braccio Italian · revision 38350

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=early 13th century, Uguccione da Lodi (Cremonese)|origins=grc βραχίων}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈbrat.t͡ʃo/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''braccio''' ''m'' (plural (in most meanings 1, 2, 4) braccia f or (in the figurative meanings "branch (of a railway/railroad or river), wing (of a building), arm (of a cross, crane, of scales), strait, isthmus" 6, 7, 8, 9) bracci m, diminutive braccìno or braccétto, augmentative braccióne, diminutive-augmentative bracciòtto (“chubby little arm”))^(Wiktionary)

+ The plural is feminine ''braccia'' for the human arm and the old measure, and masculine ''bracci'' for the figurative senses (the arm of a crane, a wing of a building, a branch of a river).^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Wiktionary) The 13th-century poets have many forms, such as [[roa-oit|brazo]] (Giacomino Pugliese) and ''braccio'' (Compagnetto da Prato).^(DELI 1999) Old northern forms include [[roa-oit|braço]] at Venice (1312) and [[roa-oit|brasso]] in Liguria (15th century).^(LEI|7, 1)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|la|bracchium|alt=brāc(c)hium|t=arm; forearm]],^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(DEI)^(Wiktionary) [[bor|grc|βραχίων|tr=brakhíōn|t=arm]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary) Already the ancients explained the Greek word as “the shorter”, a comparative of [[m|grc|βραχύς|tr=brakhús|t=short]], because the arm from shoulder to hand is shorter than the leg from thigh to foot;^(DELI 1999)^(GDLI|2, 342)^(Nocentini 2010) Festus says as much.^(DELI 1999)^(GDLI|2, 342)^(Nocentini 2010) GRADIT thinks the word probably reached Latin through an Italic dialect, and DEI suggests Etruscan as the go-between, or an independent relic of a Mediterranean substrate, and calls the origin unknown.^(GRADIT 2003)^(DEI|582)

+

+ The word is found in all the Romance languages: [[ro|braț]], [[dlm|braz]], [[fur|braç]], [[rm|bratsch]], [[fr|bras]], [[oc|braç]], [[ca|braç]], [[es|brazo]] and [[pt|braço]]; in Sardinian it survives only in the sense “branch”.^(LEI|7, 1)^(Nocentini 2010)^(REW 1935)^(DELI 1999) The neuter plural [[la|bracchia]] became a feminine noun for a measure of length, the fathom, in [[fr|brasse]], [[es|braza]] and the Italian feminine plural.^(REW 1935)^(DEI|582) Devoto describes the sound change: Latin ⟨-chi-⟩ became /tʃ/, doubled after the stressed vowel.^(Devoto 1968|67)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The TLIO's first record is in the Cremonese poet Uguccione da Lodi, at the beginning of the 13th century, and DELI finds the word in the 13th-century poets.^(TLIO)^(DELI 1999) As a measure of length the word is in a Pistoian document of 1240–1250, and in Medieval Latin ''brachium'' is used as a measure in a diploma of Berengar of 912.^(TLIO)^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Latin already used the word in many of the transferred senses that Italian has: the branches of trees and especially of the vine, and an arm of the sea.^(DELI 1999)^(DEI|582) Bono Giamboni, before 1292, has both a projecting part of an object and a strait; the arm of a river is recorded in 1632–1639 and the wing of a building before 1590.^(DELI 1999) As a measure of length, used mainly for cloth, the ''braccio'' varied from city to city: about 0.64 metres at Bologna, 0.595 at Milan and 0.683 at Venice.^(GDLI|2, 345)^(DELI 1999)

+

+ The sense “strength, power”, as in the ''braccio secolare'' (the secular arm), comes from Church Latin, where Christ is called ''bracchium Domini'';^(DELI 1999)^(DEI|582) Giovanni Villani uses it before 1348.^(DELI 1999)^(DEI|582) The plural ''braccia'' for the workforce of farms and industry is recorded in 1818, in Sismondi.^(DELI 1999) The noun ''bracciante'', a day labourer, goes back to the phrase ''vivere di braccia'' (to live by one's arms), found in the 15th century.^(DELI 1999) DELI thinks ''incrociare le braccia'' “to go on strike” was probably modelled on [[fr|croiser les bras]].^(DELI 1999)

+

+ Meyer-Lübke traced [[de|Brezel]] (pretzel), through [[goh|brezitella]], to a diminutive meaning “little arm”, from the shape of the pastry; the LEI treats it under [[la|*brachiatellum]].^(REW 1935)^(LEI|7, 1)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 912 – Medieval Latin ''brachium'' is used as a measure in a diploma of Berengar.^(DELI 1999)

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

+ * 1240–1250 – A Pistoian document uses it as a measure of length.^(TLIO)

+ * Before 1292 – Bono Giamboni uses it for a projecting part and for a strait.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1348 – Giovanni Villani uses it for power, strength.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 15th century – The phrase ''vivere di braccia'' is recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1490 – Portolans use ''brazo'' for an isthmus.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1818 – Sismondi uses ''braccia'' for labour, the workforce.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # The [[m|en|arm]], either of the upper limbs of the human body from the shoulder to the hand (plural ''le braccia''): ''Teneva il bambino in braccio.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+ # ''(anatomy)'' The part of the arm between the shoulder and the [[m|en|elbow]].^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+ # ''(figurative)'' A person who carries out what another plans; an executive body: ''il braccio armato di un'organizzazione''.^(GRADIT 2003)

+ # ''(plural braccia)'' Workers, [[m|en|labour]]: ''In campagna mancano braccia per la vendemmia.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(DELI 1999)

+ # ''(zoology)'' The arm of a starfish; the tentacle of an octopus or other invertebrate.^(GRADIT 2003)

+ # ''(plural bracci)'' A projecting part of something, fixed or movable: the arm of a cross, a crane, a lamp, a pair of scales.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(plural bracci)'' A branch of a road, railway or river; a wing of a building: ''il braccio femminile del carcere''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(DELI 1999)

+ # ''(historical)'' An old unit of length, especially for cloth, of a little over half a metre.^(DELI 1999)^(GDLI|2, 345)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[abbracciare]]

+ * [[abbraccio]]

+ * [[avambraccio]]

+ * [[braccetto]]

+ * [[bracciale]]

+ * [[braccialetto]]

+ * [[bracciante]]

+ * [[bracciata]]

+ * [[bracciolo]]

+ * [[imbracciare]]

+ * [[sbracciare]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[la|bracchium]]

+ * [[fr|bras]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ Common phrases include ''braccio destro'' (right-hand man), ''braccio di ferro'' (arm wrestling; a trial of strength), ''a braccia aperte'' (with open arms), ''incrociare le braccia'' (to fold one's arms; to strike), ''braccio di mare'' (a strait) and ''parlare a braccio'' (to speak off the cuff).^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}