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Belladonna, n.: In Italian a beautiful lady in English a deadly poison. A striking example of the essential identity of
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"Belladonna, n.: In Italian a beautiful lady; in English a deadly poison. A striking example of the essential identity of the two tongues"

- Ambrose Bierce

About this Quote

This quote by Ambrose Bierce is a funny method of pointing out the similarities between the Italian and English languages. He is highlighting the fact that the same word can have two totally various meanings depending upon the language it is utilized in. In Italian, the word "belladonna" means "lovely girl", while in English it implies "fatal poison". This is a striking example of how 2 languages can have the very same words however with different meanings. Bierce is emphasizing the importance of understanding the context of a word in order to comprehend its significance. He is likewise recommending that the two languages are more comparable than they appear, which the same words can have different meanings depending upon the language they are used in. This quote is a suggestion that language is a powerful tool which it is necessary to be knowledgeable about the subtleties of different languages.
Poison

About the Author

Ambrose Bierce This quote is written / told by Ambrose Bierce between June 24, 1842 and December 26, 1914. He was a famous Journalist from USA. The author also have 124 other quotes.

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