scalzare

Forms

scalzare (first-person singular present scàlzo, first-person singular past historic scalzài, past participle scalzàto, auxiliary avére)^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Latin excalceō (“to take off someone's shoes”), formed with ex- from calceus (“shoe”), or from the verb calceō (“to put on shoes”).^{[2][3][4][5][6]} The Latin noun comes from calx (“heel”).^[7][8] DEI connects the Italian verb with scalzo and calzare, and Devoto sees the influence of the verb.^[9][10]

According to the LEI, the Latin verb survives only in Italo-Romance, and Spanish escalzar, recorded about 1414, is a single learned or Italian form.^[11] The LEI also notes that the change of ⟨-lc-⟩ to ⟨-lz-⟩ is typical of the northern dialects, so the Italian verb may have spread from the north, or have been shaped by calza.^[11]

Earliest recorded meaning

The first record is in the Canzone del fi' Aldobrandino, of the early 13th century, where a wife mi veste e scalza e spoglie (“dresses me, takes off my shoes and undresses me”): the verb means to take off someone's shoes and stockings.^[2][12] The reflexive, to take off one's own shoes, is recorded in the 13th century in the Sconfitta di Monteaperto.^[2]

Semantic evolution

In the Middle Ages taking someone's shoes off was often done as an insult.^[11] In agriculture, the sense of removing the soil around the roots of a plant appears about 1340 in the Italian Palladius, and that of loosening something at its base about 1350 in the Italian Crescenzi.^[2] Dante uses the reflexive of joining the Franciscans, whose rule keeps the feet bare in sandals.^[13]

The figurative senses followed: to remove someone from a place by manoeuvring is recorded before 1565 in B. Varchi, and to weaken someone's standing with accusations before 1764 in F. Algarotti.^[2] An old sense, to question someone until they reveal a secret, is found in the Novellino and in Galileo.^[13] Tommaseo records the proverb non esser atto a scalzare someone, to be far inferior to them.^[14]

Timeline

• Early 13th century – The Canzone del fi' Aldobrandino uses scalzare.^[2]
• 13th century – The reflexive appears in the Sconfitta di Monteaperto.^[2]
• c. 1340 – The Italian Palladius uses the word of baring the roots of plants.^[2]
• c. 1350 – The Italian Crescenzi uses it for loosening at the base.^[2]
• Before 1565 – B. Varchi uses it for ousting someone from a place.^[2]
• Before 1764 – F. Algarotti uses it for undermining with accusations.^[2]

Meanings

Verb

1. (uncommon) To take the shoes and stockings off someone: La nonna scalzò il nipotino prima del bagno.^[4][7][5]
2. (agriculture) To remove the soil around the base or roots of a plant.^{[4][7][13][1]}
3. To remove the support from under a wall, building or rock, in order to bring it down or move it; to undermine.^{[4][7][13][1]}
4. To expose the root of a tooth or the base of a nail by cutting back the tissue around it.^[4][7][13]
5. (figurative) To weaken someone's reputation or authority with accusations or insinuations.^[4][7][13]
6. (figurative) To oust someone from a post by underhand manoeuvres, usually to take their place: Il vice cercava da mesi di scalzare il capo.^[4][7][5][1]
7. (archaic) To question someone insistently until they reveal what they wanted to hide.^[4][7][13]

Verb (reflexive: scalzarsi)

1. To take off one's shoes and stockings.^[7][5][13]
2. (archaic, literary) To become a Franciscan friar.^[7][13]

Word family

• scalzo
• scalzacane
• scalzapelli
• scalzamento
• scalzatoio
• scalzatore
• scalzatura

Related words

• calzare
• discalzare
• calza
• rincalzare
• Latin calceus

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k 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 De Mauro, Tullio (ed.) (2003), Grande dizionario italiano dell'uso, CD-ROM version 2.0, Torino: UTET
5. ^ a b c d Zingarelli, Nicola (2009), Lo Zingarelli 2010: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Bologna: Zanichelli
6. ^ Gabrielli, Aldo (2020), Grande dizionario italiano, digital ed., Milano: Hoepli
7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Devoto, Giacomo; Oli, Gian Carlo; Serianni, Luca; Trifone, Maurizio (2026), Nuovo Devoto–Oli: il vocabolario dell'italiano contemporaneo, digital ed., Milano: Le Monnier
8. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
9. ^ Battisti, Carlo; Alessio, Giovanni (1950–1957), Dizionario etimologico italiano, 5 vols., Firenze: Barbèra (reprint 1975), p. 3367
10. ^ Devoto, Giacomo (1968), Avviamento alla etimologia italiana: dizionario etimologico, 2nd ed., Firenze: Le Monnier, p. 389
11. ^ a b c Pfister, Max; Schweickard, Wolfgang; Prifti, Elton (eds.) (1979–), Lessico Etimologico Italiano, Wiesbaden: Reichert; online at lei-digitale.it, p. 21, 1042
12. ^ Battaglia, Salvatore; Bàrberi Squarotti, Giorgio (1961–2002), Grande dizionario della lingua italiana, 21 vols., Torino: UTET; digital ed. Accademia della Crusca, p. 17
13. ^ a b c d e f g h i Duro, Aldo (ed.) (1986–1994), Vocabolario della lingua italiana, Roma: Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana; online ed. treccani.it/vocabolario (2008 copy)
14. ^ Tommaseo, Niccolò; Bellini, Bernardo (1861–1879), Dizionario della lingua italiana, 4 vols., Torino: UTET