fresco Italian · revision 38786

+ {{infobox|confidence=probable|formation=inherited|attested=late 12th century, Ritmo laurenziano|origins=gem-pro *friskaz}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈfres.ko/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''fresco''' (feminine fresca, masculine plural freschi, feminine plural fresche, superlative freschissimo)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|la-vul|*friscus|t=fresh]], [[der|gem-pro|*friskaz|t=fresh]].^(Wiktionary)^(DELI 1999) The sources agree on the Germanic origin but differ on how the word came in: DELI holds that, because it is found in all the western Romance languages, including Sardinian, it entered spoken Latin early;^(DELI 1999) Nocentini treats it as a medieval loan from West Germanic,^(Nocentini 2010) Devoto–Oli from Lombardic and Sabatini–Coletti and GRADIT from Frankish.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(GRADIT 2003)

+

+ The same word is [[fr|frais]], [[oc|fresc]], [[ca|fresc]], [[es|fresco]], [[pt|fresco]], [[rm|fraisk]] and [[fur|fresk]],^(REW 1935)^(Nocentini 2010) as well as [[sc|friscu]].^(DEI|1716) In the Germanic languages it is [[goh|frisc]], [[de|frisch]] and [[en|fresh]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(GDLI)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The TLIO's and DELI's first record is in the ''Ritmo laurenziano'' of the late 12th century, from Tuscany, in the sense “blooming, flourishing”.^(TLIO)^(DELI 1999) The sense “recently made” is in Dante (before 1321) and the sense of temperature, “pleasantly cool”, in Andrea Lancia's or Arrigo Simintendi's translation of Ovid (before 1333).^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Petrarch's line “Chiare, fresche e dolci acque” (clear, fresh and sweet waters) is the most famous early use of the temperature sense.^(GDLI) As a noun, “coolness”, it is recorded at the end of the 14th century,^(DELI 1999) and the painters' phrase ''in fresco'' or ''a fresco'', painting on plaster that is still wet, is in Cennino Cennini.^(GDLI)^(DIFIT) From that phrase came ''affresco'' (1809) and ''affrescare''.^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ DELI explains ''mettere al fresco'', to put in prison, probably from the cold and damp of prisons, and suggests that ''stare fresco'', to be in trouble, began as a joking use of Dante's line on the traitors frozen in the ice of Cocytus, “Là dove i peccatori stanno freschi”.^(DELI 1999)^(Zingarelli 2010) In the 20th century ''fresco'' also became the name of a light wool cloth for summer suits (1931).^(DELI 1999)^(DIFIT) In Venice ''i freschi'' were the parades of decorated gondolas along the Grand Canal on feast days.^(GDLI)

+

+ French borrowed the painting sense as [[fr|fresque]] (1669, Molière), after the earlier ''peindre au frais'' (1611).^(DEI|1716)^(DIFIT) English has ''fresco'' from the 1590s, first in the phrase ''in fresco''.^(Etymonline)^(DIFIT)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Late 12th century – ''Fresco'' “flourishing” appears in the ''Ritmo laurenziano''.^(TLIO)^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1257 – ''Frescura'' “cool air” is recorded in Bonagiunta.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1292 – ''Freschezza'' is recorded in Bono Giamboni.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1321 – Dante uses ''fresco'' for “recent”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1333 – The sense “pleasantly cool” is recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Late 14th century – The noun “coolness” is recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1598 – English ''frisco'' “fresco painting” is first recorded.^(DIFIT)

+ * 1669 – French ''fresque'' appears in Molière.^(DEI|1716)

+ * 1809 – ''Affresco'' is recorded.^(Nocentini 2010)

+ * 1931 – ''Fresco'' names a light summer cloth.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # [[m|en|cool]], pleasantly cold: ''Bevo un po' d'acqua fresca.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # Of a place, cool and shady: ''La cantina è il posto più fresco della casa.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+ # Of the body, not hot with fever: ''Il bambino ora ha la fronte fresca.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+ # [[m|en|fresh]], of food: recently made, picked or caught, not preserved: ''pane fresco'', ''pesce fresco''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # Of paint or plaster, still wet: ''Attenzione, vernice fresca!''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # Recent, new: ''Ho notizie freschissime.'', ''fresco di stampa'', just published.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(figurative)'' Youthful, healthy, blooming; rested and ready: ''viso fresco'', ''truppe fresche''.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+ # ''(figurative)'' Lively, spontaneous, of a style or voice.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # [[m|en|coolness]], a pleasantly cool temperature: ''Di sera qui fa fresco anche d'estate.''^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A cool place: ''tenere al fresco'', to keep in a cool place, ''(colloquial)'' ''al fresco'', in prison.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(DELI 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A light wool cloth for summer clothes.^(DELI 1999)^(Wiktionary)^(DIFIT)

+ # ''(archaic)'' A [[m|en|fresco]] painting, an ''affresco''.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[freschezza]]

+ * [[frescura]]

+ * [[affresco]]

+ * [[affrescare]]

+ * [[rinfrescare]]

+ * [[rinfresco]]

+ * [[rinfrescata]]

+ * [[raffrescare]]

+ * [[frescamente]]

+ * [[freschista]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[fr|frais]]

+ * [[de|frisch]]

+ * [[en|fresh]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Stare fresco'' is ironic: to be in trouble, or to wait in vain.^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Gabrielli 2020)^(Treccani 2011) ''Di fresco'' means recently.^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}