Did you know that 'mafia' is actually Italian?

'Mafia' is a word borrowed from Italian 'mafiusu'. The word entered the English language some time around 1875.

mafia [noun] [1875]

• a secret criminal society of Sicily or Italy
• a similarly conceived criminal organization in the United States
• a similar organization elsewhere
• a criminal organization associated with a particular traffic

Meaning: a secret criminal society of Sicily or Italy; a similarly conceived criminal organization in the United States; a similar organization elsewhere the Japanese Mafia.

Etymology: Mafia; Maffia; a Sicilian secret criminal society; from Italian dialect (Sicily); probably from mafiusu.

Topics: Law:Crime.

Origin: From Italian to English.

See 'mafia' on the Loan Words Map

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See more loan words from 1800s.