Is there some Italian word (including local dialects and languages) looking similar to Romanian "namilă" (maybe descending from Latin animālia)?

Question

I am interested in the etymology of the Romanian word ”namilă”, meaning ”large being”, for which the dictionaries don't favor the animal connotation. But that could simply be because of the standardized expressive formula "namilă de om" meaning ”a huge man”. The word is recorded with unknown etymology, but a regional form nămaie is recorded with the meaning ”cow” or ”sheep”, and with Romance parallels: Inherited from Latin animālia, plural of animal. Compare Friulian nemâl, French aumaille, Spanish alimaña, Aromanian nãmaljiu.

I want to know whether some word of similar morphology can be found in Italy with vaguely the meaning ”huge being” or ”big scary thing”.

Answer 1

The Romanian word "namilă," meaning "giant" or "monster," indeed has roots that trace back to Latin "animālia," which means "animals." However, in Italian and its dialects, there isn’t a direct equivalent that closely resembles "namilă" in both form and meaning.

Standard Italian:

The word "animale" (meaning "animal") comes from the same Latin root, but it doesn't carry the meaning of "giant" or "monster" like "namilă."
For the meaning of a giant or a monstrous creature, Italian uses terms like "mostro" (monster), "gigante" (giant), or "bestia" (beast).

Dialectal Italian and Regional Languages:

In some Italian dialects, variations of "animale" might exist, but none of them are commonly used to describe something large or monstrous in the way "namilă" does.
In Southern Italian dialects, for example, the word "nammala" might be found, meaning "animal," but it doesn't carry the meaning of "monster" or "giant."

Italian Dialects or Regional Terms Related to Size or Monstrosity:

In Sicilian, "bestia" or "bestione" can be used to refer to a large or monstrous animal, but the form is still quite different from "namilă."
In Neapolitan, "vriculone" could mean a big or clumsy person, though it’s not directly linked to the Latin "animālia."