grado Italian · revision 38000

+ Italian has two words spelled ''grado'': the literary word for pleasure or liking, from Latin ''grātum'', and the ordinary word for a step, degree or rank, from Latin ''gradus''.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Nocentini 2010)

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+ {{homograph|1|pleasure}}

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+ {{infobox|confidence=probable|formation=inherited|attested=early 13th century, Uguccione da Lodi|origins=ine-pro *gʷr̥H-tó-s}}

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+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈɡra.do/^(Wiktionary)

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+ ==Forms==

+ '''grado''' ''m'' (plural gradi)^(Wiktionary)

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+ ==Etymology==

+ The word for pleasure is [[inh|la|grātum|t=something pleasing]], the neuter of [[m|la|grātus|t=welcome, pleasing; grateful]] used as a noun, which also gave the learned [[grato]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary) The ⟨d⟩ for Latin ⟨t⟩ shows that it came through the northern dialects, which voiced the consonant between vowels.^(Nocentini 2010)^(Devoto 1968)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026) DEI and Meyer-Lübke think it came into Italian from [[pro|grat]], and DELI counts it among the words of Provençal courtly love that entered the first Italian poetry.^(DEI)^(REW 1935)^(DELI 1999)

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+ The same Latin word is continued by [[fro|gré]], kept in modern French phrases, and by [[ca|grat]], [[es|grado]] and [[pt|grado]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(REW 1935)^(Wiktionary) De Vaan traces [[m|la|grātus]] to [[itc-pro|*gʷrāto-]] and [[ine-pro|*gʷr̥H-tó-s|t=praised (in song)]], with Oscan and Paelignian relatives meaning “grace, mercy”.^(de Vaan 2008)^(Wiktionary)

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+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ DEI's first record is in Uguccione da Lodi, in the 13th century, and Nocentini puts the word at the beginning of that century.^(DEI)^(Nocentini 2010) DELI's first date is Guittone d'Arezzo, before 1294, for “pleasure, goodwill”.^(DELI 1999)^(GDLI)

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+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In Dante the word means both “pleasure, will”, as in ''contra suo grado'' “against his will”, and “gratitude”.^(GRADIT 2003) Boccaccio and Alberti still use it for liking and consent.^(GDLI) The verb ''gradire'' “to welcome, accept gladly” is recorded in Guittone, before 1294, ''gradevole'' “pleasant” in the 14th century, and ''gradimento'' in Daniello Bartoli in 1661.^(DELI 1999) Meyer-Lübke traces ''gradire'' to [[pro|gradir]] and ''malgrado'' “in spite of” to [[pro|malgrat]].^(REW 1935)

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+ Today the noun survives mainly in ''di buon grado'' “willingly”;^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010) ''saper grado'' “to be grateful” and other phrases are archaic.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)

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+ ==Timeline==

+ * Early 13th century – Uguccione da Lodi uses the word.^(DEI)^(Nocentini 2010)

+ * Before 1294 – Guittone d'Arezzo uses ''grado'' and ''gradire''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 14th century – ''Gradevole'' is recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1661 – ''Gradimento'' is recorded in Daniello Bartoli.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # ''(literary)'' [[m|en|pleasure]], liking, will; now mainly in ''di buon grado'', [[m|en|willingly]]: ''Ha accettato di buon grado di aiutarci.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # ''(archaic)'' [[m|en|gratitude]]: ''saper grado a qualcuno'', to be grateful to someone.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[gradire]]

+ * [[gradito]]

+ * [[gradevole]]

+ * [[gradimento]]

+ * [[sgradevole]]

+ * [[sgradito]]

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+ {{homograph|2|degree, step}}

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+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=c. 1260–1261|origins=la gradus}}

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+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈɡra.do/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''grado''' ''m'' (plural gradi)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The word for a degree is [[inh|la|gradus|t=step, pace; stair; degree]], from the same stem as [[m|la|gradior|t=to step, walk]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary) Latin had already extended it from a step on a stair to “pace”, a division of a circle and a degree of kinship, the last introduced by the jurists about 200 AD.^(DELI 1999)^(DEI) The same word is [[fr|degré]], formed with a prefix, [[oc|gra]], [[ca|grau]], [[es|grado]] and [[pt|grau]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(REW 1935)^(Körting 1907)

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+ De Vaan derives the Latin noun and verb from a stem [[itc-pro|*grad-]].^(de Vaan 2008) Earlier handbooks linked it to Germanic and Slavic words for “step” and “to come”, but these are now traced to a different root, and the further origin is unclear.^(de Vaan 2008) Nocentini compares Lithuanian and Old Irish verbs of moving and chasing.^(Nocentini 2010) The Latin verb has no Romance descendants, but its compounds gave [[aggredire]], [[progredire]] and [[trasgredire]].^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Nocentini dates the word to about 1260–1261.^(Nocentini 2010) DELI's first record is Brunetto Latini, before 1294, for a person's place in a hierarchy, and Dino Compagni, 1310–1312, for any intermediate point on the way from one state to another.^(DELI 1999)^(DIFIT)

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+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Old Italian used ''grado'' for a stair, with a plural ''gradora'' in the ''Novellino'' and in Pisan texts.^(GDLI)^(DEI) The technical senses followed one another: a ranking (before 1342, Cavalca), a degree of kinship (before 1348, Giovanni Villani), a degree of angle (14th century, Bible translations), a measure of wine strength (before 1468, Michele Savonarola), a degree of temperature (before 1660, Francesco Redi) and, in grammar, a degree of comparison (before 1612, Guarini).^(DELI 1999) In mountaineering, the scale of climbing difficulty in grades is recorded in 1953, and the ''settimo grado'', once the top of the scale, has been dropped by climbers but lives on as a metaphor.^(DELI 1999)

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+ ''Gradino'' “step” is a diminutive of the first half of the 17th century, and ''gradinata'' “flight of steps” is recorded in Daniello Bartoli in 1660.^(Nocentini 2010)^(DELI 1999) French ''grade'' (1578) may come from Italian or from Latin.^(DIFIT)

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+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1260–1261 – The word is first recorded.^(Nocentini 2010)

+ * Before 1294 – Brunetto Latini uses it for rank.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1310–1312 – Dino Compagni uses it for a stage between two states.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1348 – Giovanni Villani uses it for a degree of kinship.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 14th century – Bible translations use it for a degree of angle.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1612 – Guarini uses it for a grammatical degree.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1660 – ''Gradinata'' is recorded in Daniello Bartoli.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1953 – The grades of climbing difficulty are recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A stage or [[m|en|level]] in a progression: ''Abbiamo raggiunto un buon grado di intesa'', ''per gradi'', step by step.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # A place in a scale or ranking: ''un'ustione di secondo grado'', ''la scuola di primo grado''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # [[m|en|rank]] in a civil or military hierarchy; in the plural, the insignia of rank: ''È stato promosso al grado di capitano.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Social standing: ''persone di umile grado''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(DELI 1999)

+ # ''(law)'' Degree of kinship: ''cugini di primo grado''.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(DELI 1999)

+ # A unit of measure: a [[m|en|degree]] of angle or of temperature; the alcohol content of a drink.^(GRADIT 2003)^(DELI 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(grammar)'' Degree of comparison of an adjective.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(DELI 1999)

+ # ''essere in grado di'': to be able to, to be in a position to: ''Non sono in grado di risponderti adesso.''^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(GRADIT 2003)

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+ ==Word family==

+ * [[gradino]]

+ * [[gradinata]]

+ * [[gradazione]]

+ * [[graduale]]

+ * [[gradualmente]]

+ * [[graduare]]

+ * [[graduatoria]]

+ * [[gradiente]]

+ * [[gradone]]

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+ ==Related words==

+ * [[grato]]

+ * [[grazia]]

+ * [[la|gradus]]

+ * [[la|grātus]]

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+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Malgrado'' “in spite of” is formed from ''mal grado'' “against one's will”.^(Zingarelli 2010)^(REW 1935) An old variant of ''grado'' “pleasure” is ''grato''.^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026) The TLIO records a ''grado'' meaning “beach” in place names, from [[pro|grau]].^(TLIO)

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+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}