{"id":2567,"date":"2021-06-25T22:13:12","date_gmt":"2021-06-25T22:13:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.learnsicilian.com\/?p=2567"},"modified":"2021-06-25T22:13:12","modified_gmt":"2021-06-25T22:13:12","slug":"ma-cchi-nnicchi-nnacchi-what-does-it-mean-when-should-you-use-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/learnsicilian.com\/blog\/ma-cchi-nnicchi-nnacchi-what-does-it-mean-when-should-you-use-it\/","title":{"rendered":"Ma Cchi Nn\u00eccchi Nn\u00e0cchi? : What Does It Mean & When Should You Use It?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

If you\u2019ve ever spent time in Sicily, you may (knowingly or not!) have heard the phrase \u201cma cchi nn\u00eccchi nn\u00e0cchi?\u201d as you explore the island. It\u2019s a phrase most often heard in Catania (a city on the east coast), where people of all generations and classes use it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But where did this phrase come from, what does it mean, and can\u2014and should\u2014you use it? Read on to learn more! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"10<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

What does \u201cma cchi nn\u00eccchi nn\u00e0cchi\u201d mean?  <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMa cchi nn\u00eccchi nn\u00e0cchi?\u201d is a neutral and friendly way to ask someone close to you, \u201cwhat are you talking about?\u201d or \u201cwhat are you raving on about?\u201d It\u2019s a fun way to point out that the topic someone is talking about has strayed far from the original point of conversation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It may also be used to point out that someone is wrong, or even lying, without seeming big-headed or mean. It\u2019s a teasing phrase that can be used with friends and new acquaintances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where did the saying come from?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The origins of \u201cma cchi nn\u00eccchi nn\u00e0cchi\u201d can be traced all the way back to the Latin language to a phrase with a slightly different meaning: \u201cnech hic nec hoc<\/em>\u201d, which is literally translated as \u201cneither this nor that.\u201d These ancient origins give the phrase more impact when it is used \u2013 a sort of \u201cancient wisdom\u201d behind the words, which makes them less accusatory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Latin<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

When should \u201cma cchi nn\u00eccchi nn\u00e0cchi\u201d be used?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re learning Sicilian, then you likely want to learn the idioms and turns of phrase that make all the difference between you speaking a language and truly understanding it. You can use this phrase when you\u2019re debating a topic with a friend or family member to highlight that what they\u2019re saying sounds wildly out of place or really doesn\u2019t have anything to do with the topic being discussed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMa cchi nn\u00eccchi nn\u00e0cchi?\u201d is also used when someone catches another in a lie during a conversation, though only if the circumstances are not serious.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Bill<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

You should use it when you want to point out that someone is wrong, but don\u2019t want to do it in a way that may get someone\u2019s feelings hurt. If you use the phrase correctly, you\u2019ll appear witty and friendly, and be able to create a more jovial atmosphere and create deeper friendships with the local people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you can master \u201cMa cchi nn\u00eccchi nn\u00e0cchi?\u201d and use it well when talking to locals in Catania and the rest of Sicily, you\u2019ll show your deeper understanding of the language and you\u2019ll be able to develop better relationships and have deeper conversations. Of course, simply being able to understand the context of the phrase when used, even if you aren\u2019t brave enough to use it yourself, will still help you have better conversations and connections!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

If you\u2019ve ever spent time in Sicily, you may (knowingly or not!) have heard the phrase \u201cma cchi nn\u00eccchi nn\u00e0cchi?\u201d as you explore the island.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2568,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2567","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-culture","category-language"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/learnsicilian.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2567","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/learnsicilian.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/learnsicilian.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/learnsicilian.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/learnsicilian.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2567"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/learnsicilian.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2567\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/learnsicilian.com\/blog\/wp-json\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/learnsicilian.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2567"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/learnsicilian.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2567"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/learnsicilian.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2567"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}