Italian Words Explained: "Maschera"

Welcome to FaveWords, a weekly journey where we dive into the beauty of the Italian language, one word at a time.

Today's FaveWord is:

MASCHERA 🎭

[ˈmaskera]

: mask, costume, theatre/cinema usher

Carnevale brings Italian streets to life in late February-early March, and here’s its queen!

“Maschera” is first and foremost something you place on your face to hide your features; but the meaning can extend to encompass the whole body as a synonym of “costume” (costume).

Today we wear costumes only at Carnival or Halloween. However, back in the 13th Century, when Venice was a powerful independent republic, masks were used by Venetian people daily. They provided anonymity as they made it impossible to distinguish the servant from the noble, or even a man from a woman. On the streets, people used to greet each other with “Good morning, Mask!”. 👋

Maskmakers (mascherari) enjoyed a special position in society, with their own laws and their own guild, as well as their own statute dated 10 April 1436.

With time, the extensive use of masks in Venice led to the uncontrolled rise of gambling and sexual promiscuity, and stricter laws were imposed. Eventually, masks were only allowed during Carnival - a tradition we still see today.

Fun fact:

Historically, ticket collectors in Venetian theaters wore masks. That explains why to this day Italians still use the word “maschera” referring to the usher who helps you find your seat at the theatre, or the cinema staff standing in the movie hall while you enjoy your film (the job we all wish we had as kids!).

How about the face protection devices we use nowadays? In English that would be a “mask” too, whereas in Italian it’s called “mascherina”. The suffix “-ina” means “small/little”, so the word literally translates as “little mask”.

Does your Covid-19 mask look any cuter now? 😎

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Favella Translations is a Singapore-registered translation atelier specialising in Italian language and culture. We provide a range of Italian translation services, including creative translation and Italian language courses in Singapore and online. Get in touch with me at monica@favellatranslations.com and let me know how I can help!