tratto Italian · revision 38979

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=1313–1319, Dante|origins=la trahō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈtrat.to/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''tratto''' ''m'' (plural tratti)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It continues [[inh|la|tractus|t=a pulling; a stretch, extent; a course]], an action noun from [[m|la|trahō|t=to pull, drag]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary) The same Latin word gave [[fr|trait]], [[oc|trach]] and [[es|trecho]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(REW 1935) De Vaan reconstructs [[itc-pro|*traχe/o-]] for the verb and finds its closest relatives in Celtic, such as [[sga|tráig|t=ebb, beach]].^(de Vaan 2008)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Dante uses ''tratto'' in the ''Purgatorio'' (1313–1319) for the strokes of a pen or brush, and also for a distance.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003) Before 1342 Cavalca writes it for a line or sign, and before 1348 Francesco da Barberino for a way of behaving.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In Old Italian ''tratto'' was the act of pulling, as a pull of the net or a throw of the dice (Boccaccio), and in phrases such as ''tratto di corda'', the jerk of the rope in a form of torture.^(DELI 1999)^(Treccani 2011)^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861) Older Italian also had the senses “trick” and “witty remark”.^(DEI)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+

+ From the stroke of a pen came the plural ''tratti'' for facial features and characteristic traits, and, from distance the senses “stretch of road or river”, “period of time” (1875) and “passage of a text” (1855).^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003) Phrases of time grew up early: ''a un tratto'' “all at once” is in Boccaccio, ''a primo tratto'' “at once” in Pucci, and ''a tratti'' “at intervals” in the 19th century.^(DEI|3873) ''Tratto d'unione'', the hyphen (1877), is a calque of French ''trait d'union''.^(DEI|3873) In linguistics and psychology ''tratto'' names a distinctive feature or a personality trait.^(GRADIT 2003)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1313–1319 – Dante uses ''tratto'' for a pen stroke and a distance.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)

+ * Before 1342 – Cavalca uses it for a line or sign.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1348 – Francesco da Barberino uses it for a manner of behaving.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1348–1353 – Boccaccio uses it for the act of pulling.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Mid-16th century – The verb ''tratteggiare'' is recorded.^(Nocentini 2010)

+ * 1855 – Fanfani records the sense “passage of a text”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1877 – ''Tratto'' is used in printing for the hyphen.^(DEI|3873)

+ * 1961 – ''Trattino'' “hyphen, dash” is recorded.^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A [[m|en|stroke]] or line drawn with a pen, pencil or brush: ''Con pochi tratti di matita fece un ritratto.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # A short horizontal line, a dash or [[m|en|hyphen]].^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+ # ''(usually plural)'' Facial features: ''un viso dai tratti regolari''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # A characteristic feature or [[m|en|trait]] of a person, period or language.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # Manner, bearing towards others: ''una signora dal tratto cortese''.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # A length of something long, a stretch of road, river or pipe; a distance.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+ # ''(anatomy)'' A [[m|en|tract]], a bundle of fibres or a series of organs with a common function.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A stretch of sea or sky; a period of time; a passage of a text or piece of music.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[tratteggiare]]

+ * [[tratteggio]]

+ * [[trattino]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[trarre]]

+ * [[trattore]]

+ * [[trattura]]

+ * [[trattare]]

+ * [[la|tractus]]

+ * [[fr|trait]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''A un tratto'', ''d'un tratto'' and ''tutt'a un tratto'' mean “suddenly”;^(GRADIT 2003)^(Gabrielli 2020)^(Zingarelli 2010) ''a tratti'' and ''di tratto in tratto'' mean “at intervals”;^(GRADIT 2003)^(Gabrielli 2020)^(Zingarelli 2010) ''a grandi tratti'' means “in broad outline”.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Gabrielli 2020)^(Zingarelli 2010) ''Tratto'' is also the past participle of [[trarre]], as in ''a spada tratta'', “with drawn sword”, figuratively “wholeheartedly”.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011) An old noun ''tratto'' “trade, commerce” was borrowed from Spanish ''trato''.^(GDLI|21)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}