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Tifosi

Started by unrepentant lurker , Jul 20 2001 03:01

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8 replies to this topic

#1 unrepentant lurker

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Posted 20 July 2001 - 03:01

Anybody know the origin of the word? It seems pretty unique in sports - a word for a fan of a particular team. Did Maserati or Alfa Romeo ever have such a following?

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#2 Mike Argetsinger

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Posted 20 July 2001 - 04:19

It is my impression that the term refers to Italian race fans in general and is not necessarily particular to Ferrari.

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#3 Ross Stonefeld

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Posted 20 July 2001 - 04:42

I at one point had read that Tifoso/i actually meant typhoid or plague or something like that.

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#4 David McKinney

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Posted 20 July 2001 - 05:20

My (very small) Italian-English dictionary says tifoso means fan, as in sports fan. So it's not necessarily even a motor racing thing

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#5 Roger Clark

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Posted 20 July 2001 - 05:29

Originally posted by Mike Argetsinger
It is my impression that the term refers to Italian race fans in general and is not necessarily particular to Ferrari.

Aren't they the same thing?

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#6 Drinky

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Posted 20 July 2001 - 06:40

Whilst "tifosi" is now most commonly known to mean "fan" or "very enthusiastic fan", the etymology (origin) of the word is somehow very appropiate ;). It is derived from "tifo" which means typhus, a disease which entails high fever and will often induce delirium into its sufferers, as well as causing red spots to appear on the skin. Sounds like some Ferrari fans we know?;)