fanciulla

Fanciulla is a feminine noun in Italian that means “girl” or “young woman.” It is the feminine form of fanciullo, the masculine noun for a child or youth. In everyday Italian, fanciulla is used to refer to a girl or young woman, sometimes with affectionate nuance, and it appears in literary and lyrical contexts as well as in idiomatic phrases such as la fanciulla. The term is often used in poetic or dramatic language to evoke youth, innocence, or female identity.

One of the best-known uses of the word in a title is Puccini's opera La fanciulla del West (The Girl of the West). The opera, with a libretto by Guelfo Civinini and Carlo Zangarini and based on David Belasco's play The Girl of the Golden West, premiered in 1910 at the Metropolitan Opera in New York. It is set during the California Gold Rush and is noted for its Romantic score.

Beyond this operatic use, fanciulla appears in other Italian works and sometimes as a component of titles referencing a young female character. The term remains common in Italian-language media and literature, often used to evoke youth or female subject matter.