>1. When does the term 'Mezzogiorno d'Italia' come to refer to the south of
>>Italy?
>
>The other alternative to mean south would have been "meridione" or
>"meridionale", but as far as I have been able to find out in early times
>this word had only an astronomical meaning.
>Francesco Bonomi
Just an addition:
In the 1930s, the Italian censorship "advises" newspapers and radio to
avoid using the word "meridione"--no problems with "settentrione," on the
other hand. One can safely assume that "meridione" is too closely
associated with the "meridionalismo" of the likes of Dossi--not what Italy,
tightly united in the fascio, wants to hear.
Mezzogiorno becomes then, in the 1930s, a safer term to refer to southern
Italy. Cf., for instance the entry "Mezzogiorno. Questione del" in the
canonical Enciclopedia Italiana Treccani. Also keep into consideration the
fascination with the term "mezzogiorno" in the epoch of the twilight of
gods and decline of the west...
2. Is the word 'Calabria' ever used to refer to Southern Italy in general?
Cesare Lombroso uses the term "Calabrie" to refer, loosely, to southern
Italy. Other than that, nothing comes to my mind.
Buon lavoro,
Roberto M. Dainotto
Assistant Professor of Italian
Duke University
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