passo Italian · revision 37981

+ Italian has two words spelled ''passo'': the adjective “withered, dried”, as in ''uva passa'', and the noun “step”.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003) Both come from forms of the Latin verb [[m|la|pandō|t=to spread out]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)

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+ {{homograph|1|withered, dried}}

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+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=before 1250, Giacomo da Lentini|origins=la pandō}}

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+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈpas.so/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''passo''' (feminine passa, masculine plural passi, feminine plural passe)^(Wiktionary)

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+ ==Etymology==

+ The adjective “withered” is [[inh|la|passus|t=spread out]], the past participle of [[m|la|pandō|t=to spread out]], because grapes and other fruit were spread out in the sun to dry.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Wiktionary) Latin [[m|la|passum|t=raisin wine]] was a wine made from such grapes.^(de Vaan 2008)^(DEI|2795) The feminine survives in the same sense of “raisin” in [[ca|pansa]], [[es|pasa]] and [[pt|passa]], and in Logudorese Sardinian.^(Nocentini 2010)^(REW 1935) The Old Italian noun ⟨passo⟩ “raisin wine” is a learned word from the Latin.^(DEI|2795)^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861)

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+ Latin [[m|la|pandō]] goes back to an Indo-European nasal present [[ine-pro|*pt-n(é)-h₂-|t=to spread]]; its past participle, earlier *patto-, shows the full grade of the root seen in [[la|pateō|t=to be open]].^(de Vaan 2008)^(Nocentini 2010)

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+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The first record is Giacomo da Lentini (before 1250): “Lo giglio quand'è colto tost'è passo” (the lily, once picked, soon withers).^(DELI 1999)^(GDLI|12, 783)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Pietro de' Crescenzi's agricultural treatise in Italian (about 1350) speaks of ''vino passo'' and of vines whose grapes “divennono passe e senza umore” (became withered and without juice).^(DELI 1999)^(GDLI|12, 783) The Crusca dictionary of 1612 defines the word for herbs and fruit that have begun to shrivel for lack of moisture.^(DELI 1999) Manzoni has a whirlwind going into corners to find the ''foglie passe'' “dead leaves”.^(Zingarelli 2010)^(GDLI|12, 783)

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+ Today the adjective lives mainly in ''uva passa'' “raisins”.^(Treccani 2011)^(Devoto–Oli 2026) Derived words are ''appassire'' “to wither” (before 1499) and ''passito'', the sweet wine made from dried grapes (1871–1892, as a noun).^(Nocentini 2010)^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Before 1250 – Giacomo da Lentini uses ''passo'' “withered”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * c. 1350 – ''Vino passo'' appears in the Italian Crescenzi.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1499 – ''Appassire'' is recorded.^(Nocentini 2010)

+ * 1612 – The Crusca dictionary defines the word.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1871–1892 – ''Passito'' is used as a noun.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # ''(literary)'' [[m|en|withered]], dried, shrivelled: ''foglie passe''.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Gabrielli 2020)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # ''uva passa'': [[m|en|raisins]], grapes dried on the vine or in the sun.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[passito]]

+ * [[appassire]]

+ * [[appassimento]]

+ * [[passire]]

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+ {{homograph|2|step}}

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+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=before 1276, Pannuccio del Bagno|origins=la pandō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈpas.so/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''passo''' ''m'' (plural passi)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The noun “step” is [[inh|la|passus|t=step, pace]], a noun in ⟨-tus⟩ from the same verb [[m|la|pandō|t=to spread out]], first meaning “the spreading of the legs”, then the space they cover.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Wiktionary)^(DEI|2795) The word is pan-Romance: [[fr|pas]], [[oc|pas]], [[ca|pas]], [[es|paso]], [[pt|passo]], [[sc|passu]] and [[ro|pas]], from which the DÉRom reconstructs Proto-Romance */ˈpass-u/.^(Nocentini 2010)^(REW 1935)^(DÉRom) The Proto-Romance word was borrowed into Albanian and Irish.^(DÉRom)^(DEI|2795) In French the noun came to reinforce the negation, like [[m|fr|point]].^(DEI|2795)^(REW 1935)

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+ The senses “passage, way through” and “mountain pass” belong, for GRADIT, Nocentini, Sabatini–Coletti and the GDLI, to a deverbal noun from [[passare]], which comes from the Latin noun;^(GRADIT 2003)^(Nocentini 2010)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(GDLI|12, 780) GRADIT compares [[la-med|passum]], recorded in 1204, and the Italian word from before 1313.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Nocentini 2010)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(GDLI|12, 780)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ DELI's first record is the poet Pannuccio del Bagno (before 1276), for each of the movements of the legs in walking.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003) Francesco da Barberino, early in the 14th century, advised: “Sian li tuoi passi per via temperati” (let your steps in the street be measured).^(GDLI|12, 773)

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+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ By the end of the 13th century the step was also a measure of length, about five feet (Bono Giamboni, before 1292), and an action taken towards a goal (Chiaro Davanzati).^(DELI 1999) Dante uses it for a person's gait and for a passage of a book;^(DELI 1999) Sermini (15th century) for a short distance, and Agostini (1553) for a step in dancing.^(DELI 1999) Technical senses followed: the distance between parts of a series (1889), the wheelbase of a vehicle (1930) and the gauge of cinema film (1942).^(DELI 1999)

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+ ''Passi di gigante'' “giant strides” is a translation of French ''pas de géant'', which purists rejected at once in 1811.^(DELI 1999) The Old Italian plural could be feminine, ''le passa''.^(GDLI|12, 773) Many phrases build on the word: ''fare due passi'' “to go for a short walk”, ''fare il passo più lungo della gamba'' “to overreach oneself”, ''di pari passo'' “at the same pace”.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011) ''Passista'' (1942) is a cyclist strong on flat stages.^(DELI 1999)

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+ ==Timeline==

+ * Before 1276 – Pannuccio del Bagno uses ''passo'' “step”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1292 – Bono Giamboni uses it as a measure of length.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1313 – ''Passo'' “passage” is recorded.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Nocentini 2010)

+ * Before 1321 – Dante uses it for “gait” and “passage of a text”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1553 – The dance step is recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1811 – Purists reject ''passi di gigante''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1930 – ''Passo'' “wheelbase” appears.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1942 – ''Passista'' and the film-gauge sense are recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A [[m|en|step]]: each movement of the legs in walking; the distance covered by it: ''Fece due passi verso la finestra.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Wiktionary)

+ # The sound of steps, [[m|en|footstep]]; a footprint: ''Si sentivano passi in corridoio.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A short distance: ''La stazione è a due passi.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # [[m|en|pace]], gait, way of walking; the walk of a horse: ''Camminava con passo deciso.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # ''(figurative)'' A step taken towards an aim; a decision: ''Il matrimonio è un passo importante.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # Marching pace; a dance step: ''un passo di valzer''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # A passage of a text: ''Rileggi quel passo del romanzo.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(technical)'' Pitch, the fixed distance between parts of a series; the wheelbase of a vehicle; the gauge of cinema film.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Passage, the act of passing; a way through: ''lasciare libero il passo''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # A mountain [[m|en|pass]]: ''il passo del Brennero''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Wiktionary)

+ # The passage of migrating birds: ''uccelli di passo''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

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+ ==Word family==

+ * [[passista]]

+ * [[passetto]]

+ * [[sottopasso]]

+ * [[sovrappasso]]

+ * [[contrappasso]]

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+ ==Related words==

+ * [[passare]]

+ * [[passeggiare]]

+ * [[passim]]

+ * [[la|passus]]

+ * [[fr|pas]]

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+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Passo carrabile'' or ''passo carraio'' is the sign on a driveway that must be kept clear.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary) Old Italian also had a learned ''passo'' “who has suffered”, from the participle of [[la|patior|t=to suffer]], used by Dante of the pierced feet of Christ;^(GDLI|12, 784)^(DEI|2795) DEI and GRADIT further list an adjective ''passo'' “loose, dishevelled” for hair, from Ariosto.^(DEI|2795)^(GRADIT 2003) ''Passo'' is also the first person singular present of [[passare]].^(Wikizionario)

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+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}