13. La Lingua Italiana

La lingua Italiana is anything but an ordinary language. Speak in any other tongue, and you are merely communicating. Speak Italian and the conversation lives and breathes with its own dynamic vitality. It is a language where the vowels and consonants perform a rhapsodic dance together-a passionate musical language of love.

It is a food. We all know how Italians love a good meal, and this desire spills into the words. Reading a menu or a cookbook is a delicious exercise for the jaw and lips. Tortellini, gnocchi, aglio e olio, prosciutto. The words float on the tongue. Lasagna, ravioli, pesce. The mandible moves as if chewing. Cannoli, gelati, tirami sª. The mouth waters as a lubricant for the alphabet. Speaking of this rich food is the antipasto to the antipasto. And it extends to all words, not just those centered around the table. A light conversation is a snack, an intense one, a full-blown dinner. To talk is to eat is to enjoy.

It is a song. Hearing someone speak Italian from a distance is like hearing a familiar tune on the radio. It has melody, rhythm. The inflection is up, and then it is down. The tone is clear, delicate. An Italian day begins and ends with this music. A crisp, perky Buon giorno is on everyone's lips in the morning. When the night falls, a gentle Buona sera is the greeting, the sera lingering a beat longer on the palette, letting you ponder the hours in between.

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