scherzare Italian · revision 37960

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=1271–1275, Fiori di filosafi|origins=lng *skerzōn}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /skerˈt͡sa.re/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''scherzare''' (first-person singular present schérzo, first-person singular past historic scherzài, past participle scherzàto, auxiliary avére)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old forms include [[roa-oit|ischerzare]], [[roa-oit|schirzare]] and [[roa-oit|squerzare]].^(TLIO)^(GDLI|17, 972)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|lng|*skerzōn|t=to jump about, make merry]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(REW 1935)^(Wiktionary) It is compared with [[gmh|scherzen|t=to make merry, hop about]], whence [[de|scherzen|t=to joke]];^(Nocentini 2010)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Wiktionary) Nocentini takes its first sense to have been “to jump”.^(Nocentini 2010)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Wiktionary) Wiktionary traces it to [[gem-pro|*skertaną|t=to hop, jump]] and [[ine-pro|*(s)kerd-|t=to dance, jump]], and compares [[no|skjerta|t=to joke]].^(Wiktionary)

+

+ Zaccaria noted that the word has no match in Medieval Latin or the other Romance languages, and that the stem is unknown in Old High German; he thought it came into Italian from Middle High German through medieval contacts with Germans after the year 1000.^(Zaccaria 1901)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The TLIO's first record is the Florentine ''Fiori di filosafi'' (1271–1275), with the sense “to spend time with others in a playful mood”.^(TLIO) Dante wrote of the sphere “che sempre a guisa di fanciullo scherza” (which always plays like a child), and DELI dates “to play merrily” to Domenico Cavalca (before 1342).^(GRADIT 2003)^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In the 14th century the verb also meant to move gracefully (a translation of Pietro de' Crescenzi, about 1350) and, from Boccaccio (before 1375), to speak or act without seriousness, to joke and make fun of someone.^(DELI 1999) Old Italian used it for amorous play too, and for acting rashly at one's own risk.^(TLIO) Franco Sacchetti has the proverbs ''scherza co' fanti e lascia stare i santi'' “joke with the servants but leave the saints alone” and ''non ischerzare coll'orso, se non vogli esser morso'' “don't play with the bear if you don't want to be bitten”.^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861)^(Prati 1951)

+

+ The noun ''scherzo'' is recorded before 1374 in Petrarch; it meant a nasty trick by 1464 and a lively piece of music by 1765.^(DELI 1999) In Milan the verb became transitive, “to tease, mock”: Panzini noted in 1905 that the use was common even in schools.^(DELI 1999)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1271–1275 – The Florentine ''Fiori di filosafi'' uses ''scherzare''.^(TLIO)

+ * 1313–1317 – GRADIT's date of first record.^(GRADIT 2003)

+ * Before 1342 – Domenico Cavalca uses it for playing merrily.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1374 – Petrarch uses ''scherzo''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1375 – Boccaccio uses it for joking.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1765 – ''Scherzo'' names a piece of music.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1898 – Transitive ''scherzare'' “to mock” is recorded from Milan.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To [[m|en|joke]], to [[m|en|jest]], to speak or act without seriousness: ''Dai, scherzavo: il regalo ti piacerà.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Of children or young animals, to play merrily: ''I gattini scherzano con un gomitolo.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # ''(literary)'' To move lightly and gracefully: ''La brezza scherzava tra le foglie.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To treat something lightly, to [[m|en|trifle]] with it: ''scherzare col fuoco'', to play with fire.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+ # ''(colloquial, in negative sentences)'' Not to be outdone; to be serious about something: ''Anche lui, in cucina, non scherza.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # ''(regional)'' Transitive, to tease, mock.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[scherzo]]

+ * [[scherzoso]]

+ * [[scherzosamente]]

+ * [[scherzosità]]

+ * [[scherzevole]]

+ * [[scherzetto]]

+ * [[scherzatore]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[de|scherzen]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Non scherzo'' means “I mean it”, and ''c'è poco da scherzare'' “this is serious”.^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}