sceda

Forms

sceda f (plural scede)^[1] Old Italian forms include isceda and scieda.^[2][3]

Etymology

It is inherited from Latin scheda (“sheet of papyrus”), the popular outcome of the word that Italian later borrowed in learned form as scheda.^[4][5][1] The GDLI instead takes it for a learned word.^[6] The Latin noun, also spelled scida, is from Ancient Greek σχέδη (skhédē, “papyrus leaf, tablet”).^[7][8][1] DELI calls the Greek word of uncertain origin.^[9] Nocentini takes its first sense to have been “sketch”, comparing σχέδιος (skhédios, “improvised”) and σχεδόν (skhedón, “nearly”).^[4] Wiktionary refers to σχίζω (skhízō, “to split”).^[1] The Latin diminutive gave cedola.^[10][4]

How “sheet” became “jest” is not clear: Sabatini–Coletti suggests the old sense “draft” as the bridge.^[5] Francesco da Buti, commenting on Dante, explained the word as the first draft of a writing and also as mimicry, as when a man mocks another by imitating him.^[11]

Earliest recorded meaning

The TLIO's first record is a Sienese statute of 1309–1310.^[2] Its senses in Old Italian were a first draft of a text, a notary's draft, a model or pattern, and a frivolous witticism or a gibe.^[2] GRADIT dates the word to before 1313 and quotes Dante's complaint that preachers now go con motti e con iscede, “with quips and jests”, to preach.^[7][11]

Semantic evolution

Dante also uses the plural scede in a canzone, of men who trade in jests in their talk.^[6] Boccaccio speaks of manners full of scede and unpleasantness, which the dictionaries read as grimaces or affectation.^[7][8] The verb scedare, “to jest”, and the noun scedone, a grotesque figure used as a corbel, belong to the 14th century.^[12][10]

The sense “model” lived on in Siena and Tuscany: a Sienese locksmiths' statute forbids making a key a sceda from another key, and in Siena a sceda was a tailor's paper pattern.^[11] Aretino uses it for the fashions that the women of Mantua, Ferrara and Milan copy.^[8] Pascoli revived the sense “mockery” in verse, and Alfieri used it for trifles.^[7][8] In Sardinia the word, probably taken from Tuscan chancery use, means “news, reply”.^[13]

Timeline

• 1309–1310 – the first record, in a Sienese statute.^[2]
• Before 1313 – the date GRADIT gives, with Dante's iscede.^[7]
• 14th century – Boccaccio uses scede for grimaces or affectation.^[12][7]
• 14th century – Scedare “to jest” and scedone are recorded.^[12]
• 16th century – sceda “sample, model” is recorded.^[12]

Meanings

Noun

1. (literary, archaic) A jest, a witticism.^[7][3][1]
2. (literary, archaic) mockery, scorn: fare sceda di qualcuno, to mock someone.^{[7][14][5][3][15]}
3. (literary, archaic) A grimace; affectation.^{[7][14][5][15]}
4. (popular, Tuscan) A model or pattern to copy.^{[7][3][15][1]}

Word family

• scedare
• scedone
• scederia
• scedario

Related words

• scheda
• cedola

Usage notes

The GDLI records a second, rare sceda in Antonio di Boezio: an old variant of schiera “troop”, with ⟨d⟩ for ⟨r⟩.^[6] The TLIO also files that form under schiera.^[2]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e Tesoro della Lingua Italiana delle Origini (1997–), Opera del Vocabolario Italiano, CNR, Firenze; tlio.ovi.cnr.it
3. ^ a b c d Zingarelli, Nicola (2009), Lo Zingarelli 2010: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Bologna: Zanichelli
4. ^ a b c Nocentini, Alberto; Parenti, Alessandro (2010), l'Etimologico: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Firenze: Le Monnier
5. ^ a b c d Sabatini, Francesco; Coletti, Vittorio; Manfredini, Manuela (2026), Dizionario italiano Sabatini Coletti, digital ed., Milano: Sansoni / Rizzoli Larousse
6. ^ a b c Battaglia, Salvatore; Bàrberi Squarotti, Giorgio (1961–2002), Grande dizionario della lingua italiana, 21 vols., Torino: UTET; digital ed. Accademia della Crusca, p. 17, 908
7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j De Mauro, Tullio (ed.) (2003), Grande dizionario italiano dell'uso, CD-ROM version 2.0, Torino: UTET
8. ^ a b c d Duro, Aldo (ed.) (1986–1994), Vocabolario della lingua italiana, Roma: Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana; online ed. treccani.it/vocabolario (2008 copy)
9. ^ Cortelazzo, Manlio; Zolli, Paolo (1999), Dizionario etimologico della lingua italiana, 2nd ed. by Manlio Cortelazzo and Michele A. Cortelazzo, Bologna: Zanichelli
10. ^ a b Prati, Angelico (1951), Vocabolario etimologico italiano, Milano: Garzanti, p. 885
11. ^ a b c Tommaseo, Niccolò; Bellini, Bernardo (1861–1879), Dizionario della lingua italiana, 4 vols., Torino: UTET
12. ^ a b c d Battisti, Carlo; Alessio, Giovanni (1950–1957), Dizionario etimologico italiano, 5 vols., Firenze: Barbèra (reprint 1975), p. 3380
13. ^ Cortelazzo, Manlio; Marcato, Carla (1998), I dialetti italiani: dizionario etimologico, Torino: UTET
14. ^ 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
15. ^ a b c Gabrielli, Aldo (2020), Grande dizionario italiano, digital ed., Milano: Hoepli