hrm, for italiana, possibly because italy is a feminine word? but then, usually...you would say italiano...for the language and males, and hrm...maybe mark is a tranny.

i would guess you're right with origine being the gender cue in that sentence, or it could possibly be one of those rules of thumb, "it just sounds better that way" darned if i don't hate rules like that or again, back to just because italiais feminime and italiana is standing in its place?

you would totally need an icon and it would have to be something like all the bad pictures they put in language books. i can imagine the scenario you're descibing, its almost as bad as those videos that sometimes come with the books, where roberto asks the consigere to wash his underpants for him...