# Female paparazzi? (Very simple Italian language question) **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 14, 2006, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/female-paparazzi-very-simple-italian-language-question/344375 "2006-02-14T00:57:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Tevildo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Tevildo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tevildo)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2006, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/female-paparazzi-very-simple-italian-language-question/344375/1 "2006-02-14T00:57:00Z")
As we all know, the singular of “paparazzi” is “paparazzo”. Italian, being a Romance language, indicates the gender of its nouns by inflection, and I assume “paparazzo” is masculine. This being the case, what should one call a single, female, intrusive photographer? A “paparazza”? ---
**Author:** ![hawthorne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@hawthorne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hawthorne)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2006, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/female-paparazzi-very-simple-italian-language-question/344375/2 "2006-02-14T01:42:33Z")
This doesn’t quite answer your question, but [ > [@](#): > > _La Dolce Vita_ > \* The film contributed the term “paparazzi” to the language. The term derives from Marcello’s photographer friend Paparazzo. > […] > \* “Paparazzo” means “sparrow”. Fellini called the photographer that because he thought the press photographers flutttering around celebrities looked like little hungry birds. ]([http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0053779/trivia](http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0053779/trivia)) ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2006, 9:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/female-paparazzi-very-simple-italian-language-question/344375/3 "2006-03-01T09:54:02Z")
_Paparazza_ is right. Names of animals in Italian frequently use gender endings to indicate sex, for example _capra_ ‘nanny goat’, _capro_ ‘billy goat’; _gatta_ ‘pussycat’, _gatto_ ‘tomcat’. So according to grammatical principles, _paparazza_ is theoretically possible even if you don’t find it in a dictionary. Of course language used by people in real life is not so nitpicky about derivational endings. If it sounds right, people will say it. If enough people take to saying it, then it will join the language, _sia dannata la grammatica_ (grammar be damned). In fact, it isn’t only theoretical: _paparazza_ scored 40,600 hits on Google, with page titles like “The Royal Paparazza” and “My Sister the Paparazza.” So your guess was accurate, \*_Tevildo_. Pat yourself on the back. Since the thread title implicitly asks for the feminine plural form, that would be _paparazz **e** _. The -e is always pronounced as a full vowel in Italian, even when final. ---
**Author:** ![Tevildo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Tevildo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tevildo)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2006, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/female-paparazzi-very-simple-italian-language-question/344375/4 "2006-03-01T14:40:53Z")
> [@Johanna](#): > > So your guess was accurate, **Tevildo**. Pat yourself on the back. Does so - thanks! ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2006, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/female-paparazzi-very-simple-italian-language-question/344375/5 "2006-03-01T20:53:36Z")
What, it’s not mamarazzi? :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2006, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/female-paparazzi-very-simple-italian-language-question/344375/6 "2006-03-02T02:01:09Z")
Both _paparazzo_ and \*paparazza \* (and _paparazzi_, too) are attested as surnames in Southern Italy. They apparently derive from the Southern Italian word \*pápero \* (m.) / \*pápera \* (f.) “gosling,” also (as in English) used to mean “stupid / silly / foolish person.” So, paparazzi (loosely) would be “big dumb geese.”