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selvaggio

wild; savage

adjective sel-VAHD-joh Rare

Origin: Latin silvaticus (of the forest)

Usage Note

Selvaggio carries a range from 'untamed wilderness' (natura selvaggia) to 'brutal/savage' in a moral sense (un attacco selvaggio). As a noun il selvaggio means 'a savage/wild man'. Note -gg- before -io: pronounced 'joh', not 'jee-oh'. Four forms: selvaggio / selvaggia / selvaggi / selvagge.

Examples

"Il paesaggio selvaggio mi affascina."

Natural Translation

The wild landscape fascinates me.

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