The translation of the four elements fire, water, earth and wind into Italian
- Fire is fuoco
- Water is acqua
- Earth is terra
- Air is aria.
Collectively they would be known as i quattro elementi (della natura) or 'the four elements (of nature)'.
The Concept of the Four Elements
These four elements, also known as the classical elements, derive from an ancient concept of the fundamental structure, consistency and power of everything in the world being based on one of these four elements. This conclusion was most likely to have come from basic observation of the stages of matter, an idea which can be traced as far back as Babylon in the 18th century BC, and which affected the beliefs of many cultures ranging from from Greece through to Japan.