Here's a word you may see in the headlines in Italy today as local elections wrap up.
In American English it's used to describe a risible legal defence used by rich criminals to dodge a prison sentence.
But in Italian, affluenza (hear the pronunciation here) is something else entirely. It means attendance or turnout; most commonly, voter turnout.
Affluenza alle urne.
Turnout at the polls.
Affluenza per i referendum: a Milano ha votato il 28,23%.
Referendum turnout: 28.23 percent [of eligible voters] voted in Milan.
Besides voter turnout, affluenza can also be used to refer to a flow, as in a literal flow of water:
L'affluenza di acqua è più bassa che mai quest'anno.
The flow of water is lower than ever this year.
Or a figurative flow or influx, such as economic or migratory movements:
Negli ultimi anni l'economia ha beneficiato di un'affluenza di lavoratori dall'estero.
In the last few years the economy has benefitted from an influx of workers from abroad.
Based on these uses of the word, you can hazard a good guess as to where our 'affluence' originates: it's from the Latin affluentia, meaning an abundant flow or copiousness.
We can still use 'affluence' in English to mean an influx of people or things (e.g., "Venice receives an affluence of visitors from all over the world") - it just sounds a little outdated to modern ears.
And if you want to say 'affluence' in Italian?
You could use any of benessere, agiatezza, ricchezza, or opulenza.
Nonostante la loro agiatezza, spendono pochissimo, risparmiando tutto il loro patrimonio per la pensione.
Despite their affluence they spend very little money, saving all their wealth for their retirement.
Don't fall into the trap of thinking affluente means 'affluent' either - there, you'd be talking about a tributary of a river. Instead, you'll want to use agiato, benestante, or ricco.
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