Terrone

Terrone (Italian pronunciation: [terˈroːne]) is a term of the Italian language, used by the inhabitants of Northern Italy as derogatory to designate an inhabitant of central Italy or southern Italy.

The term comes from an agent noun formed from the word terra (Italian for "land") and it was historically used, after the unification of Italy, to describe the landlords of the former Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, highlighting the fact that they profited from a land property (the so-called "latifondo") without working. This epithet is often associated with negative personal characteristics, such as laziness and ignorance. Similarly, especially in some slang, the term has taken on the meaning of peasant or rude person.

Bibliography

• Russo Bullaro, Grace (2010). From Terrone to Extracomunitario: Shifting Demographics and Changing Images in a Multi-cultural Globalized Society. Leicester: Troubador Publishing. ISBN 9781848761766.