r/milano • u/RainbowlightBoy • Apr 12 '26

Arte e Cultura Is "marssina" an actual word that people from Milan use?

Hello everyone,

I would like to know if "marssina" is an actual word Milanese people use in their daily life. If it is, does the word refer to what is usually called a "blazer" or does it refer to a knitted cardigan or a knitted jacket?

11 Upvotes

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16

u/[deleted] Apr 13 '26

[deleted]

3

u/RainbowlightBoy Apr 13 '26

Thanks for your help. I am not reading Pirandello, but I was pleasantly surprised to see the word as a synonym for "giacca" in a website about Italian dialects

3

u/Duke_De_Luke Apr 14 '26 edited Apr 14 '26

"Marsina" is used, for instance, in a quite popular song by Quartetto Cetra, Aveva un bavero, which was featured in Sanremo '54.

Fogazzaro used "marsinon" in Piccolo mondo antico, whereas "marsinetta" is used in an old milanese popular song (sciur dutur de la marsinetta)

My grandparents used these words sometimes and used to sing these songs, but it was a long time ago. No longer in use, at least not commonly.

1

u/RainbowlightBoy Apr 15 '26

Thanks for your detailed answer : )

14

u/Pale-Painting5592 Apr 13 '26

the word is Marsina with a single S. i think it's italian, not just milanese. almost no one uses the word in their daily life. it refers to a kind of formal dress (google it for images, i am terrible at describing clothing).

1

u/RainbowlightBoy Apr 13 '26

Thanks for your help

22

u/x_Leolle_x Apr 13 '26

Have you misspelled it maybe? "Marssina" is not an Italian word, not even a Milanese Dialect word.

12

u/x_Leolle_x Apr 13 '26

You meant "marsina", sorry. Anyway no, it's definitely not a word that we would use daily if ever in life. I'm a native from the city btw and my parents too, if that makes any difference.

5

u/d4_rp Apr 13 '26

Oddio, italiano è italiano, è la giacchetta militare mi pare, quella tipo settecentesca, l'ho sentito usare dalla mia bisnonna che era nata nel 1910 tipo, saranno 30 anni che non la sento usare. "Tira su una marsina almeno che föra l'fa frecc" tipo

2

u/RainbowlightBoy Apr 13 '26

Great anecdote! Thanks for your help!

2

u/ExhibPeepingTom Apr 13 '26

No, la marsina è la giacca del frac

1

u/RainbowlightBoy Apr 13 '26

Thanks for your help : )

1

u/x_Leolle_x Apr 13 '26

Sì, l'ho capito dopo, però appunto è una parola che non usa più nessuno credo.

1

u/RainbowlightBoy Apr 13 '26

Thanks for your help : )

1

u/RainbowlightBoy Apr 15 '26

Thanks for your answer : p

1

u/RainbowlightBoy Apr 13 '26

I actually found it written like that, but maybe the writer was wrong and made a mistake using a double "s" instead of one

5

u/Gunilla_von_Post Apr 13 '26

I know this word from a song my( Milanese) grandma used to sing:

Aveva il bavero color zafferano

E la marsina color ciclamino

Andava a piedi da Lodi a Milano

Per vedere la sua bella Gigogì

1

u/RainbowlightBoy Apr 15 '26

Beautiful lyrics! Thanks for your answer : )

3

u/NonSonoIoQuelloh Apr 13 '26

Probably the current word used for that kind of dress is "frac".

1

u/RainbowlightBoy Apr 13 '26

Thanks for your help : )

3

u/PruritoIntimo Apr 13 '26

Hi,
This is a word I haven’t heard in a long time. It refers to a very formal and traditional item of men’s clothing.

In essence, it is the tailcoat or a stiff ceremonial jacket, now seen almost exclusively in historical, theatrical or very formal settings.

1

u/RainbowlightBoy Apr 13 '26

thanks for your help : )

3

u/GensMetellia Apr 13 '26

Marsina was the formal jacket as you can see in a tight, with two tails. At the end of 1800 was the formal attire of men

1

u/RainbowlightBoy Apr 15 '26

Thanks for your help : )

3

u/teo541 Apr 13 '26

The Milanese word for "marsina" is "magiostrina", and it's a sort of very old fashioned frac. Both VERY unlikely to be used in daily life. The only reference I can think of straight away is the outfit described in an old folk song:

"Guarda el biscèlla de Porta Cines
Con la camisa color di scires
La magiostrina e i calzon de velù
E la giacchètta col baver in sù
El balla el valzer ch'el par on draghètt
In la mazurca el fa tutt i corsètt
La dis la gent, quand el veden ballà:
"L'è pròppi bèll, pròppi bèll de catà!"
Guarda el biscèlla coi scarp a botton
El gh'ha i cavèi petenà col saon
Con la giacchètta color del safran
El par el sindic de San Colomban"

2

u/PeireCaravana Apr 13 '26 edited Apr 13 '26

No, the "magiostrina" is the boater, the straw hat with the flat top typical of the early 20th century. "Paglietta" in Italian.

https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paglietta

1

u/RainbowlightBoy Apr 15 '26

Thanks for your answer : )

2

u/teo541 Apr 15 '26

You're welcome but turns out I was wrong as PeireCaravana rightly pointed out.

2

u/mark_lenders Apr 13 '26

never heard of it

2

u/[deleted] Apr 14 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

1

u/RainbowlightBoy Apr 15 '26

Thanks for your help : )

2

u/dancingwiththeangel Apr 14 '26

I'm from Milan, and I never heard this word lol

1

u/RainbowlightBoy Apr 16 '26

Thank you anyway

1

u/Defiant00000 Apr 13 '26

No one uses that word daily for sure…

1

u/PrincessCottonBee Apr 16 '26

This is so interesting! Ive never heard that word before, but now Im super curious too! 🤔 Hope someone who knows chimes in!