pazzesco Italian · revision 39100

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=1308, Giordano da Pisa}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /patˈt͡ses.ko/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''pazzesco''' (feminine pazzesca, masculine plural pazzeschi, feminine plural pazzesche)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old Italian forms include [[m|roa-oit|pazesco]] and the southern [[m|roa-oit|pacisca]], [[m|roa-oit|pachiscu]] and [[m|roa-oit|paciscu]].^(TLIO)^(GDLI)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[af|it|pazzo|-esco|t1=mad]].^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Wiktionary)^(TLIO)^(DELI 1999) The origin of [[pazzo]] itself is uncertain.^(DELI 1999) Older proposals derived it from [[la|patiēns|t=suffering]] or from [[pupazzo]];^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010) Nocentini favours [[la-vul|*pactiō|alt=*pactiāre|t=to press, beat]], from [[m|la|pactum]], in the sense of someone who has had a knock on the head, as with [[tocco]] and [[picchiato]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The TLIO's first record is in the Genesis sermons of Giordano da Pisa (1308), in the sense “typical of a madman, showing a lack of reason”.^(TLIO) DELI cites a 14th-century translation of Guido delle Colonne, which says it does not suit a wise man to answer the fool according to his ''parole pazzesche''.^(DELI 1999)^(GDLI|12, 886)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Already in Old Italian the word could also mean “wholly unbelievable”.^(TLIO) In later literary use it describes mad acts and judgements, as in Pirandello's ''violenza pazzesca''.^(GDLI|12, 886) In today's colloquial Italian it is used as an intensifier: an enormous or extraordinary quantity or quality (''una fame pazzesca''), and also something “fantastic, terrific”.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1308 – Giordano da Pisa uses ''pazzesco''.^(TLIO)

+ * 14th century – A translation of Guido delle Colonne uses ''parole pazzesche''.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Typical of a madman; [[m|en|insane]], absurd, unreasonable: ''È pazzesco guidare così con la nebbia.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(colloquial, hyperbolic)'' Extraordinary, [[m|en|incredible]]; enormous or excessive: ''Ho un sonno pazzesco.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # ''(colloquial)'' Great, fantastic: ''Abbiamo passato una notte pazzesca in discoteca.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[pazzescamente]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[pazzo]]

+ * [[pazzia]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ The adverb is ''pazzescamente'', literary in the sense “madly” and colloquial in the sense “extremely”.^(Zingarelli 2010)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}