From vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation there are many differences between Italian and Sicilian. Even natives can misunderstand each other! Ah, bedda Sicilia! Wait… shouldn’t it be bella? Well, technically yes, bella is the Italian word for beautiful, but in Sicily, linguistic surprises await around every corner!

Don’t believe it? Try asking for directions in your polished Italian at one of Palermo’s bustling markets, and chances are you’ll get a colorful response sprinkled with exotic terms like accussì for “così” (so) and m’avi a scusare for “le chiedo scusa” (I beg your pardon).