Every year, with the arrival of autumn, the natural spectacle of foliagea term that is very fashionable, which many now associate with the breathtaking colors of the leaves which are tinged with warm shades, from yellow to orange, up to intense red.
The origin of the word: from French to Anglicism
The word foliage it is an anglicism comes from French feuillagewhich refers to the foliage, or all the leaves. This term was subsequently adopted into the English language, maintaining the same spelling and meaning, until it became a term in common use in Italian too. Today, when we talk about foliagewe no longer refer only to the foliage, but to that special period in which nature transforms, offering intense and evocative views.
Many tend to pronounce foliage like /fɔliˈjaʒ/ or /fɔˈljaʒ/, in the Italian style and with a French nuance, similar to fromage, but appearances are deceiving: foliage it is actually an anglicism which, paradoxically, in English does not have the specific meaning with which we use it in Italian.
How to pronounce it foliage?
In English, foliage it simply means “foliage” and is pronounced /ˈfəʊliɪdʒ/ (or /ˈfoʊliɪdʒ/), with the stress on the first syllable and without pronouncing the “a”.
As happens with many anglicisms integrated into our language, Italian pronunciation tends to adapt, approximating the English vowels to our system. In this case, however, the written form of the word seems to further influence the pronunciation: the “a” is not ignored and thus we find the Italianized versions /ˈfɔliedʒ/ (“fòlieg”) or /ˈfɔlieidʒ/ (“fòlieig”), which remain among the most common pronunciations and are also recorded in dictionaries.
But why does a more French pronunciation seem to be spreading today? In French, in fact, the word exists feuillage (/fœjaʒ/), meaning “foliage,” but the shape foliage it doesn’t exist. The confusion could arise precisely from the appearance of the word, which, due to its spelling, seems less English and closer to French.
Why has foliage become so popular?
The term foliage, beyond questions of pronunciation, has exploded as a trend especially due to the natural phenomenon it represents. In recent years, admiring the colors of autumn has become a real experience, with trips dedicated to discovering autumnal shades. From the woods of Canada and New England, famous for their brightly colored leaves, to the parks and hills of Italy, foliage has become a phenomenon that mixes nature, aesthetics and tourism, made even more popular by social media.
So, whether you prefer the English or French pronunciation, the foliage it has now fully entered our vocabulary and our autumn habits, reminding us to appreciate the beauty of the natural change that the season offers us.
