verde Italian · revision 38214

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=before 1279, Meo dei Tolomei|origins=la vireō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈver.de/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''verde''' ''m or f'' by sense (plural verdi)^(Wiktionary)

+ An old and rustic form is ''verdo''.^(Prati 1951|1045)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|la-vul|*virdis]], the syncopated form of [[la|viridis|t=green]] in popular Latin.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary) The short form was very common in rustic speech: Lucilius already has “vird-”, and the Appendix Probi corrects “virdis” to “viridis”.^(DELI 1999)^(OLD 2012)^(Körting 1907) Devoto notes that the loss of the unstressed inner vowel is regular.^(Devoto 1968|467) Sabatini–Coletti contrast this popular word with the learned [[viride]].^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+

+ The same word is found in every Romance language: [[fr|vert]], [[oc|vert]], [[ca|vert]], [[es|verde]], [[pt|verde]], [[sc|birde]] and [[ro|verde]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(REW 1935)^(DÉRom) The DÉRom reconstructs a Proto-Romance adjective “green” from these forms.^(DÉRom)

+

+ The Latin adjective comes from [[m|la|vireō|t=to be green; to be vigorous]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(Wiktionary) That verb has no secure comparison outside Latin, and its origin is unknown.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(Devoto 1968|467)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The locution ''condursi al verde'' “to be reduced to poverty” is already in Meo dei Tolomei, who died before 1279.^(DELI 1999) The colour adjective, “of the colour of growing grass”, is in the ''Fiore'' of the late 13th century and in Dante's ''Inferno'' (1300–1313), with its meadow “over the green enamel” (''sovra 'l verde smalto'').^(DELI 1999)^(GDLI)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Bencivenni used the adjective in 1310 for unripe fruit and for fresh plants, and Dante used the noun for vegetation and for the vigour of life.^(DELI 1999) The sense “young, youthful” is recorded in Firenzuola (1518–1525), and ''anni verdi'' and ''la verde età'' are the years of youth.^(DELI 1999)^(Zingarelli 2010) From the pallor of a sick or angry face came ''verde di rabbia'' and ''verde d'invidia''.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)

+

+ ''Essere al verde'' “to be broke” first meant “to be at the end”: the notes to the ''Malmantile'' explain it by the candles used at Florentine auctions, whose foot was dyed green, so that bidding closed when the flame reached the green.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010) In the 20th century ''verde'' took on the senses “agricultural” (1963, ''Europa verde''), “green area” of a town, and “ecological” (''benzina verde'').^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010) The political sense, ''i Verdi'', is a calque of German ''grün''.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1238 – The derivative ''verdello'' is used as an adjective in the accounts of Matasala.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1279 – Meo dei Tolomei uses ''condursi al verde''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1300–1313 – Dante uses the adjective in the ''Inferno''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1310 – Bencivenni uses it for unripe and for fresh.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1313–1319 – Dante uses the noun for vegetation.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1518–1525 – Firenzuola uses it for youthful.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1612 – Antonio Neri uses the noun for the colour.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1891 – The senses “livid” and “green compound” are recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1963 – The senses “agricultural” and “green area” are recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # [[m|en|green]], of the colour of grass and leaves: ''Ha comprato una giacca verde.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # Of fruit, [[m|en|unripe]]; of plants, fresh, not dried; of wood, newly cut: ''Queste pere sono ancora verdi.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # Of food, coloured green with herbs or vegetables: ''lasagne verdi''.^(GRADIT 2003)

+ # ''(figurative)'' Of a person, [[m|en|livid]], pale with illness or a strong emotion: ''verde di rabbia'', ''verde dal terrore''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # ''(literary)'' Young, youthful; vigorous: ''gli anni verdi''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # Covered with vegetation; of a part of a town, set aside for parks and gardens.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # Ecological, not polluting: ''energia verde''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # Relating to agriculture.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # ''(politics)'' Of the environmentalist movement and its parties.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # The colour green.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary)

+ # [[m|en|greenery]], vegetation; a green area of a town: ''il verde cittadino''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary)

+ # The green light of a traffic signal.^(Wikizionario)

+ # ''(politics)'' A member or supporter of an environmentalist party.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wikizionario)

+ # ''(heraldry)'' [[m|en|vert]].^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[verdastro]]

+ * [[verdazzurro]]

+ * [[verdello]]

+ * [[verdemare]]

+ * [[verderame]]

+ * [[verdesca]]

+ * [[verdicchio]]

+ * [[verdiccio]]

+ * [[verdognolo]]

+ * [[verdolino]]

+ * [[verdone]]

+ * [[verdeggiare]]

+ * [[verdeggiante]]

+ * [[verdura]]

+ * [[verdume]]

+ * [[inverdire]]

+ * [[rinverdire]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[verza]]

+ * [[virente]]

+ * [[viridario]]

+ * [[viride]]

+ * [[la|viridis]]

+ * [[fr|vert]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Essere al verde'' or ''restare al verde'' means “to have no money left”.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}