orribile Italian · revision 38385

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=late 12th century, Proverbia quae dicuntur (Venetian)|origins=la horreō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /orˈri.bi.le/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''orribile''' ''m or f'' by sense (plural orribili)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old and dialect forms include [[roa-oit|orribele]], [[roa-oit|oribele]] and [[roa-oit|orribel]].^(TLIO)^(GDLI)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is a learned word, [[bor|la|horribilis|t=dreadful]], from [[m|la|horreō|t=to bristle; to shudder]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(GDLI)^(DEI|2682) Wiktionary calls the borrowing probable.^(Wiktionary) The Latin verb first meant that the hair stood on end, and, from this “to feel horror”.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ [[fr|horrible]] and [[es|horrible]] are the same Latin word.^(Nocentini 2010) DEI dates the French word to the 12th century and gives it as the source of the English one.^(DEI|2682)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The TLIO's first record is the Venetian ''Proverbia quae dicuntur'' of the late 12th century, in the sense “causing fear or dismay”.^(TLIO) DELI dates the sense “causing horror” to Dante (1300–1313), and GRADIT gives 1300.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Dante writes of the “horrible languages” (''orribili favelle'') heard at the gate of Hell.^(GDLI) Old Italian applied the adjective to sights, smells and noises that caused disgust, to destructive natural events, and to deeds that deserved moral condemnation.^(TLIO) The weakened sense “very bad” is found about 1300 in the Italian Albertano and about 1350 in the Italian Crescenzi.^(DELI 1999) Today the adjective is often used as a hyperbole for something unpleasant or ugly.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Late 12th century – The ''Proverbia quae dicuntur'' use the adjective.^(TLIO)

+ * 1288 – ''Orribilezza'' is recorded.^(DEI|2682)

+ * c. 1300 – The sense “very bad” appears in the translated Albertano.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1300–1313 – Dante uses ''orribile'' “causing horror”.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # [[m|en|horrible]], dreadful, causing horror: ''un urlo orribile''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # Of an act, [[m|en|atrocious]], cruel: ''una punizione orribile''.^(GRADIT 2003)

+ # ''(hyperbolic)'' Very unpleasant, [[m|en|awful]]: ''Abbiamo fatto un viaggio orribile.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(hyperbolic)'' Very ugly: ''Quel cappotto è orribile.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+ # Of weather or sea, very bad: ''un mare orribile''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[orribilmente]]

+ * [[orribilità]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[orrore]]

+ * [[orrendo]]

+ * [[orrido]]

+ * [[la|horribilis]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}