Dear Mrs. Rowson,
I read you inquiry about "cafone." If I interpret correctly your question,
you wish to get help in finding what is "cafone" to people you use the term
and how to ranlsate it in its extention above and beyond the generic
"paesant." Am I right? As you understood, "cafone" is not only "paesant."
It is what "viddranu" means to the Sicilians. Literally, "viddranu" means
"villano" those who work in the fields (from villa= campagna, non cittą),
"contadini." But "contadini" in Sicilian used/has to have the connotation
of a "category" of workers because it was in standard Italian. like
calzolaio instead of "scarparu." When I hear "cafone" it comes back the
context in which I used to hear it: uncut, "rozzo." And so it is for
"viddranu" which like "cafone" has also the pejorative sense of uncut,
"rozzo." The difference is that "cafone" is used less often geographically
to connote "rozzo" than "villano" which is of common use to label
unmannered behaviour.In translating from Silone "cafone" into an English
equivalent I cannot be of help with more than "paesant" since English is
not my native language. Good luck with others.
Giovanna Miceli Jeffries
Giovanna Miceli Jeffries
Italian Interpretations
5517 Greening Lane
Madison, WI 53705
Tel: (608) 238-1991
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