schifo Italian · revision 38116

+ Italian has two words spelled ''schifo'': the common word for disgust, from Old French, and an old name of a ship's boat, from Lombardic.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)

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+ {{homograph|1|disgust}}

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+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=mid-13th century, Bergamasque paraphrase of the Decalogue|origins=frk *skiuhjan}}

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+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈski.fo/^(Wiktionary)

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+ ==Forms==

+ '''schifo''' ''m'' (plural schifi)^(Wiktionary)

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+ ==Etymology==

+ The word for disgust is [[bor|fro|eschif|t=shy, averse]], which goes back to [[frk|*skiuhjan|t=to fear, shun]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026) Nocentini makes the Old French adjective a derivative of [[m|fro|eschiver|t=to avoid]], and compares [[goh|skiuhen]] and [[de|scheuen|t=to shy away from]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(REW 1935) Wiktionary starts instead from [[fro|eschiu|t=shy, timid]] and [[frk|*skeuh|t=shy]], [[gem-pro|*skeuhaz|t=shy, frightened]], the source also of [[en|shy]].^(Wiktionary) The TLIO, on the other hand, derives the noun within Italian from [[schifare]].^(TLIO)

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+ The adjective [[schivo]] “shy, aloof” came from the parallel Old French form, and the verb [[schivare]] from [[pro|esquivar]].^(REW 1935) The Lombard and Piedmontese dialects have [[lmo|skivi]] and [[scn|schifiu]] is the Sicilian form.^(REW 1935)^(Wiktionary)

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+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The TLIO's first record is a Bergamasque paraphrase of the Ten Commandments from the middle of the 13th century; the early senses are contempt or disgust for someone or something thought unworthy, and as an adjective, averse, unwilling, aloof.^(TLIO) DELI dates the sense “revulsion, nausea” to Dante, 1304–1313.^(DELI 1999) Bonvesin da la Riva, who wrote in Milanese before 1315, has the form ''sgivio'': a fly in the food should be kept quiet so that the diners do not take ''sgivio''.^(GDLI|17, 1016)

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+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Old Italian used the word mostly in set phrases: ''avere a schifo'' or ''tenere a schifo'' “to despise, scorn”, and ''venire a schifo'' “to become hateful”.^(TLIO)^(Treccani 2011) The adjective meant “aloof, reserved”: Petrarch writes of Laura “coi suoi santi atti schifi” (with her holy, reserved ways), and Boccaccio of a woman who “si mostrava schifa” (showed herself unwilling).^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861) Tuscan later used the adjective for “disgusting”.^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Gabrielli 2020)

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+ The physical sense, nausea caused by something filthy or rotten, took over in the following centuries.^(GDLI|17, 1016) [[schifoso|alt=Schifoso]] is first recorded in Paolo Segneri in 1679, and in 1959 the dictionaries recorded its colloquial senses “very poor” and “enormous”.^(DELI 1999) In colloquial Italian ''fare schifo'' now also means “to be awful” or “to perform badly”.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011) Wiktionary links American slang ''skeevy'' “disgusting” to this word,^(Wiktionary) while Etymonline calls the English word of uncertain origin.^(Etymonline)

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+ ==Timeline==

+ * First half of the 13th century – ''Schifare'' “to avoid” in Guidotto da Bologna.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Mid-13th century – ''Schifo'' in a Bergamasque paraphrase of the Decalogue.^(TLIO)

+ * 1266 – Zingarelli's date for the word.^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ * 1304–1313 – Dante uses ''schifo'' “revulsion”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1342 – ''Schifezza'' in Domenico Cavalca.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1606 – ''Schifiltoso'' in Bernardo Davanzati.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1679 – ''Schifoso'' in Paolo Segneri.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1959 – ''Schifare'' “to disgust” and colloquial ''schifoso'' “very poor” are recorded.^(DELI 1999)

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+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # [[m|en|disgust]], [[m|en|revulsion]], physical or moral: ''Solo l'odore del pesce crudo gli dà schifo.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # Something disgusting; food or drink that tastes foul: ''Questo caffè è uno schifo.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(colloquial)'' Something ugly or badly made; [[m|en|rubbish]]: ''Il concerto di ieri sera è stato uno schifo.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A shameful act; a despicable person: ''uno schifo d'uomo''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

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+ ===Adjective===

+ # ''(Tuscany)'' Disgusting, repulsive.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+ # ''(archaic)'' Shy, aloof, unwilling.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[schifare]]

+ * [[schifezza]]

+ * [[schifoso]]

+ * [[schifiltoso]]

+ * [[schifosaggine]]

+ * [[schifato]]

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+ {{homograph|2|ship's boat}}

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+ {{infobox|confidence=probable|formation=borrowing|attested=1321–1337, Chiose Selmiane (Siena)|origins=lng *skif}}

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+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈski.fo/^(Wiktionary)

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+ ==Forms==

+ '''schifo''' ''m'' (plural schifi)^(Wiktionary)

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+ ==Etymology==

+ The boat is [[bor|lng|*skif|t=boat]], the word of the Lombards.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026) It is the same Germanic word as [[goh|skif]], [[de|Schiff]] and [[ang|scip]], the source of [[en|ship]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary) Zaccaria and Wiktionary take it from [[goh|skif]] instead, and Zaccaria explains the forms with /p/ such as [[fro|eskip]] from the Low German form of the word.^(Zaccaria 1901)^(Wiktionary) DELI quotes Mastrelli, who counts it among a small group of Lombardic words for life on rivers and lagoons.^(DELI 1999)

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+ Meyer-Lübke grouped the Italian word with [[la-lat|scyphus|t=cup]], from [[grc|σκύφος|tr=skúphos|t=cup]], whose southern dialect outcomes mean “trough”,^(REW 1935) and Prati also derived it from the Greek cup.^(Prati 1951|888) [[fr|esquif]] and [[es|esquife]] were taken from Italian.^(Nocentini 2010)^(Körting 1907)

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+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The TLIO's first record is the ''Chiose Selmiane'', a Sienese commentary of 1321–1337.^(TLIO) DELI's first date is before 1449, in Bartolomeo del Corazza, for the boat a large ship carried for the use of its crew; he tells how the pope “entrò in Tevere su uno schifo” (went into the Tiber in a ship's boat).^(DELI 1999)^(GDLI)

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+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Writers on galleys describe the ''schifo'' as the boat every galley carried on board, with its own chain, oars and anchor.^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861) In architecture a ''volta a schifo'' is a vault whose corners recall the keel of an upturned boat.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026) In 1937 the naval dictionary recorded the sense “long, narrow racing boat for a single rower”, and in rowing the word now stands for English ''skiff''.^(DELI 1999)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

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+ French ''esquif'' is recorded in 1497.^(DIFIT) English ''skiff'', “small boat” (c. 1500), came from French and goes back to the Italian word; the OED dates the spelling ''skiphs'' to 1575 and the racing sense to 1793.^(Etymonline)^(DIFIT)

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+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1321–1337 – First record, in the Sienese ''Chiose Selmiane''.^(TLIO)

+ * Before 1449 – Bartolomeo del Corazza uses ''schifo'' for a ship's boat.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1497 – French ''esquif'' is first recorded.^(DIFIT)

+ * 1575 – English ''skiphs'' (plural) is recorded.^(DIFIT)

+ * 1793 – English ''skiff'' for a racing boat for one rower.^(DIFIT)

+ * 1937 – ''Schifo'' “racing single” in the naval dictionary.^(DELI 1999)

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+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # ''(nautical, historical)'' A rowing boat carried by a merchant ship for the crew's use; a ship's [[m|en|boat]].^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # By extension, a small boat.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Treccani 2011)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+ # ''(nautical)'' A long, narrow boat with sails or oars, used for inshore fishing.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+ # ''(rowing)'' A light racing boat for a single rower, a [[m|en|skiff]].^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+ # ''(architecture)'' In ''volta a schifo'', a vault shaped like an upturned hull.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

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+ ==Word family==

+ * [[schifetto]]

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+ ==Related words==

+ * [[schivo]]

+ * [[schivare]]

+ * [[en|skiff]]

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+ ==Usage notes==

+ DEI and the GDLI record two more nouns ''schifo'': an old word for a tray used to carry mortar, found in Vasari, from Late Latin ''scyphus'' “cup”, and a word for a rope-strung bed frame in India, used by the traveller Gemelli Careri.^(DEI|3389)^(GDLI)

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+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}