Italics

Why are italics called Italics.

The use case for sloping words for emphasis or had been established but without a regular typeface it wasn't widespread so had no common word. It remained without a name

With rising literacy and the moveable printing press coming into common(ish) use
towards the end of the 16th and beginning of the 17th century. this practice had been used enough that people needed a label for it. And so they became known as Italianated letters. later Italics, for short.

Why is this- during that time, the rapier was being introduced to England and there were many swaggering blowhards who were calling for fights and teaching this new style of fencing. This sword had come from Europe, and although common amongst Spanish immigrants, the Italians were thr repeat offenders as braggarts and show offs. The English straight stance was seen as an honest fighting style, used by longshoremen and gentlemen alike. The Italian stylehad more leaning (mostly enabled by the complex hilt that protects the extended hand) and was considered a devious and untrustworthy style. A man who had used this sfyle was considered Italianated and seen as unpatriotic and suspect.

As the leaning words were used and changed common words into something a little more suspicious, they were also "dismissed" as something Italianated.