stra-

Etymology

It is inherited from Latin extrā (“outside, beyond”), used as a prefix with the first vowel lost.^[2][3][1][4] It is the popular form beside the learned extra-.^[5][2] In some words it has been crossed with trāns- (“across”), and in old or popular forms such as straportare it is a metathesis of tras-.^[6][7][8] Meyer-Lübke lists the prefix as Romanian stră- beside Italian, with Old French estre and Old Occitan estra.^[8][9]

The Latin word is an adverb contracted from the ablative exterā (with parte understood), of exter (“outer”).^[1][10] Devoto explains it as a comparative formation of ex (“out of”).^[4] The OLD compares Oscan ehtrad.^[10]

Semantic evolution

The first sense is local, “outside”, as in straordinario and straripare; from it came the senses of excess (strafare, stravizio) and of a measure beyond the normal (strapagare, stravincere).^[2][6] Before adjectives the prefix makes a superlative (stragrande, strapieno), and after the First World War it formed the nouns stracittà and strapaese.^[2][6] A few words come from Latin (straordinario) or Medieval Latin (stravagante), but most are modern Italian formations.^[6] In verbs such as stralunare and strabuzzare it expresses distortion, and in straboccare it strengthens the prefix tra-.^[6][2]

In the dialects it also appears in Bolognese strasoura and Modenese strasora “an unpleasant hour”.^[8]

Meanings

Prefix

1. “Outside, beyond”: straordinario, straripare, stragiudiziale.^[2][6][11]
2. Marks excess or going beyond a limit: strafare, stravizio, strapagare, stravincere.^[2][6][12]
3. Before adjectives, forms a superlative: stragrande, strapieno, straricco.^[2][11][5]
4. In some verbs, marks distortion: stravolgere, stralunare, strabuzzare.^[6]
5. Strengthens the prefix tra-: straboccare, straforare.^[2][6]

Word family

• straordinario
• straripare
• strafare
• stravizio
• stravincere
• stragrande
• strapieno
• stravolgere
• stracittà
• strapaese

Related words

• extra-
• tra-
• tras-
• Latin extrā

Usage notes

Stra- is very productive in the colloquial language, with adjectives (stracontento, straricco) and also with verbs (stramaledire).^[5][11]

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i 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 Devoto, Giacomo (1968), Avviamento alla etimologia italiana: dizionario etimologico, 2nd ed., Firenze: Le Monnier, p. 427
5. ^ a b c Sabatini, Francesco; Coletti, Vittorio; Manfredini, Manuela (2026), Dizionario italiano Sabatini Coletti, digital ed., Milano: Sansoni / Rizzoli Larousse
6. ^ 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)
7. ^ Prati, Angelico (1951), Vocabolario etimologico italiano, Milano: Garzanti, p. 954
8. ^ a b c Meyer-Lübke, Wilhelm (1935), Romanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., Heidelberg: Winter
9. ^ Körting, Gustav (1907), Lateinisch-romanisches Wörterbuch: etymologisches Wörterbuch der romanischen Hauptsprachen, 3rd ed., Paderborn: Schöningh
10. ^ a b Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
11. ^ a b c Devoto, Giacomo; Oli, Gian Carlo; Serianni, Luca; Trifone, Maurizio (2026), Nuovo Devoto–Oli: il vocabolario dell'italiano contemporaneo, digital ed., Milano: Le Monnier
12. ^ Gabrielli, Aldo (2020), Grande dizionario italiano, digital ed., Milano: Hoepli