avaccio

Etymology

It is inherited from Latin vīvācius (“more vigorously”), the comparative of vīvāciter (“vigorously”), from vīvāx (“lively, vigorous”).^{[2][1][3][4][5]} Treccani and Gabrielli read it as the neuter comparative of the adjective, literally “more vigorously”.^[6][7] Wiktionary also allows a direct origin in the Latin adverb.^[1] The TLIO leaves the adjective uncertain: from the Latin comparative adjective, or from the Italian adverb.^[8] The Italian Wiktionary sees a crossing with avanti.^[9]

The adjective is formed from Latin vīvō (“to live”) + -āx.^[10][1] The same comparative gave Old French viaz, Old Occitan viatz and Catalan aviat, all meaning “quickly”.^[11][5][1] Old Venetian and Old Lombard viazo “soon” came from the Occitan.^[11][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

The adverb is first recorded in Brunetto Latini's Florentine Rettorica of about 1260–1261.^[8][4] The adjective “quick” follows in Andrea da Grosseto, 1268.^[8]

Semantic evolution

In Old Italian avaccio meant “soon” and “quickly, promptly”.^[1][2] Dante uses it: e cieco toro più avaccio cade / che cieco agnello (“and a blind bull falls sooner than a blind lamb”), and avaccio sarai dove… (“soon you will be where…”).^[6][4] With più it could also mean “rather”.^[12]

As an adjective it meant “quick”, a road “quick to travel” and a person “eager to act”.^[8] Tommaseo records a noun as well, “haste”.^[12] The derivatives included the verb avacciare “to hurry” and avaccevole.^[11][5][1] Jacopone da Todi used an adjective avivacciato.^[5] The word fell out of use after the 16th century and is now archaic or literary.^{[5][2][13][7]}

Timeline

• About 1260–1261 – Brunetto Latini uses the adverb in his Rettorica.^[8]
• 1268 – Andrea da Grosseto uses the adjective.^[8]
• 16th century – The last uses DEI records.^[5]

Meanings

Adverb

1. (obsolete, literary) Soon, early.^[2][13][1]
2. (obsolete) Quickly, promptly.^[2][1]

Adjective

1. (obsolete) Quick, prompt.^[8][12][9]

Word family

• avacciare
• avaccevole

Related words

• vivace
• Latin vivax

Usage notes

Old Italian forms include avaccia, vaccio and vaçço.^[8] The Aretine and Umbrian phrase fa vàccio means “to be quick”.^[5]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e De Mauro, Tullio (ed.) (2003), Grande dizionario italiano dell'uso, CD-ROM version 2.0, Torino: UTET
3. ^ Sabatini, Francesco; Coletti, Vittorio; Manfredini, Manuela (2026), Dizionario italiano Sabatini Coletti, digital ed., Milano: Sansoni / Rizzoli Larousse
4. ^ a b c Zingarelli, Nicola (2009), Lo Zingarelli 2010: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Bologna: Zanichelli
5. ^ a b c d e f g h Battisti, Carlo; Alessio, Giovanni (1950–1957), Dizionario etimologico italiano, 5 vols., Firenze: Barbèra (reprint 1975), p. 375
6. ^ a b Duro, Aldo (ed.) (1986–1994), Vocabolario della lingua italiana, Roma: Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana; online ed. treccani.it/vocabolario (2008 copy)
7. ^ a b Gabrielli, Aldo (2020), Grande dizionario italiano, digital ed., Milano: Hoepli
8. ^ a b c d e f g h Tesoro della Lingua Italiana delle Origini (1997–), Opera del Vocabolario Italiano, CNR, Firenze; tlio.ovi.cnr.it
9. ^ a b Wikizionario (Italian Wiktionary), it.wiktionary.org
10. ^ Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
11. ^ a b c Meyer-Lübke, Wilhelm (1935), Romanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., Heidelberg: Winter
12. ^ a b c Tommaseo, Niccolò; Bellini, Bernardo (1861–1879), Dizionario della lingua italiana, 4 vols., Torino: UTET
13. ^ 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