tedesco Italian · revision 38529

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=c. 1190, Raimbaut de Vaqueiras|origins=gem-pro *þeudō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /teˈdes.ko/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''tedesco''' (feminine tedesca, masculine plural tedeschi, feminine plural tedesche)^(Wiktionary)

+ The variant [[roa-oit|todesco]] is widespread in old texts and in the dialects, already in the 10th-century ''Chronicon Salernitanum''; other old forms include [[roa-oit|toesco]] and [[roa-oit|tudisco]].^(DELI 1999)^(TLIO)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026) It is [[vec|todesco]] in Venetian and [[scn|tudiscu]] in Sicilian.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|la-med|theodiscus|t=of the people, vernacular]], a Latin rendering of a Germanic adjective [[gem-pro|*þiudiskaz]] derived from [[m|gem-pro|*þeudō|t=people]], the word behind [[got|𐌸𐌹𐌿𐌳𐌰|tr=þiuda|t=people]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary) It first named the spoken language of the Germanic peoples, as opposed to Latin, on the model of [[la|vulgāris|t=of the common people]], and only later the people themselves.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Devoto 1968)^(Zaccaria 1901) The same Germanic word became [[goh|diutisc]], modern German [[m|de|deutsch]], and English [[m|en|Dutch]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ The reduction of the diphthong ⟨eu⟩ to ⟨e⟩ is old, and is found in Lombard personal names of the 10th century.^(DELI 1999) Romance relatives are [[fro|tieis]], [[rm|tudais]], [[es|tudesco]] and [[pt|tudesco]].^(DEI|3738)^(Zaccaria 1901) Devoto further connected the Germanic noun with words for “people” in Baltic, Celtic and Umbrian, and with Italian [[tutto]].^(Devoto 1968)^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Medieval Latin ''theodiscus'' is first recorded in 786, and a Trento document of 845 speaks of “tam teutisci quam et langobardi” (Germans as well as Lombards).^(DELI 1999) In Italian the TLIO's first record is the Genoese ''contrasto'' of Raimbaut de Vaqueiras (about 1190); DELI has the 12th-century ''Cantilena di un giullare toscano''.^(TLIO)^(DELI 1999) The sense is “of Germany”, of a person or the language.^(TLIO)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Dante writes of ''li Tedeschi lurchi'' (the gluttonous Germans) and of the Danube leaving ''le ripe tedesche''.^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861) ''Alla tedesca'' “in the German manner” is in the ''Tavola Ritonda'' (14th century).^(DEI|3738)^(TLIO) Old Paduan ''intoescare'' meant to speak incomprehensibly.^(DEI|3738) Before 1866 ''tedeschi'' was also the Italian name for the Austrians.^(Prati 1951)

+

+ Modern derivatives include ''tedescofilo'' (1914–15, Mussolini) and ''tedescofobo'' (1957).^(DELI 1999) Figuratively a ''tedesco'' is a precise, methodical person.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Treccani 2011) French borrowed the word as [[fr|tudesque]] (1513), and English as ''tedesco'' for a style of art (1802).^(DIFIT)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 786 – Medieval Latin ''theodiscus'' is first recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 845 – ''Teutiscus'' is recorded at Trento.^(DELI 1999)^(DEI|3738)

+ * 10th century – The ''Chronicon Salernitanum'' has ''lingua todesca''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * About 1190 – Raimbaut de Vaqueiras uses ''tedesco''.^(TLIO)

+ * 1328 – Medieval Latin ''pannus tedeschinus'' is a cloth at the papal court.^(DEI|3738)

+ * 1513 – French ''tudesque'' is borrowed.^(DIFIT)

+ * 1802 – English ''tedesco'' is recorded in art history.^(DIFIT)

+ * 1914–1915 – Mussolini uses ''tedescofilo''.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # [[m|en|German]]: of Germany, its people or its language: ''la cucina tedesca'', ''un'auto tedesca''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # A German: a native or inhabitant of Germany.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Wiktionary)

+ # The German language, and the school subject: ''Studia tedesco da tre anni.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(figurative)'' A precise, methodical person.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[tedescofilo]]

+ * [[tedescofobo]]

+ * [[tedescamente]]

+ * [[tedescheggiare]]

+ * [[tedescheria]]

+ * [[tedeschismo]]

+ * [[tedescume]]

+ * [[intedescare]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[teutonico]]

+ * [[germanico]]

+ * [[de|deutsch]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Pastore tedesco'' is the German shepherd dog, and ''alto tedesco'' and ''basso tedesco'' are High and Low German.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010) ''Parlare tedesco'' once meant to speak incomprehensibly.^(Gabrielli 2020)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}