piuttosto Italian · revision 38003

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=compound|attested=before 1294, Brunetto Latini|origins=la plūs, la tostus}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /pjutˈtɔs.to/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is a univerbation [[af|it|più|tosto]], literally “sooner, more quickly”, the two adverbs written as one word.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary) The second part, “quickly, at once”, continues [[la|tostus|t=toasted, dried]], the past participle of [[m|la|torreō|t=to parch, roast]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(Wiktionary) DELI reports Graziadio Isaia Ascoli's attempt to bridge the gap between “dried” and “quick” through the stages “hard, firm” and “bold, ready”;^(DELI 1999) Nocentini instead starts from “just cooked, ready to eat”, and takes the adverbial use of the word as a copy of [[fr|tôt]].^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ The formation matches [[m|fr|plutôt]], recorded in the 13th century as ⟨plutost⟩.^(DEI)^(GDLI|13, 608) Treccani notes that the written word joins the two parts with the doubling of the ⟨t⟩ that the phrase already had in speech.^(Treccani 2011)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ DELI's first record is in Brunetto Latini, before 1294, in the senses “more easily, more often, more willingly”.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003) Dante uses the phrase to weigh two possibilities in the ''Convivio'': “più tosto è da presummere l'una venire da l'altra che ambe da terzo” (it is rather to be presumed that one comes from the other than both from a third).^(GDLI|13, 608)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In Old Italian the phrase still had its literal meaning “sooner, more quickly”, as in Boccaccio, who says that fire catches “più tosto” in light, soft things than in hard ones.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Treccani 2011) That temporal sense is obsolete, and Treccani and Tommaseo advise writing it as two words.^(Treccani 2011)^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861)^(Zingarelli 2010) The comparative use with ''che'', setting two sharply opposed alternatives against each other, runs from Brunetto Latini and Dante through Cavalca, Sercambi and San Bernardino.^(GDLI|13, 608)

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+ The sense “somewhat, fairly”, in which the word softens an adjective or adverb, is recorded from Benedetto Varchi, before 1565.^(DELI 1999) In recent decades ''piuttosto che'' has also come to be used colloquially for “or” in lists of equal alternatives, a use the dictionaries mark as improper.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Before 1294 – Brunetto Latini uses the phrase for “more easily, more willingly”.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)

+ * 1304–1307 – Dante's ''Convivio'' uses ''più tosto … che'' to compare alternatives.^(GDLI|13, 608)

+ * 1348–1353 – Boccaccio uses ''più tosto'' for “more quickly”.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Treccani 2011)

+ * Before 1565 – Benedetto Varchi uses the word for “somewhat”.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adverb===

+ # [[m|en|rather]], [[m|en|fairly]], somewhat: softens an adjective or adverb: ''Il viaggio di ritorno è stato piuttosto lungo.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # Preferably, more willingly: ''A cena prenderei piuttosto qualcosa di leggero.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+ # ''o piuttosto'': or rather, to correct or improve what has just been said: ''Ti chiamo domani, o piuttosto passo da te.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # [[m|en|instead]], with an adversative force: ''Smettila di lamentarti, piuttosto dammi una mano.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # More often, more readily: ''Da queste parti nevica piuttosto a febbraio che a dicembre.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # ''(obsolete)'' [[m|en|sooner]], more quickly.^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ===Conjunction===

+ # ''piuttosto che'', ''piuttosto di'': rather than, instead of, with a noun, an infinitive or a subjunctive clause: ''Piuttosto che chiedergli scusa, preferirebbe non vederlo più.''^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''piuttosto che'' ''(colloquial)'': or, joining equal alternatives in a list.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[più]]

+ * [[tosto]]

+ * [[anziché]]

+ * [[fr|plutôt]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ Devoto–Oli and Zingarelli label the use of ''piuttosto che'' for “or” colloquial and improper; in careful usage the phrase always expresses a preference.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010) In replies, ''piuttosto'' alone can stand for a cautious “yes”, as in ''Hai fame? – Piuttosto.''^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

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+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}