peggiore Italian · revision 38182

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=early 13th century, Uguccione da Lodi|origins=ine-pro *ped-yōs}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /pedˈd͡ʒo.re/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''peggiore''' ''m or f'' by sense (plural peggiori)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old Italian forms include [[m|roa-oit|peçor]], [[m|roa-oit|pegiore]], [[m|roa-oit|pezore]] and [[m|roa-oit|piggiore]];^(DELI 1999)^(GDLI|12, 938)^(Devoto–Oli 2026) ''piggiore'' survived as an archaic variant.^(DELI 1999)^(GDLI|12, 938)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|la|pēior|t=worse]], the comparative of [[m|la|malus|t=bad]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary) The same word is [[fr|pire]], [[oc|pejer]], [[ca|pejor]] and [[es|peor]], and with the neuter [[m|la|peius]] Italian [[peggio]] and French [[m|fr|pis]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(REW 1935) Meyer-Lübke notes that the Latin word was pronounced with a doubled glide, ⟨pejjor⟩, which explains its long first syllable in verse; the Italian /ddʒ/ continues that sound.^(REW 1935)

+

+ The Latin comparative goes back to [[ine-pro|*ped-yōs|t=to the ground, downward]], from a root meaning “to fall”, and the OLD compares [[m|la|pessum|t=to the bottom]].^(DELI 1999)^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ DELI's first record is ''peçor'' in the northern poet Uguccione da Lodi, early in the 13th century;^(DELI 1999)^(Zingarelli 2010) Zingarelli dates ''peggiore'' to about 1261.^(DELI 1999)^(Zingarelli 2010) It meant inferior in quality or worth, less useful, or morally worse.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Dante places among the traitors ''col peggiore spirto di Romagna'', “with the worst spirit of Romagna”, and Boccaccio says of Ser Ciappelletto that he was ''il piggiore uomo forse che mai nascesse'', “perhaps the worst man ever born”.^(GDLI|12, 938)^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861) With the article the word served as the superlative, as it still does.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026) Petrarch used it as a noun, “the worse”: ''e veggio 'l meglio, et al peggior m'appiglio'', “I see the better and cling to the worse”, a line later echoed by Foscolo.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Treccani 2011)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+

+ Derivatives date from the same period: [[peggiorare]] “to make worse” in Bono Giamboni before 1292 and “to grow worse” in the ''Novellino'', from Late Latin ''peiorare'', and the grammar term ''peggiorativo'' in the first Crusca dictionary of 1612.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Early 13th century – Uguccione da Lodi writes ''peçor''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * c. 1261 – First date given by Zingarelli.^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ * Before 1292 – Bono Giamboni uses ''peggiorare''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1348 – Giovanni Villani uses ''peggioramento''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1612 – ''Peggiorativo'' appears in the Crusca dictionary.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # [[m|en|worse]]: the comparative of [[cattivo]], morally worse: ''Non è peggiore di tanti altri.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # With the definite article, the [[m|en|worst]]: ''Ha scelto la strada peggiore.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # Less capable or skilled: ''il peggior cuoco del quartiere''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+ # Inferior in quality or value: ''Questo tessuto è peggiore dell'altro.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # Less favourable, convenient or suitable: ''Mi hai chiamato nel momento peggiore.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # In worse health or spirits: ''Oggi ha una cera peggiore.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # The worst person, someone inferior to the others: ''È il peggiore della squadra.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # ''(archaic)'' The worse thing or course, as in Petrarch.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[peggiorare]]

+ * [[peggioramento]]

+ * [[peggiorativo]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[peggio]]

+ * [[pessimo]]

+ * [[la|peior]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Peggiore'' is more common than the regular comparative ''più cattivo''; the adverb is ''peggio'', the comparative of ''male'', which is often used as an adjective too.^(Treccani 2011) ''Nella peggiore delle ipotesi'' means “at worst”.^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011) The opposite is [[migliore]].^(Zingarelli 2010)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}