-azzo

Forms

-azzo m (noun-forming suffix, plural -azzi)^[1]

Etymology

It is the non-Tuscan form of -accio: both are inherited from Latin -āceus, but ⟨cc⟩ is the regular Tuscan outcome and ⟨zz⟩ that of the northern and southern dialects.^{[2][3][4][5][1]} Words with it came into Italian from these dialects and spread into the literary language.^[5][6] Beside both popular forms stands the learned suffix -aceo.^[2] The Latin suffix formed adjectives from nouns, usually meaning “made of” or “resembling”, as in hederaceus and gallinaceus.^[7] Wiktionary analyses it as -āx (“inclined to”) with the suffix -eus.^[1]

The ending also arises without a suffix being added, in nouns made from verbs in -azzare: schiamazzo from schiamazzare, svolazzo from svolazzare.^[5][6]

Meanings

Suffix

1. Added to nouns, and less often to adjectives and verbs, forms nouns with a pejorative sense: amorazzo, andazzo, codazzo, pupazzo.^{[3][4][8][9][1]}
2. Sometimes has an augmentative sense, or marks a likeness or relation with the base word without a negative note: bonazza, fontanazzo.^[8][9]

Word family

• amorazzo
• andazzo
• codazzo
• pupazzo
• terrazza
• bonazza

Related words

• -accio
• -accia
• -aceo
• -azzare
• Latin -aceus

Usage notes

The feminine is -azza, as in bonazza, terrazza and pupazza.^[8][5][9]

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b Sabatini, Francesco; Coletti, Vittorio; Manfredini, Manuela (2026), Dizionario italiano Sabatini Coletti, digital ed., Milano: Sansoni / Rizzoli Larousse
3. ^ a b Nocentini, Alberto; Parenti, Alessandro (2010), l'Etimologico: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Firenze: Le Monnier
4. ^ a b Devoto, Giacomo; Oli, Gian Carlo; Serianni, Luca; Trifone, Maurizio (2026), Nuovo Devoto–Oli: il vocabolario dell'italiano contemporaneo, digital ed., Milano: Le Monnier
5. ^ a b c d Duro, Aldo (ed.) (1986–1994), Vocabolario della lingua italiana, Roma: Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana; online ed. treccani.it/vocabolario (2008 copy)
6. ^ a b Wikizionario (Italian Wiktionary), it.wiktionary.org
7. ^ Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
8. ^ a b c Zingarelli, Nicola (2009), Lo Zingarelli 2010: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Bologna: Zanichelli
9. ^ a b c De Mauro, Tullio, Il Nuovo De Mauro, online ed., dizionario.internazionale.it