applauso

Forms

applauso m (plural applausi)^[1]

Etymology

It is learned: it is borrowed from Latin applausus (“clapping; applause”), the action noun of applaudō (“to clap, applaud”).^[2][3][4][1] DEI, the GDLI and Zingarelli class it as a learned word, and the LEI files it among the learned outcomes because the Latin diphthong ⟨au⟩ is kept.^[5][6][7][8] Nocentini and GRADIT give the source as Late Latin, while the OLD records the classical noun in the sense of a flapping or beating of wings.^[3][4][9] Zingarelli glosses it first as a noisy blow and only then as applause, and analyses it as ad (“to”) and plausus (“clapping”).^[7]

The same learned word is Catalan aplaus, Spanish aplauso, first found in Cervantes in 1615, and Portuguese aplauso, recorded from the 16th century.^[8]

The Latin verb is formed from ad- and plaudō (“to clap, pat”).^[10][1] De Vaan follows Oettinger and Meiser in deriving it from a noun Proto-Indo-European *plh₂-u- (“palm of the hand, sole of the foot”), from which the verb “to clap the hands” was made.^[10]

Earliest recorded meaning

The first record is in the commentary of Francesco da Buti on Dante's Paradiso (Pisa, 1385–1395), with the sense “joy, rejoicing”.^[11] Buti says of the eagle formed by the blessed spirits that it holds its “wings open, which signifies applause and gladness” (Coll'ali aperte, che significa applauso e letizia).^[6][12] DELI dates the sense “clapping of hands, approval” to the same author, before 1406.^[2]

Semantic evolution

Tommaseo noted that the Latin origin gave the word the general sense of any sound of joy, and recalled that Virgil used plausus of the beating of a dove's wings.^[12] Leonardo glossed apiausa as festivity and rejoicing shown with the hands.^[6] In standard Italian the word settled on clapping as a sign of approval.^[8][4] From 1626 (Paolo Sarpi) it also meant praise, success or approval in general.^[8] Tasso, Marino and Segneri use it of the acclaim of crowds.^[6]

The word spread to the dialects: Piedmontese aplaos, Parmesan and Bolognese aplaus, Roman apprausi in Belli (1832), Neapolitan applauso in Basile (before 1632) and apprauso from 1684, and Sicilian applàusu.^[8] At Sant'Alfio in Sicily fari applausi means “to raise quibbles”.^[8]

Derivatives followed: applausivo (1626), applausibile “deserving applause” (before 1642, Galileo), applausore “one who applauds” (1662, Pallavicino) and applausometro, a device that measures the loudness of applause (from 1956).^[8] The theatre has applauso a scena aperta, given while the performance is still going on, and applauso di sortita, for a favourite actor's first entrance.^[13]

Timeline

• 1385–1395 – Francesco da Buti uses applauso in his commentary on the Paradiso.^[11]
• Before 1406 – DELI's date for the sense “clapping, approval”.^[2][4]
• 1615 – Spanish aplauso appears in Cervantes.^[8]
• 1626 – Paolo Sarpi uses the word for praise or approval in general.^[8]
• Before 1632 – Neapolitan applauso in Basile.^[8]
• Before 1642 – Applausibile is recorded in Galileo.^[8]
• 1832 – Roman apprausi in Belli's sonnets.^[8]
• 1956 – Applausometro is first recorded.^[8]

Meanings

Noun

1. applause: a show of approval or enthusiasm by clapping the hands, often with cheers: Alla fine del concerto la sala si alzò in piedi per un lungo applauso.^{[4][14][7][13]}
2. (by extension) Approval, praise, full assent: La riforma ha ricevuto l'applauso degli insegnanti.^{[4][14][15][16]}

Word family

• applausometro
• applausibile

Related words

• applaudire
• plauso
• Latin applausus
• Spanish aplauso

Usage notes

Applauso a scena aperta is applause that interrupts a performance.^[14][7] In the sense of approval or praise, Treccani notes that plauso is the more usual word.^[13]

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c Cortelazzo, Manlio; Zolli, Paolo (1999), Dizionario etimologico della lingua italiana, 2nd ed. by Manlio Cortelazzo and Michele A. Cortelazzo, Bologna: Zanichelli
3. ^ a b Nocentini, Alberto; Parenti, Alessandro (2010), l'Etimologico: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Firenze: Le Monnier
4. ^ a b c d e f De Mauro, Tullio (ed.) (2003), Grande dizionario italiano dell'uso, CD-ROM version 2.0, Torino: UTET
5. ^ Battisti, Carlo; Alessio, Giovanni (1950–1957), Dizionario etimologico italiano, 5 vols., Firenze: Barbèra (reprint 1975), p. 256
6. ^ a b c d Battaglia, Salvatore; Bàrberi Squarotti, Giorgio (1961–2002), Grande dizionario della lingua italiana, 21 vols., Torino: UTET; digital ed. Accademia della Crusca
7. ^ a b c d Zingarelli, Nicola (2009), Lo Zingarelli 2010: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Bologna: Zanichelli
8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Pfister, Max; Schweickard, Wolfgang; Prifti, Elton (eds.) (1979–), Lessico Etimologico Italiano, Wiesbaden: Reichert; online at lei-digitale.it, p. 3, 265
9. ^ Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
10. ^ a b de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
11. ^ a b Tesoro della Lingua Italiana delle Origini (1997–), Opera del Vocabolario Italiano, CNR, Firenze; tlio.ovi.cnr.it
12. ^ a b Tommaseo, Niccolò; Bellini, Bernardo (1861–1879), Dizionario della lingua italiana, 4 vols., Torino: UTET
13. ^ a b c Duro, Aldo (ed.) (1986–1994), Vocabolario della lingua italiana, Roma: Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana; online ed. treccani.it/vocabolario (2008 copy)
14. ^ a b c Devoto, Giacomo; Oli, Gian Carlo; Serianni, Luca; Trifone, Maurizio (2026), Nuovo Devoto–Oli: il vocabolario dell'italiano contemporaneo, digital ed., Milano: Le Monnier
15. ^ Sabatini, Francesco; Coletti, Vittorio; Manfredini, Manuela (2026), Dizionario italiano Sabatini Coletti, digital ed., Milano: Sansoni / Rizzoli Larousse
16. ^ Gabrielli, Aldo (2020), Grande dizionario italiano, digital ed., Milano: Hoepli