brutto Italian · revision 37922

+ {{infobox|confidence=disputed|formation=inherited|attested=late 12th century, Proverbia que dicuntur (Venetian)|origins=la brūtus}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈbrut.to/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''brutto''' (feminine brutta, masculine plural brutti, feminine plural brutte, superlative bruttissimo, adverb bruttamente, diminutive bruttìno or bruttarèllo or (rare) brutterèllo, augmentative bruttóne, pejorative (often jocular) bruttàccio, diminutive-derogatory bruttacchiòlo)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old forms include [[roa-oit|bructu]], [[roa-oit|bructo]], [[roa-oit|bruto]] and [[roa-oit|brut]].^(TLIO)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is probably [[inh|la-vul|*brūttus]], a form of [[la|brūtus|t=heavy; dull, brutish]] with an expressively doubled consonant, as the LEI and GRADIT hold.^(LEI|7, 1031)^(GRADIT 2003) DELI calls the derivation from the Latin adjective generally agreed though not fully convincing, and explains the /tt/ as the Tuscan adaptation of a northern word;^(DELI 1999)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Devoto 1968) Sabatini–Coletti and Devoto agree.^(DELI 1999)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Devoto 1968) DEI and Meyer-Lübke treat it as a learned borrowing, which appears late everywhere, and Meyer-Lübke rejects the form with /tt/;^(DEI|619)^(REW 1935) DEI notes that the original sense, still alive in the north and in Occitan and Catalan, seems to have been “dirty”.^(DEI|619)^(REW 1935) The word is also [[rm|brüt]], [[fr|brut]], [[oc|brut]], [[ca|brut]] and [[es|bruto]].^(REW 1935)

+

+ Other views: Nocentini rejects the Latin source on grounds of sense and form, and makes the adjective a short past participle of [[bruttare|t=to soil]], a variant of [[brattare]] from [[bratta|t=mud, dregs]], with the same change of the pretonic vowel as in [[annusare]] beside [[naso]];^(Nocentini 2010)^(Devoto–Oli 2026) Devoto–Oli follow him.^(Nocentini 2010)^(Devoto–Oli 2026) Merlo proposed a pre-Roman source and Regula a Latin [[m|la|*brūtidus]], while Muratori and Zaccaria compared [[goh|bruttisc|t=grim, terrible]].^(DELI 1999)^(Zaccaria 1901)

+

+ The Latin adjective is probably a word of Oscan origin, with Sabellic /b/ for an older /ɡʷ/: de Vaan derives it from [[ine-pro|*gʷrh₂-u-to-|t=heavy]], the stem of [[m|la|gravis|t=heavy]], and compares [[lv|grūts|t=heavy]].^(de Vaan 2008)^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The TLIO's first record is the Venetian ''Proverbia que dicuntur'' of the late 12th century.^(TLIO) DELI cites ''bructu'' in the 13th-century ''Giostra delle virtù e dei vizi'' and ''brutto'' in Ristoro d'Arezzo (1282), with the sense “unpleasant to look at”.^(DELI 1999) Already in the 13th century ''bruto'' meant “stained” (1242–1243), and Medieval Latin ''bruttum'' and ''bruttura'' meant filth at Parma in 1255.^(DELI 1999)^(DEI|619)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Guittone d'Arezzo played on the whole family before 1294: “Oh, che pur brutti vizi esto bruttasse” (oh, if only this would sully foul vices).^(DELI 1999) Dante uses ''brutto'' for “morally foul” and also for “dirty”: “ma tu chi se', che sì se' fatto brutto?” (but who are you, who have become so filthy?).^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003) The 15th-century ''Portolani'' use it for “dangerous” of a coast.^(DELI 1999) The noun ''il brutto'' “ugliness” follows in Berni (before 1535), ''un brutto'' “an ugly person” in Leopardi (1821), and ''fa brutto'' “the weather is bad” in Moravia (1954).^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ''Brutto male'' was a euphemism first for epilepsy and later for cancer (1535), and ''brutta copia'' “rough draft” dates from 1744.^(Nocentini 2010) In trade ''brutto'' meant “gross” of weight, and in that sense the word was borrowed as the adverb [[de|brutto|t=gross]].^(Nocentini 2010) The adverbial ''di brutto'' “suddenly; hard” may adapt [[la|ex abrupto]] under the influence of ''brutto''.^(DELI 1999)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Late 12th century – The adjective appears in the Venetian ''Proverbia que dicuntur''.^(TLIO)

+ * 1242–1243 – ''Bruto'' “stained” is recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1282 – Ristoro d'Arezzo uses ''brutto''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1321 – Dante uses the word for “morally foul”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1535 – Berni uses ''il brutto'' “ugliness”, and ''brutto male'' is recorded.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)

+ * 1744 – ''Brutta copia'' “rough draft” is recorded.^(Nocentini 2010)

+ * 1821 – Leopardi uses ''brutto'' for an ugly person.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1954 – Moravia uses ''il brutto'' for bad weather.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # [[m|en|ugly]], unpleasant to see or hear: ''un brutto edificio'', ''brutto come il peccato'', as ugly as sin.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Bad, morally wrong: ''una brutta abitudine'', ''brutte parole'', swear words.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # Unpleasant, painful: ''una brutta sorpresa'', ''fare una brutta figura'', to make a poor impression.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # Unfavourable, [[m|en|ominous]]: ''un brutto segno''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # Serious, dangerous: ''una brutta caduta'', ''brutto male'', a euphemism for cancer.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # Of weather, bad, rainy; of the sea, rough.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+ # Used as an intensifier in insults: ''Brutto vigliacco!''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(archaic)'' [[m|en|dirty]], filthy.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(TLIO)

+ # ''(archaic)'' Gross, of weight.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # An ugly person.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(DELI 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''il brutto'': what is ugly or unpleasant; bad weather: ''Dopo tre giorni di brutto è tornato il sole.''^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[bruttezza]]

+ * [[bruttura]]

+ * [[bruttare]]

+ * [[imbruttire]]

+ * [[bruttamente]]

+ * [[brutta]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[bruto]]

+ * [[brutale]]

+ * [[bratta]]

+ * [[la|brutus]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Vedersela brutta'' means “to have a narrow escape”, ''alle brutte'' “if the worst comes to the worst”, and ''di brutto'' “suddenly” or “with a vengeance”.^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Gabrielli 2020) ''La brutta'' is short for ''brutta copia'', a rough draft.^(Treccani 2011)^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}