buio Italian · revision 38751

+ {{infobox|confidence=probable|formation=inherited|attested=before 1292, Bono Giamboni|origins=la burrus}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈbu.jo/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''buio''' (feminine buia, masculine plural bui, feminine plural buie)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old Italian also had ''buro'', and the TLIO records ''bubbio'', ''bur'' and ''buyo'' among other forms.^(DELI 1999)^(TLIO)^(Zingarelli 2010) Corsican has ''(b)ùghiu'' “brown”.^(DELI 1999)^(LEI|8, 199)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|la-vul|*būrius|t=dark red, dark-coloured]], derived from [[la|burrus|t=red]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary) The Vulgar Latin form is not recorded; the LEI, following Meyer-Lübke and Wartburg, accepts it as a regional Latin word because of [[fro|buire]] in “chape buire”, a dark brown cloak (13th century), and the Italo-Romance forms.^(LEI|8, 199)^(REW 1935)^(DEI|631) [[roa-oit|buro]] and [[co|bùghiu|t=brown]] keep the original colour sense.^(DELI 1999)^(TLIO)

+

+ The relation between [[m|la|*būrius]] and [[m|la|burrus]] is not fully explained: DEI notes that the long vowel is unclear and mentions the possibility of a comparative form “burrius”.^(DEI|631)^(LEI|8, 199) Latin [[m|la|burrus]] is an old popular loan from [[grc|πυρρός|tr=purrhós|t=flame-coloured]], derived from [[m|grc|πῦρ|tr=pûr|t=fire]].^(DEI|631)^(LEI|8, 259)^(Wiktionary) Devoto thought instead of a crossing of [[m|la|burrus]] with [[la|boreus|t=northern]].^(Devoto 1968) Wiktionary also mentions a less likely derivation from [[la|furvus|t=dark, dusky]].^(Wiktionary)

+

+ The Tuscan outcome of ⟨-uriu⟩ as ⟨-uio⟩ is regular, as in [[burella]].^(Devoto 1968)^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The TLIO's first record is in Bono Giamboni's Florentine translation of Orosius (before 1292), in the sense “without light, dark”.^(TLIO) DELI dates the adjective to Dante's ''Inferno'' (1300–1313) and the noun “darkness” to the ''Purgatorio'' and ''Paradiso'' (1313–1319).^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003) Dante's “buio d'inferno e di notte privata / d'ogni pianeta” (“darkness of hell and of a night bereft of every planet”) opens the sixteenth canto of the ''Purgatorio''.^(GDLI|2, 436)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The old colour sense “dark-coloured” lasted for a long time: Pegolotti (c. 1347) speaks of ''panni bui'', dark cloths, and Berni and Varchi use the adjective of cloth and paintings in the 16th century.^(LEI|8, 199) In the slang of Treviso in 1545 ''buio'' meant “black” and ''buoso'' “wine”.^(LEI|8, 199)

+

+ The word was felt to be colloquial: in 1536 Aretino counted it among the words of everyday Tuscan, and in 1559 Ruscelli called it a popular word, very Tuscan but not suited to graceful verse.^(DELI 1999) The figurative sense “frowning, gloomy” is dated to Giovanni Prati in 1844.^(DELI 1999) Modern Italian also uses the adjective for times of decline (''secoli bui'') and uncertain prospects, and the noun for ignorance and mystery; in poker, ''aprire al buio'' is to open before looking at one's cards.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+

+ The diminutive ''burella'' (early 14th century), a dark dungeon in Dante, and ''rabbuiarsi'' “to grow dark” (14th century) were formed early.^(Nocentini 2010)^(REW 1935) ''Buiore'' “darkness”, used by Dante, still lives in Tuscany.^(DEI|631)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Before 1292 – Bono Giamboni uses ''buio''.^(TLIO)

+ * 1300–1313 – Dante uses the adjective in the ''Inferno''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Early 14th century – ''Burella'' “dark place” is recorded.^(Nocentini 2010)

+ * 1313–1319 – Dante uses ''buio'' as a noun, “darkness”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1314 – Francesco da Barberino has the form ''buro''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * c. 1347 – Pegolotti speaks of ''panni bui'', dark cloths.^(LEI|8, 199)

+ * 1559 – Ruscelli calls ''buio'' a popular word.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1844 – Giovanni Prati uses it for “frowning, gloomy”.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # [[m|en|dark]], without light: ''Il corridoio era buio e stretto.'' Of the sky or weather: heavily [[m|en|overcast]].^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(figurative)'' Uncertain, threatening: ''Per l'azienda si annunciano mesi bui.'' Of a period: marked by decline and ignorance.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(figurative)'' [[m|en|gloomy]], frowning, worried: ''Quando entrò era buio in volto.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # ''(figurative, uncommon)'' Obscure, hard to understand.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(uncommon)'' Of a dark colour.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # [[m|en|darkness]], absence of light: ''I bambini hanno paura del buio.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # Nightfall, night: ''Vorrei arrivare prima del buio.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # ''(figurative)'' Ignorance of something; [[m|en|mystery]]: ''Su quella vicenda c'è ancora molto buio.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(poker)'' A blind bet, made before seeing one's cards.^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[burella]]

+ * [[rabbuiarsi]]

+ * [[abbuiare]]

+ * [[buiore]]

+ * [[semibuio]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[oscuro]]

+ * [[birro]]

+ * [[la|burrus]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ Set phrases include ''buio pesto'' “pitch dark”, ''al buio'' “in the dark”, ''tenere qualcuno al buio'' “to keep someone in the dark”, ''salto nel buio'' “leap in the dark” and ''appuntamento al buio'' “blind date”.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010) The proverb ''al buio tutti i gatti sono bigi'' says that in some situations no distinctions can be made.^(Zingarelli 2010)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}