Spasell is a slang of
Insubric language, spoken until the 19th century by inhabitants of
Vallassina, when they used to go out from the valley for business and they didn't want to be understood by the people. It is characterized by code-words conventionally defined basing on characteristics of the thing or on
onomatopoeia
Onomatopoeia (or rarely echoism) is a type of word, or the process of creating a word, that phonetics, phonetically imitates, resembles, or suggests the sound that it describes. Common onomatopoeias in English include animal noises such as Oin ...
s; other words have an unknown origin. It has been noted by Carlo Mazza,
vicar
A vicar (; Latin: '' vicarius'') is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior (compare "vicarious" in the sense of "at second hand"). Linguistically, ''vicar'' is cognate with the English p ...
of
Asso
Asso ( Valassinese ) is an Italian ''comune'' in the province of Como, in Lombardy, Italy. It has 3,524 citizens and an area of , with a density of .
Main sights
Significant historic buildings are:
* the castle, built in the 12th century; nowada ...
, in his book of 1796. He informs us that several slangs have been created in the time, because in the time the words were introduced in the current language, reducing the differences between "official" language and "secret" language. After a list of terms, the vicar proposes, as example, the translation of ''
Pater Noster'' in this language, evidencing that it's totally incomprehensible also by the
Insubric speakers. There are various similar or identical slangs in many localities of
Insubria, like
Valtellina
Valtellina or the Valtelline (occasionally spelled as two words in English: Val Telline; (); or ; ; ) is a valley in the Lombardy region of northern Italy, bordering Switzerland. Today it is known for its ski centre, hot spring spas, bresa ...
and
Milan
Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...
. Some Spasell words have been adsorbed by the common language, for example (see Spasell =bad), used in northern
Brianza to indicate a "so and so" person, or , used also by
Carlo Porta in the poem to refer to wine, in alternation with .
Some Spasell words in
Classical Milanese orthography:
*albarej - eggs (
Vallassinese of Asso: ööf)
*arton - bread (pan)
*astregg - omelet (fritada)
*bajaff - weapon (arma)
*bald - day (dì)
*ballina - hour (ura)
*bell - sun (suu)
*bella - moon (lüna)
*belledra - sheep (pégura, barina)
*bighês - lover (muruus)
*boffaroeu - firearm (s'ciòp)
*bolla - people, community (géent)
*boschiroeura - hazelnut (nisciöla)
*bosin - master (padrón)
*bronza - bell (campana)
*bruna - night (nòcc)
*brunej - eyes (öcc)
*calcant - beggar (pitòch)
*calcosa - street (straa)
*Capellura - Our Lady (Madòna)
*Capelluu - God (Signuur)
*cer - white (biaanch)
*croeuggia - house (cà)
*croeulla - storm (tempèsta)
*daga - sword (spada)
*degoeuj - salad (nsalada)
*fangôs - shoes (scaarp)
*faree - black (négher)
*ficcà el vel - to go (ndà)
*fogatta - red (rós)
*foja - fear (pagüra, strimizi)
*follon - fear (pagüra, strimizi)
*fortin - vinegar (asée)
*fraina - snow (néef)
*fratessa - pocket (sacòcia)
*ghisalba - blind (òorp)
*gialdin - coin (zechin)
*gianderoeu - peach (pèrsega)
*gnifell - son (bagaj)
*griera - prison (prisón)
*gringaja - bell (campana)
*inciappinà - to become drunk (imbriagas)
*infioeura - chestnut (castègna)
*ingalmì - to understand (capì)
*lescia - garlic (aj)
*levesa - chestnut (castègna)
*loffi - bad (gram)
*longôs - year (ann, agn)
*longosin - month (mées)
*lumà - to see (vedè)
*lumart - mirror (spècc)
*luscia - water, rain (aqua)
*luscià - to cry (piaanc, caragnà)
*luscia del Capelluu - blessed water (aqua santa)
*luscion piatt - sea (maar)
*mager - good (bón)
*manìa - woman (dòna)
*masett - father (pà)
*masett de la luscia - cloud (nìula)
*masetta - mother (mam)
*mugenga - cow (vaca)
*muginghera - cowshed (stala)
*naja de tamoeu - devil (diàul)
*nold - grandfather (nònu)
*percà - to see (vedè)
*picch - hammer (martèl)
*pisto - priest (préet)
*prumm - pig (purcèl)
*quella di sciatt - earth, ground (tèra)
*rabbaja - polenta (pulénta)
*refald - hot (caalt)
*refilà - to give (dà)
*ruscà - to do (fà)
*ruspanda - hen (gaìna)
*ruspandon - cock (gal)
*saltarella - hare (légura)
*sbalada - death (mòort)
*sbeg - bread (pan)
*sbelledrà - to sing (cantà)
*sbertì - to kill (mazà)
*sbertidor - executioner (bòja)
*sboja-tambell - notary (nudaar)
*scabi - wine (vin)
*scabià - to drink (béef)
*scajà - to pay (pagà)
*sciucchesta - pint (pinta)
*sciucch - mug
*scoffenà - to work (laurà)
*scoloeu - hat (capèl)
*scoloeu de la croeuggia - roof (tècc)
*scovagioeu - handkerchief (panèt)
*seguacc - lake (laach)
*sgorattin - bird (üsèl)
*sguinz - fish (pès)
*silvestra - candlelight (lüm)
*slenza - rain (aqua)
*spiazz - priest (préet)
*spiazz de la bolla - vicar (cürat, prevòst)
*spolverenta - flour (farina)
*stanzià - to be, to have, to stay (vès, vèch, stà)
*stobald - today (incöö)
*sudà - to inebriate (imbriagas)
*szabolda - to be silent (tasè)
*tabacca - beard (barba)
*tabacchin - (pizèt)
*tambell - cards (caart)
*tambosna - pumpkin (züca)
*tamera - night (nòcc)
*tavolà - to come (vignì)
*tavolà la fraina - to snow (vignì la néef)
*tisell - cold (frècc)
*toff - gun (s'ciupetada)
*traversa - tablecloth (tuaja)
*tubà - to say (dì)
*vedrosin - glass (bicéer)
*vertera - door (pòrta)
Bibliography
*Carlo Mazza, ''Memorie storiche della Vallassina'', 1796 (PARTE SECONDA, CAPO XII)
{{Languages of Italy
Western Lombard language
Cant languages
Italian slang