fregare Italian · revision 38537

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=late 12th century, Proverbia que dicuntur (Venetian)|origins=la friō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /freˈɡa.re/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''fregare''' (first-person singular present frégo, first-person singular past historic fregài, past participle fregàto, auxiliary avére)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old forms include [[roa-oit|frecare]], [[roa-oit|fregar]] and [[roa-oit|frecà]], the forms in ⟨-c-⟩ mostly southern and central.^(TLIO) The word is [[vec|fregar]] in Venetian and [[nap|fregà]] in Neapolitan, while [[scn|fricari]] keeps the ⟨c⟩.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|la|fricō|alt=fricāre|t=to rub, chafe]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary) The voicing of the ⟨c⟩ between vowels to ⟨g⟩ is a northern development, so the Tuscan word probably came from the north;^(Devoto 1968)^(DEI|1712)^(Wiktionary) Wiktionary gives an earlier [[m|roa-oit|*frecare]].^(Devoto 1968)^(DEI|1712)^(Wiktionary) The same verb is [[fr|frayer]], [[oc|fregar]], [[ca|fregar]], [[es|fregar]], [[pt|fregar]], Logudorese [[m|sc|frigare]] and [[ro|freca]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(REW 1935) In the south it was crossed with [[la|strigilis|t=strigil, scraper]], giving forms such as Portuguese [[m|pt|estregar]].^(DEI|1712)

+

+ The Latin verb itself is of uncertain origin.^(DELI 1999)^(Zingarelli 2010) De Vaan takes it, like Nocentini, as a derivative of [[m|la|friō|t=to crumble]], built on an adjective [[m|la|*frikos]], and traces that verb to [[ine-pro|*bʰriH-|t=to cut]], with relatives in Sanskrit and Old Church Slavonic words for cutting and shaving.^(de Vaan 2008)^(Nocentini 2010)^(Wiktionary) Nocentini instead sets up a root [[ine-pro|*mr̥-|t=to crumble]], while Devoto found no clear relatives outside Latin.^(Nocentini 2010)^(Devoto 1968)

+

+ The vulgar sense “to have sex with” was already Latin: Pompeian graffiti have [[m|la|fricō|alt=fricare]] with the object [[m|la|cunnus|alt=cunnum]].^(Nocentini 2010) From it came, by an easy shift, the common sense “to cheat”.^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The TLIO's first record is the Venetian ''Proverbia que dicuntur'' of the late 12th century.^(TLIO) The sense is the physical one: to move one surface repeatedly over another while pressing on it, as Cecco Angiolieri writes to Dante (before 1313) “s'eo cimo 'l panno, tu vi freghi 'l cardo” (if I shear the cloth, you rub the teasel on it).^(TLIO)^(DELI 1999)^(GDLI)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Rubbing remained the main sense for centuries: Dante has Sordello draw a line with his finger in the dust (''in terra fregò il dito''), and medieval treatises advise rubbing wounds and enamels.^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861)^(GDLI) Already in Old Italian the verb could mean taking something by deceit.^(TLIO) DELI dates “to cheat, swindle” to Sercambi's novellas (about 1400), “to possess sexually” to Pietro Aretino (1536) and “to steal” to Bronzino (before 1573).^(DELI 1999) A Treviso document of 1313 has ''fregator'' for a sodomite.^(DEI|1712)

+

+ The pronominal ''fregarsene'', “not to care at all”, is Roman in origin: it is found in Belli's sonnets (before 1863) and entered the dictionaries with Panzini in 1905, who compared French ''se ficher''.^(DELI 1999) The motto ''me ne frego'' was put by D'Annunzio on the pennant of his machine-gunners at Fiume in a proclamation of 11 January 1920, and was later taken up by the Fascists.^(DELI 1999) The noun ''fregola'', the excitement of animals in the mating season, is said to be named from fish rubbing themselves on stones when they spawn.^(DELI 1999)^(Prati 1951)

+

+ In modern Italian the senses “to cheat”, “to steal” and “to fail (someone in an exam)” are popular or colloquial, and the sexual sense is vulgar.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Late 12th century – The Venetian ''Proverbia que dicuntur'' has the verb.^(TLIO)

+ * Before 1313 – Cecco Angiolieri uses ''fregare'' “to rub”.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)

+ * 1313 – ''Fregator'' “sodomite” is recorded at Treviso.^(DEI|1712)

+ * About 1400 – Sercambi uses it for “to cheat”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1433 – The noun ''frego'', a stroke or scrawl, is recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1494 – Poliziano has ''fregola'' for the mating urge of animals.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1536 – Pietro Aretino uses it for “to possess sexually”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1573 – Bronzino uses it for “to steal”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1863 – Belli's Roman sonnets have ''fregarsene'' “not to care”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1905 – Panzini's dictionary records ''fregarsene''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1915 – ''Fregatura'' “swindle” is recorded in Renato Serra.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1920 – D'Annunzio makes ''me ne frego'' a motto at Fiume.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To [[m|en|rub]] something hard, especially to clean or polish it: ''Ho fregato la padella finché non è tornata lucida.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # To rub or [[m|en|massage]] a part of the body; pronominal ''fregarsi'': ''fregarsi le mani'', to rub one's hands, from cold or with satisfaction, and ''fregarsi gli occhi'', to rub one's eyes.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # To scrape or brush something against a surface: ''fregare un cerino sulla scatola'', to strike a match on the box.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+ # ''(colloquial)'' To [[m|en|cheat]], [[m|en|swindle]] or trick someone: ''Quel meccanico ci ha fregati sul prezzo.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(colloquial)'' To beat someone, especially by unfair means; to fail someone in an exam.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(colloquial)'' To [[m|en|steal]], to nick: ''Qualcuno mi ha fregato la bicicletta.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(vulgar)'' To have sex with someone.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Treccani 2011)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(rare)'' To mark or cross out with a stroke of the pen.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # ''(colloquial)'' ''fregarsene'' and impersonal ''fregare'' in negative or rhetorical sentences: not to care at all about something, as in ''me ne frego'' and ''chi se ne frega?''.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[fregarsene]]

+ * [[fregatura]]

+ * [[fregata]]

+ * [[frego]]

+ * [[fregola]]

+ * [[fregagione]]

+ * [[fregamento]]

+ * [[sfregare]]

+ * [[sfregamento]]

+ * [[soffregare]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[fregarsi]]

+ * [[frizione]]

+ * [[la|fricō]]

+ * [[es|fregar]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ The impersonal use is very common in speech: ''non me ne frega niente'' and ''che te ne frega?'' (what's it to you?) are the colloquial counterparts of ''non m'importa'' and ''che t'importa?''.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Treccani 2011) The written form ''chissenefrega'' is also found.^(Zingarelli 2010)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}