ridicolo Italian · revision 38265

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=mid-14th century, Scala del Paradiso|origins=la rīdeō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /riˈdi.ko.lo/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''ridicolo''' (feminine ridicola, masculine plural ridicoli, feminine plural ridicole)^(Wiktionary)

+ An older, Latinising spelling is [[ridiculo]].^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861)^(Treccani 2011)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|la|rīdiculus|t=laughable, funny]], a learned word.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Wiktionary) The Latin adjective is formed from [[m|la|rīdeō|t=to laugh; to mock]], the source of the inherited [[ridere]], with the suffix [[m|la|-culus]].^(OLD 2012)^(Nocentini 2010) Devoto sees in it an old noun of instrument with the suffix [[m|la|-culum|alt=*-tlo-]], “what causes laughter”, turned into an adjective.^(Devoto 1968)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ DELI and the TLIO date the first records to the middle of the 14th century, in a Perugian poem and in the Italian ''Scala del Paradiso'', with the sense “laughable”.^(DELI 1999)^(TLIO) The ''Scala'' has ''Ridicola cosa è a vedere la volpe fra le galline'' (“It is a laughable thing to see the fox among the hens”).^(GDLI) GRADIT's first date is before 1472, in Leon Battista Alberti's grammar.^(GRADIT 2003)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ From “laughable” the adjective came to mean “not worth taking seriously, paltry”, of an amount or a reason, by 1585.^(DELI 1999) Guicciardini calls an excuse ''troppo ridicula'', too absurd to accept.^(GDLI) The neuter noun ''il ridicolo'', the ridiculous, appears in 1551 in Bernardo Segni, and the phrases ''cadere nel ridicolo'' (before 1566, Annibal Caro) and ''porre'' or ''mettere in ridicolo'' (before 1729, Salvini) followed.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Mid-14th century – ''Ridicolo'' appears in the ''Scala del Paradiso'' and in a Perugian poem.^(DELI 1999)^(TLIO)

+ * Before 1472 – Alberti uses it in his grammar.^(GRADIT 2003)

+ * 1551 – Bernardo Segni uses ''il ridicolo'' as a noun.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1566 – Annibal Caro writes ''cadere nel ridicolo''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1585 – The sense “paltry, inadequate” is recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1729 – Salvini uses ''porre in ridicolo'' and ''mettere in ridicolo''.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # [[m|en|ridiculous]], laughable, of a person who makes others laugh or mock by being clumsy or odd: ''Con quel costume sembri ridicolo.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # Of a thing, causing laughter because it is strange, grotesque or clumsy: ''un'acconciatura ridicola''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # Paltry, [[m|en|derisory]]: ''Gli offrono una paga ridicola.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # [[m|en|absurd]], unacceptable: ''una richiesta ridicola''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # Only in the singular, the ridiculous side of something, or the state of being an object of mockery: ''Non coglie il ridicolo della cosa.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[ridicolaggine]]

+ * [[ridicolizzare]]

+ * [[ridicoleggiare]]

+ * [[ridicolezza]]

+ * [[ridicolmente]]

+ * [[ridicoloso]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[ridere]]

+ * [[deridere]]

+ * [[la|ridiculus]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ Common phrases are ''cadere nel ridicolo'' (to become ridiculous), ''mettere in ridicolo'' (to make fun of), ''buttarla in ridicolo'' (to laugh a matter off) and ''non avere il senso del ridicolo''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}