rosso Italian · revision 38007

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=1304–1308, Dante|origins=ine-pro *h₁rewdʰ-}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈros.so/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''rosso''' (feminine rossa, masculine plural rossi, feminine plural rosse)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|la|russus|t=red, red-haired]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary) In Italy this word won out over classical [[m|la|rubeus]], from the same root, as the ordinary name of the colour, while its derivative [[m|la|russeus]], already in Petronius, lives on in southern dialects.^(DELI 1999)^(DEI) The same Latin word is [[fr|roux]], [[oc|ros]], [[ca|ros]], [[fur|ros]] and [[ro|rus|t=reddish blond]]; [[es|rojo]], [[pt|roxo]] and [[ro|roșu]] continue the derivative.^(Nocentini 2010)^(REW 1935)^(Körting 1907) It also passed into Byzantine Greek and Serbo-Croatian.^(DEI|3286)^(REW 1935)

+

+ The Latin adjective is built on the root of [[m|la|ruber|t=red]], and so is related to [[rubro]] and [[rufo]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(Devoto 1968)^(Wiktionary) De Vaan reconstructs [[itc-pro|*rutsto-]] beside [[m|itc-pro|*ruþro-]] and the root as [[ine-pro|*h₁rewdʰ-|t=red]], the root also of [[grc|ἐρυθρός|tr=eruthrós|t=red]].^(de Vaan 2008)^(Wiktionary) Devoto compared the Germanic word for red, [[de|rot]].^(Devoto 1968)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ DELI's first record of the adjective is in Dante's ''Convivio'' (1304–1308), for the colour of blood, purple or ruby; the noun “the colour red” follows in the ''Commedia''.^(DELI 1999) In the ''Inferno'' Dante sees a purse “come sangue rossa” (red as blood).^(GDLI|17, 115) Northern forms appear earlier: Giacomino da Verona speaks of ''destreri russi'' (bay war-horses).^(GDLI|17, 115)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Old Italian also had ''roso'', ''roscio'' and ''russo''.^(GDLI|17, 115) Boccaccio describes Friar Cipolla as small “di pelo rosso” (red-haired), and the noun ''rosso'' for a red-haired person is recorded before 1353.^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861)^(DELI 1999) The noun ''rosso d'uovo'' “egg yolk” is Florentine and recorded from 1567.^(DEI|3286)^(Prati 1951|853) Many derivatives are old: ''rosseggiare'' and ''rossore'' are in Dante, ''rossetto'' in Brunetto Latini, and ''rossetto'' as a cosmetic appears in 1628.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ The political sense goes back to the French Revolution, when the red flag and the red cap became signs of revolt.^(DELI 1999) In Italian ''rosso'' for a radical is recorded in 1851, and the adjective for socialist administrations in 1922.^(DELI 1999) ''Armata rossa'' is a calque of Russian ''Krasnaja Armija'', and ''a luci rosse'' “pornographic” follows English ''red light''.^(DELI 1999)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Before 1294 – ''Rossetto'' “reddish” is used by Brunetto Latini.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1300–1313 – The noun “the colour red” appears in the ''Commedia''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1304–1308 – Dante uses ''rosso'' in the ''Convivio''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1353 – ''Rosso'' is used for a red-haired person.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1567 – ''Rosso'' “egg yolk” is recorded at Florence.^(DEI|3286)

+ * 1628 – ''Rossetto'' is recorded as a cosmetic.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1851 – ''Rosso'' is used for a member of the radical party.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1922 – Marino Moretti calls socialist administrations ''rossi''.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # [[m|en|red]], of the colour of blood, ripe tomatoes or poppies: ''Ha comprato una macchina rossa.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Flushed, red in the face, from emotion, effort or the sun: ''diventare rosso'', to [[m|en|blush]].^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+ # Of the eyes, reddened from crying or tiredness.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # Of hair, red, [[m|en|ginger]]: ''capelli rossi''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Of a dish, made with tomato: ''pizza rossa''.^(GRADIT 2003)

+ # ''(politics)'' Left-wing, socialist or communist: ''le regioni rosse''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # ''(finance)'' Showing a loss: ''numeri rossi''.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # The colour red: ''il rosso del tramonto''.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Treccani 2011)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Red wine: ''Ordiniamo una bottiglia di rosso della casa.''.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # A red-haired person.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(DELI 1999)

+ # A socialist or communist.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A red [[m|en|pigment]] or dye.^(DELI 1999)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(colloquial)'' The yolk of an egg.^(Treccani 2011)^(DEI|3286)

+ # The red light of traffic lights; red in roulette.^(Treccani 2011)^(Wikizionario)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[rossastro]]

+ * [[rossiccio]]

+ * [[rosseggiare]]

+ * [[rossetto]]

+ * [[rossore]]

+ * [[rossezza]]

+ * [[arrossire]]

+ * [[arrossare]]

+ * [[infrarosso]]

+ * [[rossola]]

+ * [[rossoblù]]

+ * [[rossonero]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[rubro]]

+ * [[rufo]]

+ * [[la|russus]]

+ * [[la|ruber]]

+ * [[fr|roux]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ The proverb ''rosso di sera, bel tempo si spera'' says that a red sunset promises fine weather.^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011) Other fixed phrases are ''vedere rosso'' “to see red”, ''essere in rosso'' “to be in the red” and ''filo rosso'' “common thread”.^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}