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paisan

paisan

5 9.1
A friend from the same country or background often used by Italian-American communities
  • noun
  • /paɪˈzɑn/
  • Slang
: paisano
  • Hey, paisan, let's grab some pizza for lunch.
  • Hey, paisan

Any Italians in the House listen this paisan like.

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Examples

Synonyms

amigo
vspaisan
  • Informal
78 7.8

A person you like and trust, often a close friend

focuses on shared country or origin rather than just friendship
compadre
vspaisan
  • Informal
40 7.3

A close friend you trust and spend time with

highlights common national background more than community closeness
paesano
vspaisan
  • Informal
1 9.5

A person from the same town, region or country who is also a friend

is an informal term used by a migrant community to mean a friend
paisano
vspaisan
  • Slang
1 9.3

A friendly, informal word people use for a friend

is used among Italian-Americans to mean someone from the same background

How Close

best friend
940 1.0
pal
  • Informal
∞ 1.0
paisan
  • Slang
5 9.1
friend
∞ 1.0
acquaintance
114 3.5
stranger
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

paisan singular
paisans plural

Etymology

Paisan comes from the Italian paesano, which comes from paese meaning 'country' or 'village'. So today paisan is a friendly way to call someone from the same place or background, especially among Italian-Americans.