cardinal
cardinal
noun kar-dee-NAL Rare
Origin: From Latin cardinalis, 'hinge', denoting a pivotal church official.
Usage Note
Cardinal is an English/Latin loanword used in Italian primarily in ecclesiastical and heraldic contexts — a prince of the Catholic Church. The native Italian equivalent is cardinale (m); cardinal appears as an invariable form in formal and borrowed usage. Do not confuse with cardinale used as an adjective meaning 'cardinal' (as in virtù cardinali).
Examples
"Il cardinal Bertone incontrò il Papa."
Natural Translation
Cardinal Bertone met the Pope.
Related Words
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