letto Italian · revision 37647

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=before 1250, Cielo d'Alcamo|origins=ine-pro *legʰ-}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈlɛt.to/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''letto''' ''m'' (plural letti or (Old Italian) letta, diminutive lettìno or lettùccio or letticciòlo, augmentative (uncommon) lettóne, pejorative lettàccio)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old Italian also had the feminine plural ''le letta'', recorded from 1278.^(DELI 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|la|lectus|t=bed, couch]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary) The word is common to the Romance languages except Romanian: [[fr|lit]], [[oc|liech]], [[ca|llit]], [[es|lecho]] and [[pt|leito]]; in Spain it competes with [[m|es|cama]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(REW 1935)^(DEI|2212)

+

+ The Latin noun belongs to the Indo-European root [[ine-pro|*legʰ-|t=to lie]], which Latin otherwise lost; related words are [[grc|λέχος|tr=lékhos|t=bed]], [[m|grc|λέκτρον|tr=léktron]], [[got|𐌻𐌹𐌲𐍂𐍃|tr=ligrs|t=bed]], [[sga|lige|t=bed]] and [[cu|ложе|tr=lože|t=bed]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(Devoto 1968|257) De Vaan explains it either as a noun “lain upon” or as an old ⟨tu⟩-stem “lying” that later passed to the ⟨o⟩-stems.^(de Vaan 2008) The same Latin noun gave [[lettiga]].^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ DELI's first record is before 1250 in Cielo d'Alcamo, for the piece of furniture to sleep on; as an inherited word it is found earlier in the Latin of medieval documents, at Rome in 1035 and in Emilia in the 12th century.^(DELI 1999) Nocentini also dates it before 1250.^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Dante uses ''letto'' for the bed of a river or sea (1300–1313), and in the 14th century it is also any flat base on which something lies or moves.^(DELI 1999) In the figurative sense “marriage” Giovanni dalle Celle wrote before 1396 that adultery “è una violazione del letto altrui” (is a violation of another's bed); hence ''figlio di primo letto'' “child of the first marriage”.^(DELI 1999)^(Treccani 2011) The geological sense is recorded before 1798 and ''divano-letto'' “sofa bed” in 1923.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ Some phrases are older than Italian: ''letto di dolore'' renders the Latin ''lectus doloris'', and the ''letto di spine'' “bed of thorns” was formed in contrast to the ''letto di rose'', a figure going back to the use of roses at ancient banquets.^(DELI 1999) ''Guardare il letto'' “to keep to one's bed” is a calque on French ''garder le lit''.^(DEI|2212) English slang borrowed the word as ''letty'' “bed, lodging” in 1846.^(DIFIT)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1035 – A Latin document from Rome uses the inherited word.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1250 – Cielo d'Alcamo uses ''letto''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1278 – The plural ''letta'' is recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1300–1313 – Dante uses it for the bed of a river or sea.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1396 – Giovanni dalle Celle uses it for marriage.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1846 – English slang ''letty'' “bed” is recorded.^(DIFIT)

+ * 1923 – ''Divano-letto'' “sofa bed” appears.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # [[m|en|bed]], the piece of furniture for sleeping and resting: ''Stasera vado a letto presto.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # By extension, anything used as a bed: ''Dormirono su un letto di paglia.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(DELI 1999)

+ # ''(colloquial)'' A period in bed through illness.^(GRADIT 2003)

+ # Bedding for animals.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # A layer on which something is laid, also in cooking: ''gamberi su un letto di rucola''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # The bed of a [[m|en|river]] or stream; the bottom of the sea or of a valley.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(figurative)'' Marriage: ''figlio di secondo letto''.^(DELI 1999)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[lettiera]]

+ * [[lettino]]

+ * [[lettone]]

+ * [[lettuccio]]

+ * [[lettaccio]]

+ * [[copriletto]]

+ * [[lettime]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[giaciglio]]

+ * [[lettiga]]

+ * [[la|lectus]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Letto'' is also the past participle of ''leggere'' “to read”, from Latin ''lectus'', the participle of ''legere'';^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010) DELI dates its adjectival use “interpreted, understood” to Tasso in 1582.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010) Phrases include ''andare a letto'' “to go to bed”, ''andare a letto con qualcuno'' “to sleep with someone” and ''letto a castello'' “bunk bed”.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Treccani 2011)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}