serio Italian · revision 37768

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=1499}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈsɛ.rjo/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''serio''' (feminine seria, masculine plural seri, feminine plural serie, superlative serissimo)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|la|serius|alt=sērius|t=grave, earnest]], a learned word.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(DEI|3460)^(GDLI|18, 727) The sources date it differently: Zingarelli to 1499, GRADIT to 1551, Nocentini and Devoto–Oli to the middle of the 16th century, while the earliest text DELI cites is by Sforza Pallavicino (before 1667), as are DEI's and Prati's.^(Zingarelli 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Nocentini 2010)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(DELI 1999)^(Prati 1951|911) In Latin the adjective was said above all of things.^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ The Latin derivative [[la-lat|serietas]] gave [[serietà]], and Late Latin [[m|la-lat|seriosus]] gave the older [[serioso]], which is also the source of [[fr|sérieux]]: French uses the derivative, whereas [[es|serio]] is the same learned word as the Italian.^(Nocentini 2010)^(Prati 1951|911)

+

+ The further origin of the Latin word is disputed.^(de Vaan 2008)^(Wiktionary) Most sources compare [[goh|swāri|t=heavy]] (modern [[de|schwer]]), [[got|𐍃𐍅𐌴𐍂𐍃|tr=swērs|t=honoured]] and [[lt|svarùs|t=heavy]], from a root [[ine-pro|*swer-|t=heavy]], so that the first meaning was “weighty”.^(Nocentini 2010)^(Devoto 1968)^(Wiktionary)^(OLD 2012)^(DEI|3460) De Vaan objects that such a root should have kept its /w/ in Latin and suggests instead a derivative of [[m|la|sērus|t=slow, late]], with a shift from “slow” through “tiring” to “heavy”.^(de Vaan 2008)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Zingarelli and GRADIT date the first record to 1499 and 1551 without naming a text.^(Zingarelli 2010)^(GRADIT 2003) The earliest quotation in DELI is from Sforza Pallavicino (before 1667), of a person who acts with careful thought and awareness of duty, and Pallavicino also speaks of ''serii discorsi'', grave and considered talk.^(DELI 1999)^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The sense “stern, frowning, gloomy” is recorded in Giovanni Battista Casti in 1802, and “important, grave, dangerous” in Melchiorre Cesarotti before 1808.^(DELI 1999) The nominalised ''il serio'', “seriousness”, appears in Anton Maria Salvini in the 18th century.^(DEI|3460)^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861) Writers from Fagiuoli to Cavour and Carducci use it of a reliable, responsible person, and of a businessman who keeps his commitments.^(GDLI|18, 727)

+

+ In music and literature ''serio'' describes a work without comic parts, as in ''opera seria'', the counterpart of ''opera buffa''.^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Gabrielli 2020)^(DIFIT) German took ''serio'' as a musical direction by 1879.^(DIFIT) Modern Italian also uses it of a woman of strict sexual morals, and the locutions ''sul serio'' “really” and ''prendere sul serio'' “take seriously” are among its most frequent uses.^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011)^(GRADIT 2003)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1499 – First record according to Zingarelli.^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ * 1551 – First record according to GRADIT.^(GRADIT 2003)

+ * Before 1667 – Sforza Pallavicino uses ''serio'' of a person and of talk.^(DELI 1999)^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861)

+ * 1673 – Paolo Segneri has ''serietà''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 18th century – Anton Maria Salvini uses ''il serio'' as a noun.^(DEI|3460)

+ * 1802 – Giovanni Battista Casti uses it for “stern, gloomy”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1808 – Melchiorre Cesarotti uses it for “grave, dangerous”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1822 – The musical sense, of a work in elevated style, is recorded.^(DIFIT)

+ * 1879 – German ''serio'' is first recorded as a musical term.^(DIFIT)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Responsible, [[m|en|conscientious]] and reliable: ''È un idraulico serio, arriva sempre puntuale.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # ''(of a woman, dated)'' Of strict [[m|en|morals]], [[m|en|respectable]].^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # Grave, thoughtful or worried in expression, unsmiling: ''Perché sei così serio stamattina?''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # Important and demanding, or sincere and deep: ''Per lui è un impegno serio.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # Worrying, [[m|en|dangerous]]: ''Il medico dice che l'infezione è seria.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(music, literature)'' Without comic parts: ''opera seria''.^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # What is serious: ''tra il serio e il faceto'', half in jest.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # ''sul serio'': [[m|en|really]], in earnest: ''Parti sul serio domani?''^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[semiserio]]

+ * [[serietà]]

+ * [[serioso]]

+ * [[seriosità]]

+ * [[seriamente]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[la|serius]]

+ * [[fr|sérieux]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ DEI lists a separate Tuscan adjective ''serio'', usually repeated, meaning “plain, pure”, from the 18th century (Fagiuoli), which it derives from ''screare''.^(DEI|3425) The river Serio in Lombardy has a different origin, Latin ''Sarius''.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}