Polenta
The term Polentone is a colloquial and disparaging nickname for Northern Italians in southern Italy .
origin
Literally translated, the term ' polenta eater' means, which is related to the popularity of polenta in northern Italy. In fact, until the 20th century, polenta was a staple food, especially for the poorer part of the population.
The term is mainly used to insult a rowdy, uneducated person who apparently corresponds to the cliché of the polenta eater. Conversely, there is the term terrone , which is used in the north as a derogatory term for southern Italians .
In northern Italy, especially in Lombardy , and in the canton of Ticino , the expression is also used jokingly for a slow or somewhat lazy person. Probably because the word contains the adjective "lento" (Italian: slow).
See also
The Romanian maize porridge Mămăligă with similar connotations.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Notes. (PDF) Francesco Carotta, accessed on August 15, 2020 .
- ↑ Dizionario di Italiano - polentone. La Repubblica , accessed August 15, 2020 (Italian).