Ciao everyone!
It’s Luna here with a new episode in our series Cosa Dici?!
*Thanks to everyone who has shared their meaning of AGIDA in the comments below! It’s amazing to hear everyone’s story and what the word means to them. I’m very intrigued to learn more about the equivalents of AGIDA in other languages as well!
Today we’re looking at the history of one of my favorite words; one that has actually changed meaning over time. The word is AGIDA! Now you may have heard this word pronounced a couple of ways, AGITA, or the way I pronounce it, AGIDA. It only makes the word more interesting to see the various spellings, pronunciations, and meanings that it has.
The word was popularized here in the States in the 1980s. Its usage was at first limited to the NYC area (although undocumented usage in other areas is probable), but now it’s pretty widespread. You might even hear it used in your favorite TV show!
So, what does this word mean?
AGIDA signifies a general feeling of uneasiness, discomfort, or anxiety. Although it sounds like a shortened version of the English word agitation, it actually comes from an equivalent to the Standard Italian word for “acid”, acido.
When it comes to the linguistic history of AGIDA, linguists are still speculating the precise origin of the word. What we can say for certain is that it most likely comes from a regional equivalent of this Standard Italian word, acido. For example, a possible origin of the word could be Sicilian, which has clear differences in spelling and pronunciation.
Interestingly, in Standard Italian, acido, is used to refer to indigestion or heartburn, which is a meaning that AGIDA still retains for some people today.
The origin of the word is still a bit murky, but what’s clear is that in the United States, we’ve not only changed the pronunciation, but also the meaning. We’ve gone from this physical feeling of indigestion to a more figurative feeling of discomfort, and you can see how they’re still a bit connected.
What does the word mean for you?
Well, there you have it, another lesson in Italian American!
Hopefully. now when you hear the word AGIDA, you won’t have any AGIDA about what it means!
*note added October 21, 2024
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They use this constantly in The Sopranos (watching it now and came looking for a response online) and it’s as if they use it to mean heartburn. This can be a common symptom from nerves or anxiety which all the actors suffer constantly. In Spain, we call it “ardor de estomago” or “acidez” which literally translates to “stomach burn” or “acidity”. In English, acid reflux is also used. They’re both Romance languages so it could be that.
I’m first generation Sicilian and I’m very familiar with the word adiga. My zizi use it all the time. She was always sick to her stomach or nervous about something. We still use the word and for us has not gone out of style. Had to comment on this funny article about adiga. Unfortunately the Sicilian language will be a dead language because only the old people speak it. I heard it all my life but most young people in Sicily are learning high Italian so not so many people left that speak it. It’s sad but it happens. Thank you
I say agida to this day. My nonna was from Calabria and she said, my father said it and it passed down to me and my brother.
My dad was from Lebanon and he and his family used the word “Ashida” to describe too loud or too hot in a crowd or too many people, etc. My mother was from Sicily and used it as described here. In Sicily, the street signs are also in Arabic and many people speak Arabic and Italian. I’m wondering if the words morphed together?
My Sicilian relatives born in the 19teens used agida as an another’s action causing indigestion, settled in Chicago
My grandfather used it in the 70s and prior it is a word they used to mean heartburn. 1st generation Sicilians
Agida is a word that Caribbean people, specifically Guyanese people because thats my experience, use to mean some kind of aggravation or irritation. Like, “I can’t work on this project anymore, it’s giving me agida.” Or, “That dog barking is giving me agida.”
the word was popular in the 80s because it was used in a movie by woody allen called broadway danny rose. he wrote a song for the movie called agita with lyrics like agita my goombah…truly funny movie. but the word dates back to before 1800 and was brought here via immigrants but had a resurgence after the movie.
My Italian family brought it over from Italy, circa 1913, region from Roma. It meant heartburn or chest tightness from anxiety, mourning , aggravation or GERD.
Work is great but the people give me Agida
Love your history of this word I grew up hearing in New York. We used Agida, meaning indigestion!
I Absolutely love the history lesson of this word or word(s) rather with the T and D variations! It was informative to me because I had no idea there were other meanings in use other than the indigestion, acid reflux, heartburn definitions. I’m from Boston and I’m not Italian, I am Irish and Polish. With that being said, where I learned of the word; was from my maternal grandmother, my Babci!!! (Polish equivalent to Nonna) My Babci, before my mother was even born (so prior to 1955 here guys we are talking) would “hangout” with all the women her age in the “old neighborhood”. We weren’t in Boston
Proper nor in the North End, but Babci’s husband my Dzidzi (pronounced judge-ey, Polish for grandfather) Would always eat the food the that all the woman were making each other and for each other’s families. It was a microcosm of America as there were Greek, Italian, Irish, Polish, Russian, Romanian, and some African American and Hispanic ladies that would all meet and play cards at St. Michael’s Hall after mass on Sunday’s in West Lynn. So my Babci was trying to explain why “Joe” (my Dzidzi wasn’t feeling well as the girls all heard through harmless gossip and my babci was having difficulty explaining to some of the woman what exactly my Dzidzi Joe Kohanski was suffering from and my Babci’s close friend Marie Rossi simply said “Joes got the bad agida!l he has been eating too m in red sauce” and my Babci’s reply was, look at his belly. He has been eating too much, period.” And the girls all broke out in laughter some explained to others who hadn’t grasped enough English yet, in their own language the punch line and I’m also assuming their word for agida. So this was great to see some of the history, but I’d like to see the equivalent word in all the backgrounds/nationalities I listed above. That would be neat. That way old friends from the old neighborhood in West Lynn, MA where so many lived in 3 family houses right near the huge General Electric plant and where even more of the populace worked and families were living all along and the Saugus and Revere, MA borders. Where I’m sure agida was used frequently because those area were heavily populated in the 50’s and 60’s with Italian immigrants and still to this day. But all this typing and thinking has given me “AGIDA”!!!!!!
Oli said
“Love your history of this word I grew up hearing in New York. We used Agida, meaning indigestion!”
Exactly. I grew up in an Italian family. That has been the meaning to us.