Etymologically
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nervoso

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Pronunciation

  • /nerˈvo.zo/, /nerˈvo.so/[1]

Forms

nervoso (feminine nervosa, masculine plural nervosi, feminine plural nervose, superlative nervosissimo)[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin nervōsus (“sinewy, muscular, vigorous”), from nervus (“sinew, nerve”) with the suffix -ōsus.[2][3][4][5][1] DEI compares French nerveux, used from the 13th century in the old sense “strong”.[6] Pliny already used the Latin word in botany, for plants that are fibrous, like Ancient Greek νευρώδης (neurṓdēs, “sinewy”).[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

GRADIT dates the word before 1320.[4] DELI's first record is in the Italian translation of Pietro de' Crescenzi, about 1350, with the sense “of the nerves”.[2] DEI gives the old sense “strong, vigorous” in the 14th century, and Tommaseo quotes a medieval medical text that calls the substance of the stomach bene nervosa, well furnished with sinews.[6][7]

Semantic evolution

Redi used the word in the 17th century for the nerve fibres, and the anatomical sense became the main learned one.[6][8] The botanical sense, of leaves with strong veins, is recorded in 1828.[6] Alamanni asked for horses with sinewy legs (Sian nervose le gambe), a sense still used of a lean, agile body.[7][4]

The sense “easily irritated, highly strung” came in the 19th century: Tommaseo has it in 1869, and Mazzini before 1872.[2][6] Carducci used il nervoso as a noun for irritation in 1878, and mi viene il nervoso is now colloquial.[2][4] Critics apply the word to a terse, vigorous style, and the stock exchange to an unsettled market.[4][9]

Timeline

  • Before 1320 – GRADIT's first date.[4]
  • About 1350 – The translation of Crescenzi uses it for the nerves.[2]
  • 17th century – Redi writes of nerve fibres.[6]
  • 1828 – The botanical sense is recorded.[6]
  • 1869 – Tommaseo records the sense “irritable”.[2]
  • 1878 – Carducci uses il nervoso as a noun.[2]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. (anatomy) Of the nerves: il sistema nervoso.[4][5] In medicine, of disorders of the nervous system: esaurimento nervoso.[4][5][10]
  2. irritable, easily annoyed; restless; also tense, anxious: Prima dell'esame era molto nervoso.[4][5][10]
  3. Showing tension: un sorriso nervoso.[4][5]
  4. Quick and energetic: una guida nervosa.[4][5]
  5. Of the body, lean and sinewy: gambe nervose.[4][9][10]
  6. (figurative) Of style, terse and incisive.[4][10][9]
  7. Of a market, unsettled, changing.[4][5]
  8. (botany) Of leaves or wood, with many prominent veins; of meat, full of gristle.[4][11]

Noun

  1. (colloquial) Irritation, a bad mood: Oggi ho il nervoso.[4][12][1]

Word family

  • nervosismo
  • nervosità
  • innervosire
  • nervosamente

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Cortelazzo, Manlio; Zolli, Paolo (1999), Dizionario etimologico della lingua italiana, 2nd ed. by Manlio Cortelazzo and Michele A. Cortelazzo, Bologna: Zanichelli
  3. ^ Nocentini, Alberto; Parenti, Alessandro (2010), l'Etimologico: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Firenze: Le Monnier
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p De Mauro, Tullio (ed.) (2003), Grande dizionario italiano dell'uso, CD-ROM version 2.0, Torino: UTET
  5. ^ a b c d e f g 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 g h Battisti, Carlo; Alessio, Giovanni (1950–1957), Dizionario etimologico italiano, 5 vols., Firenze: Barbèra (reprint 1975), p. 2574
  7. ^ a b Tommaseo, Niccolò; Bellini, Bernardo (1861–1879), Dizionario della lingua italiana, 4 vols., Torino: UTET
  8. ^ Battaglia, Salvatore; Bàrberi Squarotti, Giorgio (1961–2002), Grande dizionario della lingua italiana, 21 vols., Torino: UTET; digital ed. Accademia della Crusca
  9. ^ a b c Zingarelli, Nicola (2009), Lo Zingarelli 2010: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Bologna: Zanichelli
  10. ^ a b c d Sabatini, Francesco; Coletti, Vittorio; Manfredini, Manuela (2026), Dizionario italiano Sabatini Coletti, digital ed., Milano: Sansoni / Rizzoli Larousse
  11. ^ Vocabolario della lingua italiana Treccani (2011), Roma: Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana
  12. ^ Gabrielli, Aldo (2020), Grande dizionario italiano, digital ed., Milano: Hoepli