lentezza

Forms

lentezza f (plural lentezze)^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from Italian lento + -ezza.^{[2][3][4][5][1]} Zingarelli derives it from Latin lentitia (“flexibility”), itself formed from lentus, while GRADIT, Sabatini–Coletti and Treccani only compare the Latin noun, whose sense “flexibility” matches the old Italian sense “slackness”.^{[6][4][7][8][9]} DELI notes that the Latin noun is recorded in Pliny.^[2]

The Latin adjective meant “pliant, sticky, slow”.^[2][3] DELI finds no clear relatives, while Nocentini compares only Germanic, Old High German lindi (“mild, soft”).^[2][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Zingarelli dates the word to before 1294, and Tommaseo quotes it from Guittone d'Arezzo's poems: Ma per lentezza sì lo lassa gire, “but out of slowness he lets it go”.^[6][10] DELI and Nocentini date it to the 14th century, from the translation of Seneca, in the sense “being slow”.^[2][3]

Semantic evolution

From the start the word covered sluggishness of mind as well as of movement: the translation of Seneca speaks of a natural lentezza and softness of spirit, and Cavalca counts lentezza and laziness of mind among the things that hinder correction.^[10] Boccaccio uses it for the slow course of the moon.^[11]

The old sense “slackness, lack of tension”, close to Latin lentitia, is now literary.^[8][4] The plural lentezze is used for delays, especially bureaucratic ones.^[6][12]

Timeline

• Before 1294 – Guittone d'Arezzo uses lentezza.^[6][10]
• 14th century – The Italian translation of Seneca uses it for “slowness”.^[2]

Meanings

Noun

1. slowness: being slow in moving or acting; also sluggishness or delay: la lentezza dei lavori ha irritato tutti.^[4][5][7]
2. (literary) Laziness, listlessness.^[6]
3. (archaic, literary) Lack of tension; slackness.^[4][8]

Related words

• lento
• allentare
• rallentare
• Latin lentus

Usage notes

In the plural, lentezze burocratiche are the delays of officialdom.^[6][12]

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f Cortelazzo, Manlio; Zolli, Paolo (1999), Dizionario etimologico della lingua italiana, 2nd ed. by Manlio Cortelazzo and Michele A. Cortelazzo, Bologna: Zanichelli
3. ^ a b c d Nocentini, Alberto; Parenti, Alessandro (2010), l'Etimologico: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Firenze: Le Monnier
4. ^ a b c d e De Mauro, Tullio (ed.) (2003), Grande dizionario italiano dell'uso, CD-ROM version 2.0, Torino: UTET
5. ^ 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
6. ^ a b c d e f Zingarelli, Nicola (2009), Lo Zingarelli 2010: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Bologna: Zanichelli
7. ^ a b Sabatini, Francesco; Coletti, Vittorio; Manfredini, Manuela (2026), Dizionario italiano Sabatini Coletti, digital ed., Milano: Sansoni / Rizzoli Larousse
8. ^ a b c Duro, Aldo (ed.) (1986–1994), Vocabolario della lingua italiana, Roma: Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana; online ed. treccani.it/vocabolario (2008 copy)
9. ^ Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
10. ^ a b c Tommaseo, Niccolò; Bellini, Bernardo (1861–1879), Dizionario della lingua italiana, 4 vols., Torino: UTET
11. ^ Battaglia, Salvatore; Bàrberi Squarotti, Giorgio (1961–2002), Grande dizionario della lingua italiana, 21 vols., Torino: UTET; digital ed. Accademia della Crusca
12. ^ a b Gabrielli, Aldo (2020), Grande dizionario italiano, digital ed., Milano: Hoepli