cannolu

Sicilian

Alternative forms

• cannuolu

Etymology

From canna (“tube”) +‎ -olu (diminutive suffix).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kanˈnɔlu/, [kɑ̝n̺ˈn̺ɔː.lʊ̠]
• Rhymes: -ɔlu
• Hyphenation: can‧nò‧lu

Noun

cannolu m (plural cannoli or cannola)

1. (generic) little tube
2. (pastry) cannoli; a traditional Sicilian specialty pastry consisting of a tube filled with ricotta or similar cream cheese, and other flavorings, typically eaten as a dessert.

Usage notes

• Outside of Italy, cannoli are often described without further detail as an Italian pastry, though cannoli are a regional specialty of the island of Sicily (where both Sicilian and Sicilian dialects of Italian are spoken). In other parts of Italy the pastries will often be advertised specifically as cannoli siciliani (“Sicilian cannoli”); the Italianized name cannolo borrowed from the original Sicilian along with the pastry itself. English is one of several languages which borrowed cannoli—the plural form of both Sicilian cannolu and Italian cannolo—as an invariable noun, rendering moot the question of exactly whence the loanword was derived.

Derived terms

• cannulicchiu

 

Descendants

• → Italian: cannolo, cannolo siciliano
• → Spanish: cannoli
• → English: cannoli

See also

• canalata
• canali
• canalicchiu
• cannalora
• cannavazzu
• cànnavu