Santu saint

While the feminine nouns end in a, as in:

Lana wool

accètta hatchet

dàttula date (fruit)

orìcchia ear

Lu saccu è di mê patri e la cupèrta è di mê matri.

The sac blongs to my father and the blanket to my mother.

La petra è dura ma lu ferru eè cchiù duru.

The rock is hard but the steel is harder.

Some masculine nouns end in a and remain the same in the plural, as in:

Duca duke

Puèta poet

Boia executioner

Papa pope

Paràcqua umbrella

Diadèma diadem

Domma dogma

Fantàsima ghost

Capubbànna ring-leader

Puèma poem

Lu papa stà a Roma The pope lives in Rome

Lu duca avi un beddu palàzzu

The duke has a beautiful building

Li puèta scrivinu puisì The poets write poetry

Li domma li fa lu papa The dogmas are made by the pope

Some nouns that end in ista can be used in both masculine or feminine accordingly and also as singular or plural, as in:

Comunìsta communist

Archivìsta archivist

Machinìsta machinist

Giurnalìsta journalist

Prutagunìsta protagonist

L’archivìsta sunnu màsculi e fìmmini

The archivists are men and women

Dda(fem.) giurnalìsta scrissi l’artìculu

That journalist wrote the article

Li prutagunìsta eranu tri

The protagonists were three

C’eranu tri comunìsta e nu sucialìsta

there were three communists and one socialist

The plural in Sicilian generally ends in i, for both masculine and feminine nouns, as in:

Masculine

Singular plural

Telèfunu telèfuni telephone(s)

Picciòttu picciòtti young-man(s)

Casu casi case(s)

Disidèriu disidèri wish(s)

Nannu nanni grand-father(s)

Feminine

Singular plural

Nanna nanni grand-mother(s)

Règula règuli rule(s)

Serra serri saw(s)

Palùmma palùmmi dove(s), pigeon(s)

Farfàlla farfàlli butterfly(ies)

La règula è ca tutti li règuli sunnu mpurtànti The rule is that all the rules are important

Un picciòttu chiamò a tutti li picciòtti

One young man called all the young men

La farfàlla fa avutri farfàlli

The butterfly makes other butterflies

Some nouns end in u in the singular but they end in a in the plural, as in:

Masculine

Singular plural

Cutèddu cutèdda knife(ves)

Chiòvu chiòva nail(s)

Picuràru picuràra sheperd

Biscòttu biscòtta biscuit(s)

Pumu puma happle(s)

Firràru firràra blacksmith(s)

Anèddu anèdda ring(s)

Pignu pigna pine-tree(s)

Pilu pila hair(s)

Catùsu catùsa large pipe(s)

Ugnu ugna finger-nail(s)

Martèddu martèdda hammer(s)

Ovu ova egg(s)

Prunu pruna plum(s)

Fici ammulàri li cutèdda I had the knives sharpened

Iu àiu un chiòvu e iddu àvi tri chiòva

I have one nail and has three nails

Cu la parèdda si cocinu l’ova One cooks eggs with the skillet

Some nouns end in i in the singular but end in a in the plural, as in:

Masculine

Singular Plural

Limùni limùna lemon(s)

Marùni marùna tile(s)

Attùri attùra actor(s)

Ballùni ballùna balloon(s)

Vastùni vastùna stick(s)

Buffùni buffùna buffoon(s)

Muccatùri muccatùra handkerchief(s)

Buttùni buttùna button(s)

Cacciatùri cacciatùra hunter(s)

Cafùni cafùna uncouth(s)

Campiùni campiùna champion(s)

Muratùri muratùra mason(s)

Cannùni cannùna cannon(s)

Duttùri duttùra physician(s)

Capùni capùna capon(s)

Barùni barùna baron(s)

Cirnitùri cirnitùra sifter(s)

Passiatùri passiatùra pathway(s)

Piccatùri piccatùra sinner(s)

Scanatùri scanatùra kneading-board(s)

Casciùni casciùna drawer(s)

Lapùni lapùna hornet(s)

Zappùni zappùna mattock(s)

Nzitùni nzitùna pimple(s)

Cartùni cartùna carton(s)

Iu avia un buttùni I had one button

La partìta è di li campiùna The game is of the champions

Mê soru avia deci buttùna My sister had ten buttons

La partìta la vincìu lu campiùni

The game was won by the champion

Si mi duni un limùni ti dugnu tri buttùna

If you give me a lemon I will give you three buttons

Many nouns that end in i, remain with the same ending in the plural and they can be masculine or feminine, as in:

Singular plural

Sali (masc.) Sali salt(s)

Cirìàli ( “ ) cirìàli cereal(s)

Chiàvi ( fem.) chiàvi key(s)

Diamànti (masc.) diamànti diamond(s)

Vutti ( fem. ) vutti barrel(s), cask(s)

Vurpi ( “ ) vurpi fox(es)

Ucchiàli (masc.) ucchiàli eye-glasses

Onùri ( “ ) onùri honor(s)

Sorti ( fem .) sorti luck

Riazziòni( “ ) riazziòni reaction(s)

Lìmiti (masc.) lìmiti limit(s)

Liti ( fem. ) liti argument(s)

Missàli (masc.) missàli missal(s)

Ponti ( “ ) ponti bridge(s)

S’arriparàru sutta lu ponti They repaired under the bridge

Nta li stratùna ci sunnu assai ponti

There many bridges on the highways

Dammi la chiàvi di la casa Give me the key for the house

Pìgghiati li chiàvi di li porti Take the keys for all the doors

Misi lu vinu nta la utti He put the wine in the barrel

Inchìu li utti di vinu He filled the barrels with wine

Some nouns make the plural by adding ra to the singular, as in:

Singular plural

Bordu bòrdura fringe(s)

Corpu còrpura body(s)

Cozzu còzzura nape(s)

Cuntu cùntura tale(s)

Focu fòcura fire(s)

Iocu lòcura play(s)

Marmu màrmura marble(s)

Mercu mèrcura mark(s), slash(s)

Munnu mùnnura world(s)

Nnomu nnòmura name(s)

Sangu sàngura Blood(s)

Sonnu sònnura dream(s)

Lu mê nomu è Siciliànu My name is sicilian

Li sô nnòmura sunnu Francìsi Their names are French

Mi sunnài un sonnu làidu I had a bad dream

Si sunnàru sònnura boni They had good dreams

Some masculine nouns form the feminine in different ways than what we have previously said, they add issa or trici to the feminine, as in:

Masculine feminine

Duttùri dutturìssa doctor

Abàti abbatìssa abbot, abbess

Barùni barunìssa baron, baroness

Puèta puitìssa poet

Attùri attrìci actor, actress

Cunti cuntìssa count, countess

Campiùni campiunìssa champion

Piccatùri piccatrìci sinner

Traditùri traditrìci traitor

Lu barùni chiamò la barunìssa

The baron called the baroness

Lu duttùri travagghiò cu la dutturìssa

The doctor worked with the (she) doctor

L’attùri e l’attrìci eranu nzèmmula

The actor and the actress were together

Tu si piccatùri e idda è piccatrìci

You are sinner and she is sinner

The words that end in cu, form the plural in ci in the masculine, but in chi in the feminine, as in:

Masculine masculine feminine feminine

Singular plural singular plural

Amìcu amìci amìca amìchi friend(s)

Antipàticu antipàtici antipàtica antipàtichi unpleasant

Sarcàsticu sarcàstici sarcàstica sarcàstichi sarcastic

Bisbèticu bisbètici bisbètica bisbètichi extravagant

Catòlicu catòlici catòlica catòlichi catholic

Mònacu mònaci mònaca mònachi monc(s), nun(s)

Lìricu lìrici lìrica lìrichi lyric

Prufèticu prufètici prufètica prufètichi prophetic

Lu mònacu sta cu li mònaci The monk lives with the monks

La mònaca sta cu li mònachi He nun lives with the nuns

Dda fìmmina è antipàtica That lady is unpleasant

Ddi fìmmini sunnu antpàtichi Those ladies are unpleasant

Lu mê amìcu avi li sô amìci My friend has his friends

La sô amìca avi li sô amìchi Her friend has her friends

Some exeptions are:

Nicu nichi small, youn

Riccu ricchi rich

Biàncu biànchi white

Friscu frischi fresh

Mê fìgghiu è nicu My son is little

Li cunìgghia sunnu tutti nichi The rabbits were all little

Tô ziu era riccu Your uncle was rich

Li re sunnu tutti ricchi The kings are all rich

Lu cavàddu è biàncu The horse is white

Li casi sunnu biànchi The hoses are white

Some nouns that end in cu do not have a feminine:

Beccu becchi he-goat(s)

Sucu suchi juce(s)

Sceccu scecchi donkey(s)

Làstracu làstrachi terrace(s)

Cocu cochi cook(s)

Saccu sacchi sac(s)

Sbarcu sbarchi landing(s)

Scaccu scacchi chess

Zuccu zucchi trunk(s)

Attàcca lu sceccu a lu zuccu Tie the donkey to the tree

Metti li sacchi nta l’àstracu Put the sacs on the terrace

Ioca a li scacchi cu lu cocu Play chess with the cook

Some nouns that end in gu or ga make the plural in ghi:

Largu larghi wide

Longu longhi long

Rangu ranghi rank(s)

Lagu lagghi lake(s)

Anga anghi molar(s)

Sirìnga siringhi siringe(s)

Albèrgu alberghi hotel(s)

Lu ciumi era longu The river was long

Li strati eranu larghi He streets were wide

Mi fici scippàri na anga I had un molar pulled

Avìa dui anghi malati I had two bad molars

Lu duttùri usa li sirìnghi The doctor uses siringes

Ddà c’eranu tanti laghi Over there were many lakes

L’albèrghi eranu chini The hotels were full

Then we have the nouns with the accented final vowel. These nouns remain as they are, mostly they are feminine and do not change in the plural, as in:

Carità

Tribù

Ginirusità

Cità

Pruprità

Stirilità

Umanità

Puvirtà

Nta li cità nun ci sunnu li tribù

There are any tribes in the cities

La ginirusità è di lu pòpulu Siciliànu

The generosity is of the Sicilian people