— Italianesque , adj.
/i tal"yeuhn/ , adj.
1. of or pertaining to Italy, its people, or their language.
n.
2. a native or inhabitant of Italy, or a person of Italian descent.
3. a Romance language, the language of Italy, official also in Switzerland. Abbr.: It, It., Ital.
[ 1350-1400; ME Italianus. See ITALY, -AN ]
Pronunciation . The pronunciation of ITALIAN with an initial /uy/ sound (pronounced like the word eye ) and often with level stress on the first and second syllables: /uy"tal"yeuhn/ is heard primarily from uneducated speakers. This pronunciation is sometimes facetious or disparaging in purpose and is usually considered offensive.