manco Italian · revision 39078

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=13th century, Ricordano Malispini|origins=la mancus}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈman.ko/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''manco''' (feminine manca, masculine plural manchi, feminine plural manche)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|la|mancus|t=maimed, crippled; defective]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary)^(DEI|2341) The Latin adjective first meant “maimed in the hand”: Nocentini, the OLD and Devoto derive it from [[m|la|manus|t=hand]] with the suffix [[m|la|-cus]] of words for bodily defects, as in [[m|la|caecus|t=blind]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(OLD 2012)^(Devoto 1968|269) De Vaan accepts the link only with a shift from “handy” to “handicapped”, and Wiktionary reconstructs [[ine-pro|*mh₂n-ko-|t=maimed in the hand]], adding a rival theory from [[m|ine-pro|*menk-|t=to lack]].^(de Vaan 2008)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ The same word is [[fro|manc]], [[pro|manc]], [[ca|manc]], [[es|manco]] and [[pt|manco]], all meaning “one-armed”; it passed into [[eu|mangu|t=limping]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(REW 1935)^(DEI|2341) In Italian it also gave [[monco]], reshaped after [[tronco]], and the feminine [[manca]], said of the weaker hand, came to mean “the left hand”, whence [[mancino]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(REW 1935)

+

+ The adverb comes from the adjective.^(Nocentini 2010)^(Devoto–Oli 2026) “Insufficient” became “less” in phrases such as “with insufficient bread”, and combined with the negation [[né]] it gave [[nemmanco]] “not even”, from which the simple form took on that sense in central and southern Italy.^(Nocentini 2010) DEI notes that it replaces [[meno]] in the south.^(DEI|2341) The noun “lack” is, according to GRADIT, DEI and Wiktionary, formed back from the verb [[mancare]].^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary)^(DEI|2341)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ DELI's first record is the noun “lack”, in Ricordano Malispini's 13th-century chronicle of Florence: ''per manco di moneta'', “for lack of money”, a great part of the army went back to Germany.^(DELI 1999)^(GDLI)^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861) The adjective “left” is in Guido Cavalcanti (before 1300).^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Dante uses the adjective for what is incomplete or failing: his wit seemed ''manco'' at the foot of the mountain of Purgatory, and in the ''Paradiso'' he asks about vows left ''manchi'', unfulfilled.^(GDLI)^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861) From “left”, the side of bad omens, it also meant “ill-omened”, as in Ariosto's ''manco ed importuno augello'', “ill-omened and troublesome bird”.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(GRADIT 2003)

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+ The adverb “less” is recorded in the 15th century and the popular “not even” before 1563 (Iacopo Nardi).^(DELI 1999) Tommaseo noted that educated Tuscans said ''meno'' but that ''manco'' lived on everywhere, as in the proverb ''Chi più mangia manco mangia''.^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861) Today the adjective and the noun are literary, while the adverb “not even” is colloquial.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026) The noun, through [[mancare]], has parallels in [[fr|manque]] (1594) and [[de|Manko]], which DEI dates to 1712 and DIFIT to 1825.^(DEI|2341)^(DIFIT)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 13th century – Ricordano Malispini uses the noun ''manco'' “lack”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1300 – Guido Cavalcanti uses the adjective for “left”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1300–1321 – Dante uses it for “defective” and “unfulfilled”.^(GDLI)

+ * 15th century – Tommaso di Silvestro uses the adverb “less”.^(DELI 1999)^(GDLI)

+ * Before 1563 – Iacopo Nardi uses it for “not even”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1594 – French ''manque'' is recorded.^(DEI|2341)

+ * 1812 – ''Ammanco'' “shortfall” is recorded.^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # ''(literary)'' Lacking something, [[imperfetto|alt=imperfect]], defective: ''un testo manco delle ultime pagine''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # ''(literary)'' [[sinistro|alt=Left]], on the left side: ''la mano manca''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # ''(figurative, archaic)'' Ill-omened, [[infausto|alt=unlucky]].^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+

+ ===Adverb===

+ # ''(colloquial)'' [[nemmeno|alt=Not even]]: ''Non mi ha manco guardato.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(literary)'' Less: ''Oggi fa manco freddo di ieri.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Treccani 2011)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # ''(literary)'' [[mancanza|alt=Lack]], shortage, especially of money or food.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(GDLI)

+ # ''(archaic)'' Failure to fulfil an obligation, as in Dante's ''manco di voto'', a vow not kept.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Treccani 2011)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[manca]]

+ * [[mancare]]

+ * [[mancino]]

+ * [[nemmanco]]

+ * [[nondimanco]]

+ * [[almanco]]

+ * [[ammanco]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[monco]]

+ * [[mano]]

+ * [[la|mancus]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ Common phrases are ''manco per sogno'' and ''manco per idea'' “not on your life”, ''manco male'' “just as well”, ''a manca'' “to the left” and the literary ''venir manco'' “to fail, faint”.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Devoto–Oli 2026) As a conjunction ''manco'' means “not even if”, as in ''manco a dirlo'' “needless to say”.^(Zingarelli 2010)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}