Diva Is the Italian Word for a Goddess
A diva is a celebrated female singer, or a demanding person. The Italian word means goddess.
A diva is a celebrated female opera singer, and by extension anyone temperamental and demanding. Italian *diva* means goddess, from Latin *divus*, divine, and it was a straightforward compliment in nineteenth-century opera houses. The sour modern sense arrived later and attaches almost entirely to women — there is no common male equivalent, though *divo* exists in Italian. *Prima donna*, meaning the first lady of an opera company, followed exactly the same path from title to insult.
- A celebrated singer. *An opera diva.*
- A demanding person. *Acting like a diva.*
- A goddess (Italian). *Diva.*
- Prima donna — the same drift. *A prima donna.*
- Latin — *divus*, divine. *The root.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | diva | A diva. |
| Plural | divas | Divas. |
| Italian | divo | A male diva. |
| Related | divine | Divine. |
| Latin | divus | Divine. |
- The diva took six curtain calls.Opera.
- He was behaving like a diva.Behaviour.
- Diva means goddess.Etymology.
Italian opera words in English
- Diva — a goddess, then a star singer
- Prima donna — the first lady of the company
- Maestro — a master, used for the conductor
- Bravo — a shout of approval, grammatically masculine
- Fiasco — a bottle, and in theatre slang a flop
Italian *diva*, a goddess, from Latin *diva*, feminine of *divus*, divine.
Does diva mean an insult?
Not originally. It meant goddess and was a compliment for a great singer. The critical sense came later.
Is there a male equivalent?
Italian has divo, but English rarely uses it. The word and its criticism attach almost entirely to women.