massimo Italian · revision 38516

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=1275, Florentine translation of Albertanus|origins=ine-pro *meǵh₂-}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈmas.si.mo/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''massimo''' (feminine massima, masculine plural massimi, feminine plural massime)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old Italian also wrote it with Latin spelling, ''maximo'', ''maxima'', and southern texts have ''maximu'' and ''macximu''.^(TLIO)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is a learned word, [[bor|la|maximus|t=greatest]], the superlative of [[m|la|magnus|t=great]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary) Pre-classical Latin wrote it “maxumus”.^(OLD 2012) The word did not survive in popular speech in Italy;^(REW 1935)^(Nocentini 2010)^(DEI|2385) Old French had an inherited form [[fro|maisme]], while [[es|máximo]] is learned like the Italian word, and French and English took the neuter “maximum” unchanged.^(REW 1935)^(Nocentini 2010)^(DEI|2385)

+

+ Latin “maximus” goes back to [[itc-pro|*magisamo-|alt=*magisVmo-]], formed with a superlative suffix on the same root as “magnus” and [[m|la|magis|t=more]].^(de Vaan 2008)^(Nocentini 2010)^(Devoto 1968) The root is [[ine-pro|*meǵh₂-|t=great]], which also gave [[grc|μέγας|tr=mégas]], [[sa|महि|tr=máhi-]] and [[got|𐌼𐌹𐌺𐌹𐌻𐍃|tr=mikils]].^(de Vaan 2008)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The TLIO's first record is a Florentine translation of Albertanus of Brescia (1275), where ''massimo'' means “the greatest”, in quality or quantity;^(TLIO) Old Italian also had the adverb ''massime'' “especially”.^(TLIO) DELI and GRADIT give Dante's ''Convivio'' (1304–1308), in the sense “extremely great”.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The noun ''il massimo'' “the highest degree, the maximum” appears before 1537 in Vannoccio Biringuccio.^(DELI 1999) DELI dates its formal use as the superlative of ''grande'' to 1803, in D'Alberti's dictionary.^(DELI 1999) Old phrases kept the Latin model: ''pontefice massimo'', ''Circo Massimo'', and Manzoni's ''il Massimo Fattor'' for God;^(GDLI)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010) ''il massimo poeta'' is Dante.^(GDLI)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+

+ ''Massima'' “maxim” (before 1406) goes back to the Medieval Latin ''sententia maxima'', a proposition of the widest scope.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010) ''Massimalismo'' and ''massimalista'' (1908–1917) come from the ''programma massimo'' of Italian socialism, with a Russian model behind them, and ''massimizzare'' (1957) renders French ''maximiser''.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010) In boxing ''pesi massimi'' calques English ''heavy-weights''.^(DELI 1999) In colloquial Italian ''è il massimo'' says that something is the best there is.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1275 – A Florentine translation of Albertanus has ''massimo''.^(TLIO)

+ * 1304–1308 – Dante uses it in the ''Convivio''.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)

+ * Before 1406 – ''Massima'' “maxim” is recorded in Francesco da Buti.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1537 – Biringuccio uses ''il massimo'' as a noun.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1803 – D'Alberti's dictionary records it as the superlative of ''grande''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1908 – ''Massimalista'' is recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1957 – ''Massimizzare'' is recorded.^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # The greatest, the highest; the [[m|en|maximum]] (superlative of [[grande]]): ''Sull'autostrada la velocità massima è di 130 chilometri orari.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # Very great, utmost, extreme: ''Ti chiedo la massima discrezione.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+ # The most important or eminent: ''le massime cariche dello Stato''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+ # ''(literary)'' [[m|en|supreme]], sublime, as of God.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+ # ''(mathematics)'' In ''massimo comun divisore'' (greatest common divisor) and ''cerchio massimo'' (great circle).^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # The highest degree or greatest quantity possible: ''Ha preso il massimo dei voti.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(DELI 1999)

+ # ''(colloquial)'' The best, someone or something one finds wonderful: ''Quella pizzeria è il massimo.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+ # ''(mathematics)'' The maximum of a function, its greatest value.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(sport)'' A [[m|en|heavyweight]] boxer.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[massima]]

+ * [[massime]]

+ * [[massimamente]]

+ * [[massimale]]

+ * [[massimalismo]]

+ * [[massimalista]]

+ * [[massimario]]

+ * [[massimizzare]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[grande]]

+ * [[maggiore]]

+ * [[minimo]]

+ * [[la|maximus]]

+ * [[la|magnus]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ The phrase ''al massimo'' means “at most”: ''Ci vorranno al massimo due ore.''^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011) ''Massimo'' is also a man's given name, from Latin ''Maximus''.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}