grande Italian · revision 37643

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=1241–1243, Guido Faba|origins=la grandis}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈɡran.de/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''grande''' ''m or f'' by sense (plural grandi, comparative più grande or maggiore, superlative grandissimo or massimo or sommo, diminutive grandétto or grandìno or grandettìno or grandicèllo (“tall, older (of a person)”), augmentative grandóne (“big/ostentatious spender”) or (rare) grandòtto, pejorative (rare) grandàccio)^(Wiktionary)

+ Before a consonant it is often shortened to ''gran'' (''un gran rumore''), and before a vowel it may be elided to ''grand’'' (''grand’uomo'').^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+ The oldest forms are ''grant'' in the 12th-century Gallo-Italic sermons and ''grando'' in Guido Faba (1241–1243).^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003) Old and dialect forms also include ''granne'' and ''grante''.^(GDLI)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|la|grandis|t=grown up, big, tall]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary) The Latin word was colloquial beside the more classical [[m|la|magnus|t=great]], and in the Romance languages it replaced it.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(GDLI) According to Migliorini, quoted by DELI, it won because it was formally close to the warmer and more concrete [[m|la|grossus|t=thick]] and [[m|la|crassus|alt=grassus|t=fat]].^(DELI 1999) The same word is [[fr|grand]], [[oc|gran]], [[ca|gran]], [[es|grande]] and [[pt|grande]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(GDLI)

+

+ The origin of the Latin word is unknown.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(de Vaan 2008) Walde–Hofmann and Pokorny connected it with [[grc|βρένθος|tr=brénthos|t=pride]] and [[cu|грѫдь|tr=grǫdĭ|t=breast]], but de Vaan rejects this on phonetic and semantic grounds.^(de Vaan 2008)^(Wiktionary) He is equally sceptical of Vennemann's idea that ⟨grandis⟩ and [[eu|handi|t=big]] are remnants of a Vasconian substrate.^(de Vaan 2008)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The first record is the form ''grando'' in the ''Parlamenti'' of Guido Faba, of 1241–1243, but the form ''grant'' already appears in the 12th-century Gallo-Italic sermons.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Nocentini 2010) The sense was “larger than the usual measure”.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In Old Italian the adjective also meant “tall, stout” and “solemn, important”, and as a noun “adult” (before 1300, Guido Cavalcanti) and “a person of rank or power” (before 1292, Bono Giamboni).^(DELI 1999) In the Florentine republic ''i grandi'' were the magnates, whose nobility and wealth excluded them from most offices.^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861) In the 16th century Vincenzio Borghini noticed that the current sense “noble” was not the old one, “powerful, wealthy”.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ A ''grande di Spagna'' is a grandee of the Spanish crown (from 1555–1560), and in this sense the word was taken directly from Spanish.^(DELI 1999)^(DEI|1859) The sense “political leader”, as in ''i tre Grandi'', is a calque of English ''the big three'' (1955).^(DELI 1999)^(DEI|1859) Before another adjective ''grande'' gives superlative force (''un gran bel libro''), a use recorded from 1863.^(DELI 1999) Contemporary Italian has replaced ''in grande'' with ''alla grande'' “in style”.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ The derivative ''grandioso'' was taken from Spanish ''grandioso'' late,^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010) and the title ''granduca'' was granted by Pope Pius V to Cosimo I of Tuscany in 1569.^(DELI 1999) English borrowed the noun as ''grand'', a grandee, from Spanish and Italian in 1606.^(DIFIT)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 12th century – The form ''grant'' appears in the Gallo-Italic sermons.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1241–1243 – Guido Faba writes ''grando''.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)

+ * Before 1292 – Bono Giamboni uses the noun for a person of rank.^(DELI 1999)^(DIFIT)

+ * Before 1300 – Guido Cavalcanti uses ''grande'' for an adult.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1555–1560 – ''Grande'' for a Spanish grandee is first recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1569 – Pius V makes Cosimo I ''granduca'' of Tuscany.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1606 – English ''grand'' “grandee” is first recorded.^(DIFIT)

+ * 1955 – ''I Grandi'' for the leading powers, after English ''big''.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # [[m|en|big]], [[m|en|large]], above the usual size: ''una casa grande''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # Of a given size, in measurements, comparisons and questions: ''Quanto è grande il giardino?''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+ # Of a person, big, tall, grown up, and colloquially also older: ''mio fratello più grande''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Gabrielli 2020)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Large in quantity or intensity: ''un gran freddo'', ''una grande felicità''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # Important, remarkable: ''una grande impresa''.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Treccani 2011)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Outstanding for ability, merit or power, [[m|en|great]], as in ''un grande scultore'', and after a name as an epithet: ''Alessandro il Grande''.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Treccani 2011)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+ # Before a noun or adjective, an intensifier: ''un gran chiacchierone'', ''una gran bella giornata''.^(Treccani 2011)^(Gabrielli 2020)^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # An [[m|en|adult]], a grown-up: ''i grandi e i piccoli''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary)^(DELI 1999)

+ # A great person, and in the plural the great powers or leaders.^(Wiktionary)^(DELI 1999)

+ # ''(history)'' A grandee of Spain.^(DELI 1999)^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861)

+

+ ===Interjection===

+ # ''(colloquial)'' Great!, well done!^(Wiktionary)^(Wikizionario)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[grandezza]]

+ * [[grandioso]]

+ * [[grandiosità]]

+ * [[grandeggiare]]

+ * [[ingrandire]]

+ * [[ingrandimento]]

+ * [[granduca]]

+ * [[granducato]]

+ * [[grandigia]]

+ * [[stragrande]]

+ * [[grancassa]]

+ * [[grandangolo]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[maggiore]]

+ * [[massimo]]

+ * [[la|grandis]]

+ * [[fr|grand]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ The comparative is ''più grande'' or ''maggiore'', the superlative ''grandissimo'' or ''massimo''.^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Wiktionary) ''Alla grande'' means “in grand style, splendidly”.^(Gabrielli 2020)^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}