Break synonym code#

Omertà implies 'the categorical prohibition of cooperation with state authorities or reliance on its services, even when one has been victim of a crime.' A person should absolutely avoid interfering in the business of others and should not inform the authorities of a crime under any circumstances, but if it is justified, he may personally avenge a physical attack on himself or on his family by vendetta, literally a taking of revenge, a feud. A person who has been wronged is obligated to look out for their own interests by avenging the wrong himself, or finding a patron-not the state-to avenge him. The suspicion of being a cascittuni (an informant) constitutes the blackest mark against manhood, according to Cutrera. The basic principle of omertà is that one must not seek aid from legally constituted authorities to settle personal grievances. The first Antimafia Commission of the Italian parliament in the 1970s accepted the origin based on omu on the authority of Antonio Cutrera, with no reference to Spanish. It has also been suggested that the word comes from Latin humilitas (humility), which became umiltà and then finally omertà in some southern Italian dialects this suggestion is not well supported by the geographical distribution of the word. Retaliation against informers is common in criminal circles, where they are often described by terms such as 'rats' or 'snitches'.Īccording to the Oxford English Dictionary, the phonology of the word indicates that it is not of Sicilian origin it may derive from the now rare Spanish word hombredad, meaning manliness, after the Sicilian word omu 'man'. Similar codes are also deeply rooted in other areas of the Mediterranean, including Malta, Crete in Greece, and Corsica, all of which share a common or similar historic culture with Southern Italy.

It originated and remains common in Southern Italy, where banditry or brigandage and Mafia-type criminal organizations (like the Camorra, Cosa Nostra, 'Ndrangheta, Sacra Corona Unita and Società foggiana) have long been strong.

Break synonym code#

Omertà ( / oʊ ˈ m ɛər t ə/, Italian pronunciation: ) is a Southern Italian code of silence and code of honor and conduct that places importance on silence in the face of questioning by authorities or outsiders non-cooperation with authorities, the government, or outsiders, especially during criminal investigations and willfully ignoring and generally avoiding interference with the illegal activities of others (i.e., not contacting law enforcement or the authorities when one is aware of, witness to, or even the victim of certain crimes).

For other uses, see Omerta (disambiguation).