A rascal, scoundrel, or disreputable person; Italian term for a dishonest or mischievous individual.
From Italian canaglia, from canaglia meaning 'pack of dogs' or 'dog rabble.' The word originally referred to roving bands of dogs, then was applied metaphorically to disreputable people and eventually street rabble.
Canaglia literally means 'pack of dogs,' so when Italians called someone canaglia, they were essentially saying 'you're acting like a wild dog'—which is a much more colorful insult than 'scoundrel' and shows how Italian keeps wild animal metaphors in its vocabulary.
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