grandioso Italian · revision 38518

+ {{infobox|confidence=disputed|formation=borrowing|attested=1573|origins=la grandis}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ɡranˈdjo.zo/, /ɡranˈdjo.so/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''grandioso''' (feminine grandiosa, masculine plural grandiosi, feminine plural grandiose)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The origin is disputed.^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010) Nocentini, Devoto, Devoto–Oli and Sabatini–Coletti take the word from Spanish: it is [[bor|es|grandioso]], a derivative of [[m|es|grandía|t=greatness]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(Devoto 1968)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026) GRADIT and Devoto trace it to [[la-med|grandiosus]].^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto 1968) DEI also sees a learned word of medieval scholastic tradition, formed from [[la|grandis|t=big]] on the model of [[m|la|gloriosus|t=glorious]], and it lists the Spanish word among the outcomes rather than as the source.^(DEI|1859) Zingarelli, Gabrielli and Wiktionary treat it as an Italian formation from [[grande]] with the suffix [[-oso]], made like [[glorioso]] from [[gloria]].^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Gabrielli 2020)^(Wiktionary) DELI lists it among the derivatives of “grande”.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ The Latin adjective “grandis” meant “grown up, big, tall”.^(de Vaan 2008) Its further origin is unclear: de Vaan rejects the comparison with [[grc|βρένθος|tr=brénthos|t=pride]] and with Slavic words for “breast”, and finds the proposed link with [[eu|handi|t=big]] through a substrate too speculative.^(de Vaan 2008)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ DELI, GRADIT and DIFIT date the word to 1573, in the sense “impressive for its size, richness or the means employed”.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)^(DIFIT) DELI also gives 1573 for its use of a person who does things on a grand scale, with a line of Paolo Segneri that Tommaseo also quotes: ''Non sono grandi, sono grandiosi'' “they are not great, they are grandiose”.^(DELI 1999)^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861) Zingarelli has an earlier date, 1540, and DEI puts the word in the 14th century.^(Zingarelli 2010)^(DEI|1859)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In the late 17th century Francesco Redi used it of things that strike by their proportions and richness, and Tommaseo explained the difference from ''grande'': what is ''grande'' is large in itself, what is ''grandioso'' strikes the imagination by the proportion of its parts and their effect.^(DELI 1999)^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861) The sense “very ambitious” (''progetti grandiosi'') and the colloquial “exceptional, terrific” followed, and ''fare il grandioso'' means to show off a generosity one cannot afford.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011) In music ''grandioso'' marks a solemn, majestic performance (1775).^(DIFIT)^(GRADIT 2003)

+

+ French used ''grandioso'' of art and architecture in 1740 and adapted it as ''grandiose'' in 1798;^(DIFIT) German has ''grandios'' from 1781.^(DIFIT) English ''grandiose'' (1828) came through French, while ''grandioso'' itself was taken into English as a musical term (1876).^(Etymonline)^(DIFIT) Wiktionary also lists borrowings in Spanish, Portuguese, Russian and Esperanto.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1540 – Zingarelli's date of first record.^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ * 1573 – ''Grandioso'' is recorded in the sense “imposing”, and of a person who does things in grand style.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)

+ * Before 1698 – Francesco Redi uses it of things impressive for their size and richness.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1740 – French uses Italian ''grandioso'' in writing on art and architecture.^(DIFIT)

+ * 1775 – The musical sense is recorded.^(DIFIT)

+ * 1781 – German ''grandios'' is first recorded.^(DIFIT)

+ * 1798 – French ''grandiose'' is recorded.^(DIFIT)

+ * 1828 – English ''grandiose'' is recorded, taken from French.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1876 – English takes ''grandioso'' as a musical term.^(DIFIT)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # [[m|en|grandiose]], [[m|en|imposing]]: striking for its size, splendour or the means employed: ''Dal belvedere si apriva un panorama grandioso sulle Alpi.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # Very [[m|en|ambitious]], at times beyond what can really be done: ''Ha sempre piani grandiosi, ma non ne realizza nessuno.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # Exceptional, extraordinary, ''(colloquial)'' terrific: ''È stata una festa grandiosa.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # Of a person: showing off wealth and generosity, often more than is real, ''(literary)'' generous, munificent.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Treccani 2011)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # ''(music)'' Of a direction: to be played in a solemn, majestic way.^(GRADIT 2003)^(DIFIT)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # Someone who shows off a liberality beyond their means, chiefly in ''fare il grandioso'' “to play the big spender”.^(Treccani 2011)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+ # What is grand or imposing about something; [[grandiosità]].^(Treccani 2011)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[grandiosità]]

+ * [[grandiosamente]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[grande]]

+ * [[es|grandioso]]

+ * [[fr|grandiose]]

+ * [[la|grandis]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}