dollari

Dollari is the plural form of dollaro in Italian, used to denote currencies based on the dollar unit. In Italian, dollari can refer to the United States dollar as well as to other dollar-denominated currencies, such as dollari canadesi (Canadian dollars) or dollari australiani (Australian dollars). When the U.S. currency is specified, the common terms are dollaro statunitense or dollari statunitensi; in everyday speech people may simply say “50 dollari.”

Etymology and history: The Italian form dollaro derives from the thaler, a silver coin widely circulated in Europe from the 16th century. The word was borrowed into Italian and adapted over time. With the rise of the United States dollar in international trade, dollaro came to denote the U.S. currency in Italian usage, while retaining its broader sense for other dollar currencies.

Usage and context: Since Italy joined the eurozone, dollari appear mainly in international contexts, finance, travel, and media when referring to dollars. In Italian-language pricing and reporting, the dollar is typically identified as dollari statunitensi or dollari americani to distinguish from other dollar currencies. The euro’s introduction reduced domestic use of dollari for everyday transactions, but the term remains standard for discussing dollars in Italian.

See also: Currencies, US dollar, list of currencies named for the dollar, Italian language.