damigella d'onore
The English phrase "maid of honor" is translated into Italian as damigella d'onore.
damigella d'onore refers to the primary woman who attends the bride during a wedding ceremony.
Meaning: the primary woman who attends the bride at a wedding ceremony (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of damigella, meaning maiden or young lady and d'onore, meaning of honor.
Which one should you use?
The form damigella d'onore is used for a single maid of honor. If there are multiple attendants but only one primary one, she is still called the damigella d'onore.
How does it change in a sentence?
To make the phrase plural, change damigella to damigelle, resulting in damigelle d'onore.
Did you know?
- In traditional Italian weddings, the role of damigella d'onore is far less common than in Anglo-American cultures, as the wedding party usually focuses on the testimoni or official witnesses.
- The word damigella was borrowed into Italian from the Old French word damoisele.
- Unlike the English 'maid of honor', which can be any age, the word damigella specifically emphasizes youth, deriving from a diminutive form that implies a 'little lady'.
Examples in context
- Mia sorella sarà la damigella d'onore.My sister will be the maid of honor.
- Hai scelto la tua damigella d'onore?Have you chosen your maid of honor?
- La damigella d'onore porta l'anello.The maid of honor carries the ring.
Example conversation
Matteo and Sofia are looking at wedding invitations.
- MatteoHai già scelto la tua damigella d'onore?Have you already chosen your maid of honor?
- SofiaSì, ho chiesto a mia cugina.Yes, I asked my cousin.
- MatteoÈ un'ottima idea, Sofia.That is a great idea, Sofia.
- SofiaLei sarà felice di aiutarmi.She will be happy to help me.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry damigella d'onore, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries damigella, CC BY-SA 4.0.
