bruciare Italian · revision 38195

+ {{infobox|confidence=disputed|formation=inherited|attested=early 13th century, Uguccione da Lodi}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /bruˈt͡ʃa.re/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''bruciare''' (first-person singular present brùcio, first-person singular past historic bruciài, past participle bruciàto, auxiliary (transitive) avére or (intransitive) èssere)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old and dialect forms include ''bruggiare'', ''brusare'' and ''brusciare'';^(DELI 1999) ''brusciare'' is in Dante.^(DELI 1999) The TLIO lists ''bruxar'', ''brusà'', ''brusado'' and ''brugiare'' among the Old Italian forms.^(TLIO)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|la-vul|*brusiō|alt=*brusiāre]], a verb whose origin is among the most disputed in Romance etymology.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026) Some connect it with [[la|ūrō|t=to burn]] (past participle [[m|la|ustus|alt=ūstum]]), others with a pre-Latin Mediterranean word for scorched leaves.^(DELI 1999)^(Devoto 1968) Hermann Kramer reviewed 35 explanations of [[fr|brûler]] and settled on the one Muratori gave in 1739, [[la-vul|*perustulō|alt=*perustulāre]], from [[m|la|ustulō|t=to scorch]] with [[m|la|per-]].^(DELI 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ The LEI rejects that base as phonetically impossible, since the voiced forms of northern Italy, such as [[vec|brusar]], cannot come from a group /stl/.^(LEI|7, 833) It posits instead a pre-Latin root meaning “burn”, parallel to the one behind [[brace]], probably related to [[ine-pro|*bʰrūs-|t=to roar; to boil]] and [[gmh|brūsen]].^(LEI|7, 833) Nocentini derives the verb from [[la-vul|*brasia|t=burning ember]], from [[got|*brasa]], the source of that noun, with the unstressed /a/ turned to /u/ as in [[annusare]] and [[fiutare]], and Devoto–Oli follows him.^(Nocentini 2010)^(Devoto–Oli 2026) He also holds that the verb arose in the Gallo-Italian area, separately from the French one.^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ The verb spread from northern Italy, where it is still very common with its derivatives, and was adapted in Tuscany.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010) It is also [[oc|brusar]] and [[rm|brüschar]].^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Medieval Latin documents of northern Italy have the past participle early: ''ad molendinum bruxatum'' (to the burnt mill) at Vercelli in 1184, and place names such as ''Brusiado'' at Nonantola in 1057.^(LEI|7, 833)^(Nocentini 2010) The TLIO's first Italian record is in the Cremonese poet Uguccione da Lodi, at the beginning of the 13th century, and DELI's is Genoese ''bruxar'' in the Anonimo genovese of 1294, in the sense “to destroy by fire”.^(TLIO)^(DELI 1999) The Tuscan form is in Boccaccio's ''Decameron'' (1348–1353): “fatemi bruciare” (have me burned).^(DELI 1999)^(GDLI)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In Old Italian the verb already meant to burn, to be in flames, to cremate and, figuratively, to torment and to inflame with love.^(TLIO) Later senses are “to corrode” (before 1537, Vannoccio Biringuccio), “to dry up, parch” (before 1566, Annibal Caro) and “to be intense”, of feelings (1817, Giacomo Leopardi).^(DELI 1999) Even in the 18th century writers hesitated between ''bruciare'', ''abbruciare'' and ''abbruggiare''.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ In 1863 Fanfani records the reflexive in the sense “to have no money”, and in 1865 the sporting use “to beat”.^(DELI 1999) The phrases ''bruciare le tappe'' and ''bruciare le cervella'' follow French ''brûler l'étape'' and ''brûler la cervelle''.^(DELI 1999) In the clandestine struggle of the Second World War a place known to the police was ''bruciato'', “burnt”, and in 1950 Migliorini recorded ''gioventù bruciata'', the cynical youth of the post-war years.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1057 – The place name ''Brusiado'' is recorded at Nonantola.^(LEI|7, 833)

+ * 1184 – ''Bruxatum'' “burnt” appears in a Vercelli document.^(LEI|7, 833)

+ * Early 13th century – Uguccione da Lodi uses the verb.^(TLIO)

+ * 1294 – Genoese ''bruxar'' appears in the Anonimo genovese.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1300–1313 – Dante writes ''brusciare''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1348–1353 – Boccaccio uses ''bruciare''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1537 – Vannoccio Biringuccio uses it for “to corrode”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1739 – Muratori proposes a Latin origin for the verb.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1817 – Giacomo Leopardi uses it of feelings.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1950 – ''Gioventù bruciata'' is recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # ''(transitive)'' To [[m|en|burn]], destroy or consume with fire or heat: ''Abbiamo bruciato le foglie secche in giardino.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # ''(transitive)'' To damage by burning, to [[m|en|scorch]]; to spoil food by overcooking: ''Ho bruciato il sugo.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+ # ''(transitive)'' To scald, burn the skin, ''(popular)'' to cauterize.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # ''(transitive)'' To consume fuel or energy: ''Questa macchina brucia poca benzina.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(transitive)'' Of an acid, to corrode; of heat or frost, to dry up, wither.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # ''(transitive, figurative)'' To waste: ''Ha bruciato un'occasione unica.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(transitive, figurative)'' To ruin someone's career; to beat a rival, especially at the last moment.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # ''(intransitive)'' To be on fire, to burn: ''La legna brucia nel camino.''^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(intransitive)'' To be very hot; to [[m|en|sting]], smart: ''Mi brucia la ferita.''^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(intransitive, figurative)'' To burn with a feeling: ''Bruciava dalla voglia di partire.''^(Zingarelli 2010)^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[bruciore]]

+ * [[bruciato]]

+ * [[bruciatura]]

+ * [[bruciatore]]

+ * [[bruciante]]

+ * [[bruciapelo]]

+ * [[bruciacchiare]]

+ * [[bruciata]]

+ * [[bruciaticcio]]

+ * [[abbruciare]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[brace]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ Common figurative phrases are ''bruciare le tappe'' (to make very fast progress), ''bruciare i ponti'' (to break off all relations) and ''bruciare il paglione'' (to break a promise, or to leave without paying).^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010) The pronominal ''bruciarsi'' means “to burn oneself”.^(DELI 1999)^(Treccani 2011)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}