peso Italian · revision 38517

+ {{homograph|1|weight}}

+

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=1279|origins=la pendō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈpe.zo/, /ˈpe.so/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''peso''' ''m'' (plural pesi)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The weight is [[inh|la-vul|*pēsum]], from [[la|pensum|alt=pēnsum]], which in Latin meant the quantity of wool weighed out to a slave woman to spin in a day.^(Wiktionary)^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010) “Pēnsum” is the neuter of [[m|la|pensus|t=weighed]], the past participle of [[m|la|pendō|t=to weigh]], used as a noun.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(OLD 2012) The ⟨n⟩ before ⟨s⟩ was weakened and lost, as the Romance forms show.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(REW 1935) The word is pan-Romance: [[fro|pois]] (modern [[fr|poids]]), [[oc|pes]], [[ca|pes]], [[es|peso]], [[pt|peso]], [[sc|pesu]], [[fur|pes]], [[rm|pais]] and [[ro|păs]], which means “grief”.^(Nocentini 2010)^(REW 1935) DÉRom reconstructs a Proto-Romance neuter noun */ˈpes-u/, with plurals in “-ora” and “-a”, from every branch except Dalmatian.^(DÉRom) In Sardinian, southeastern French, eastern Occitan and Spanish the word also means “a pair of scales”.^(REW 1935)

+

+ Latin “pendō” meant “to hang (something)”, then “to weigh out” and “to pay”.^(de Vaan 2008) Most handbooks take it as a variant of the root [[ine-pro|*(s)penh₁-|t=to spin]], through “stretch a thread” and “leave hanging”.^(de Vaan 2008) De Vaan finds this possible but not obvious, and also considers a nasal present of [[ine-pro|*ped-|t=to fall]].^(de Vaan 2008)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ GRADIT dates the word to 1279.^(GRADIT 2003) DELI's first records are from the late 13th century: Monte Andrea uses it for a very heavy body, Bono Giamboni (before 1292) for the force that draws bodies towards the earth, and the ''Novellino'' (late 13th century) for what weighs on the mind.^(DELI 1999) Giamboni's text describes an ice sheet that broke under “the very great weight” of the crowd and the animals crossing it.^(GDLI)^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Dante (before 1321) uses ''peso'' for the weight used on a scale, and Boccaccio (1353) for authority and importance, the sense of ''dare peso'' “to give weight” and ''di poco peso'' “of little account”.^(DELI 1999) The figurative sense of a burden or worry, also old, gave ''togliersi un peso dallo stomaco'' “to take a weight off one's stomach”.^(GRADIT 2003) Trade gave ''peso lordo'' and ''peso netto'' (gross and net weight) and ''a peso d'oro'' “at the price of gold”.^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Gabrielli 2020)^(GRADIT 2003)

+

+ Sport added new senses in the 20th century: the weight categories of boxers and wrestlers (1914), and the iron ball of the shot put (1935).^(DELI 1999) ''Pesi massimi'', ''pesi medi'' and ''peso piuma'' are calques of English ''heavy-weights'' (1857), ''middle-weights'' and ''feather-weight'' (1889). ''Peso massimo'' has lately also come to mean a leading political figure, like French ''poids lourd''.^(DELI 1999) The sportsman who lifts weights or throws the shot is a ''pesista'' (1942).^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1279 – GRADIT's date of first record.^(GRADIT 2003)

+ * 13th century – Monte Andrea uses ''peso'' for a heavy body.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Late 13th century – The ''Novellino'' uses it for a burden on the mind.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1292 – Bono Giamboni uses it for the force of gravity.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1321 – Dante uses it for a weight used in weighing.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1353 – Boccaccio uses it for authority and importance.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1914 – The weight categories of boxers are recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1935 – The shot of the shot put is called ''peso''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1942 – ''Pesista'' and ''pesistica'' are recorded.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)

+ * 1973 – The lead weights of a diver are recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # ''(physics)'' [[m|en|weight]]: the force that gravity exerts on a body.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # The measure of that force, expressed in units such as kilograms: ''Il medico mi ha detto di perdere un po' di peso.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+ # A heavy object or load: ''Non sollevare pesi dopo l'operazione.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # A weight used on a scale; a weight lifted in training; the iron ball of the [[m|en|shot put]].^(GRADIT 2003)^(DELI 1999)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # ''(sport)'' A weight category in boxing, wrestling and weightlifting: ''peso piuma'', ''peso massimo''.^(DELI 1999)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+ # ''(figurative)'' A [[m|en|burden]], a care or duty that weighs on someone: ''Si porta dietro il peso di quella scelta da anni.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(figurative)'' Importance, [[m|en|influence]]: ''Le sue parole hanno avuto poco peso nella discussione.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(DELI 1999)

+ # A feeling of heaviness, as from poor digestion.^(GRADIT 2003)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[pesista]]

+ * [[pesistica]]

+ * [[pesiera]]

+ * [[contrappeso]]

+ * [[sovrappeso]]

+ * [[sottopeso]]

+ * [[soprappeso]]

+

+ {{homograph|2|currency}}

+

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=c. 1525, Antonio Pigafetta|origins=la pendō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈpɛ.zo/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''peso''' ''m'' (plural pesos)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The currency is [[bor|es|peso]], which properly means “weight”, the same word as Italian [[peso#1]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary) The Spanish word is recorded from 962 and comes from [[la|pensum|alt=pēnsum]].^(GRADIT 2003)^(Treccani 2011)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The first record is in Antonio Pigafetta's account of Magellan's voyage (about 1525), where islanders give ''pesi de oro'', gold pesos, for iron, and a ''peso'' is said to be worth about a ducat and a half.^(DELI 1999)^(GDLI) GRADIT dates the word to 1533.^(GRADIT 2003)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In the 16th century the ''peso'' was a Spanish weight and coin of gold or silver, mentioned by Ramusio and in Venetian reports.^(GDLI) Today it is the name of the currency of several Spanish-speaking countries, chiefly in Latin America, and of the Philippines.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011) Its diminutive ''peseta'' was taken into Italian in the 16th century.^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 962 – Spanish ''peso'' is first recorded.^(GRADIT 2003)

+ * About 1525 – Pigafetta writes of ''pesi de oro''.^(DELI 1999)^(GDLI)

+ * 1533 – GRADIT's date of first record.^(GRADIT 2003)

+ * 16th century – ''Peseta'' is taken from Spanish.^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # [[m|en|peso]]: the name of the currency of several Spanish-speaking countries, mostly in Latin America, and of the Philippines: ''peso messicano'', ''peso argentino''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # ''(historical)'' An old Spanish coin and unit of weight for gold.^(GDLI)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[peseta]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[pesare]]

+ * [[penso]]

+ * [[pesante]]

+ * [[la|pensum]]

+ * [[es|peso]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ The currency is pronounced with an open ⟨e⟩, /ˈpɛ.zo/, and its plural is ''pesos'' or invariable.^(Wiktionary)^(Treccani 2011) In Tuscany ''peso'' is also an adjective meaning “heavy” and, figuratively, “tiresome”, formed from [[pesare]] and recorded since before 1449; in Collodi's ''Pinocchio'' the puppet asks the tuna fish ''Siamo troppo pesi?'' “are we too heavy?”.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(GDLI) Old Tuscan ''peso'' “pea” (14th century) is a different word, from [[la|pisum]].^(DEI|2876)^(GDLI) In the wool trade ''peso'' was also the quantity of wool handed out to the wool-beaters (1688), a direct survival of the Latin sense.^(DEI|2876)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}