straordinario Italian · revision 38908

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=before 1444, Giovanni Morelli|origins=la ordo}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /stra.or.diˈna.rjo/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''straordinario''' (feminine straordinaria, masculine plural straordinari, feminine plural straordinarie)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old forms are ''estraordinario'', ''strasordinario'' and ''strasordenario''.^(Treccani 2011)^(GDLI|20, 290)^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ DELI and GRADIT take it as a learned borrowing, [[bor|la|extraordinārius|t=out of the ordinary, extra]], with the Latin prefix rendered by Italian [[stra-]].^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Wiktionary) The Latin adjective comes from the phrase [[m|la|extrā ōrdinem|t=outside the order]], from [[m|la|extrā|t=outside]] and [[m|la|ōrdō|t=order, rank]], with the suffix [[m|la|-ārius]].^(Wiktionary)^(OLD 2012) Nocentini and Devoto–Oli instead treat it as an Italian formation, [[ordinario]] with the same prefix;^(Nocentini 2010)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Wiktionary) Wiktionary allows both analyses.^(Nocentini 2010)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ DELI thinks DEI's dating to the 14th century is probably a mistake, and puts the first record before 1444.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The first record is in the chronicle of the Florentine merchant Giovanni Morelli, who died in 1444, in the sense “outside the ordinary, against nature or custom”;^(DELI 1999)^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861) Tommaseo quotes him on expenses that were ''nella dota di nostra madre, e in molte spese straordinarie'', “in our mother's dowry, and in many extraordinary expenses”.^(DELI 1999)^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ From the 16th century the adjective is common for what happens rarely or by accident, as in Bandello's ''straordinarie infermità'', unusual illnesses.^(GDLI|20, 290) In Tommaseo's time the noun could also mean an extra courier, an official's attendant, or a teacher who read subjects outside the ordinary professors' courses.^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861)

+

+ The administrative senses of the 20th century set ''straordinario'' against ''ordinario'': an ''impiegato straordinario'' is taken on for a limited time, a ''professore straordinario'' is a tenured university professor in the years before confirmation as ''ordinario'', and ''lavoro straordinario'' is work done beyond normal hours.^(Treccani 2011)^(Zingarelli 2010) DELI dates the nouns “overtime” and “temporary employee” to Palazzi's dictionary of 1940.^(DELI 1999) By hyperbole the adjective became a general word of praise, “exceptional, amazing”.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Before 1444 – First record, in Giovanni Morelli's chronicle.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1704 – ''Straordinarietà'' is recorded in Lorenzo Bellini.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1897 – Sabatini–Coletti dates the noun “overtime” to this year.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ * 1940 – Palazzi records the nouns “overtime” and “temporary employee”.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # [[m|en|extraordinary]], outside the ordinary or the usual: ''un fenomeno straordinario''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # Special and temporary, added for particular needs: ''assemblea straordinaria'', ''edizione straordinaria'', ''treno straordinario''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # [[m|en|exceptional]], remarkable, amazing (also of something bad): ''Ha una memoria straordinaria per i numeri.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # ''(singular)'' What is extraordinary: ''Lo straordinario è che nessuno se ne sia accorto.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(often plural)'' [[m|en|overtime]], work beyond normal hours, and the pay for it: ''fare gli straordinari''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A temporary employee or a ''professore straordinario''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[straordinariamente]]

+ * [[straordinarietà]]

+ * [[straordinariato]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[ordinario]]

+ * [[ordine]]

+ * [[la|extraordinarius]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}