bestia Italian · revision 39163

+ {{infobox|confidence=probable|formation=borrowing|attested=late 12th century, Proverbia que dicuntur|origins=la bestia}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * Tuscany: /ˈbes.tja/^(Wiktionary)

+ * /ˈbɛs.tja/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''bestia''' ''f'' (plural bestie)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old forms include [[roa-oit|besta]], [[roa-oit|besti]], [[roa-oit|bestïa]] and [[roa-oit|vestia]].^(TLIO) In Rome the stressed vowel is open, ''bèstia''.^(DEI|500)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|la|bestia|alt=bēstia|t=beast, animal, wild animal]], taken over in a learned or semi-learned form.^(Nocentini 2010)^(GDLI)^(DEI|500)^(Prati 1951|137) Wiktionary calls it probably borrowed, noting that some sources consider it inherited; the inherited outcome of the same Latin word is [[biscia]] “grass snake”, and Sabatini–Coletti contrast the learned word with it.^(Wiktionary)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Nocentini 2010) DELI simply derives it from the Latin accusative [[m|la|bestia|alt=bēstiam]], which had come to mean “animal” in general and was already used as an insult in Plautus.^(DELI 1999)^(DEI|500)

+

+ The Latin word survives widely: [[fr|bête]] and Old Portuguese [[m|pt|besta]] go back to a late form [[la-lat|besta]] found in Venantius Fortunatus and in glosses, while [[pro|bestia]], [[ca|bèstia]] and [[es|bestia]] keep the full form.^(REW 1935)^(DEI|500) In the Alpine dialects, where the word is semi-learned, it narrowed to “sheep”: Engadine [[m|rm|besa]] and Sursilvan [[m|rm|biest]] “sheep”; in Lucca it named the cow.^(REW 1935)^(DEI|500)

+

+ The origin of Latin [[m|la|bestia]] is uncertain.^(de Vaan 2008)^(DELI 1999) It is usually compared with [[m|la|bēlua|t=beast, monster]], but has no clear relatives outside Latin.^(Nocentini 2010)^(de Vaan 2008)^(Devoto 1968) Wiktionary mentions a proposed preform [[ine-pro|*dʰwēstiā]] from the root [[ine-pro|*dʰwes-|t=to breathe]], the source of English “deer”, but notes that Latin would then be expected to have an initial “f-”.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The TLIO's first record is in the Venetian ''Proverbia que dicuntur'', of the last quarter of the 12th century, with the sense “animal” as opposed to man.^(TLIO) DELI's first dated record is Ristoro d'Arezzo in 1282 (''le besti''), who says that some people differ little from beasts.^(DELI 1999)^(GDLI)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Old Italian used ''bestia'' for any animal, for land animals as against birds and fish, for domestic and working animals (''bestie grosse'' cattle and horses, ''bestie minute'' sheep, goats and pigs), for game, for the Beast of the Apocalypse, and for snakes and amphibians.^(TLIO)^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861) Applied to people it already meant a wicked, stupid or brutish man.^(TLIO) Dante's ''bestia'' in the first canto of the ''Inferno'' is the she-wolf that makes him tremble.^(GDLI)^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861)

+

+ Fixed phrases record later stages: ''bestie da soma'' “beasts of burden” in 1553, ''bestie da tiro'' “draught animals” in 1865, ''bestia rara'' “an unusual person” in Giusti in 1844.^(DELI 1999) ''Bestia nera'' follows [[fr|bête noire]], at first used in its French form in Italian as in English.^(DELI 1999)^(Treccani 2011) Modern colloquial senses include a small insect (''mi ha punto una bestia''), a person or thing of great strength, and jokingly a small fur stole;^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011) ''bestia'' is also a card game.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011) The word was borrowed as [[ro|bestie]] and into Serbo-Croatian.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Late 12th century – The Venetian ''Proverbia que dicuntur'' has the first recorded ''bestia''.^(TLIO)

+ * 1282 – Ristoro d'Arezzo writes ''le besti''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1294 – Guittone d'Arezzo uses ''bestiale'' “beastlike”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1304–1308 – Dante writes ''le bestie'' in the ''Convivio''.^(DELI 1999)^(GDLI)

+ * 14th century – ''Bestiame'' “livestock” is first recorded, in Andrea Lancia's translation of Ovid.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1553 – ''Bestie da soma'' “beasts of burden” is recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1844 – Giusti uses ''bestia rara'' for an unusual person.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1865 – ''Bestie da tiro'' “draught animals” appears in Tommaseo–Bellini.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # An [[m|en|animal]], as opposed to a human being: ''Mio nonno teneva molte bestie in campagna.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # A small animal or insect: ''C'è una bestia strana sulla finestra.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # A working or farm animal; [[bestiame|alt=livestock]]: ''bestia da soma'', ''bestia da macello''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+ # ''(figurative)'' A brutal, violent person: ''Quando beve diventa una bestia.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # ''(figurative)'' An ignorant or stupid person; also an insult: ''Che bestia sono stato a crederci!''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # ''(colloquial)'' A person or thing of exceptional strength or power: ''Questa moto è una bestia!''^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # ''(colloquial, humorous)'' A small fur stole.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # A card game played for money.^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(with a capital)'' The Beast, Satan.^(GRADIT 2003)^(TLIO)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[bestiale]]

+ * [[bestialità]]

+ * [[bestiame]]

+ * [[bestiola]]

+ * [[bestione]]

+ * [[bestiaccia]]

+ * [[bestiario]]

+ * [[bestino]]

+ * [[imbestialire]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[biscia]]

+ * [[belva]]

+ * [[la|bestia]]

+ * [[fr|bête]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Andare in bestia'', also ''montare'' or ''saltare in bestia'', means to fly into a rage.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011) DELI rejects the explanation of the phrase from the card game, which was introduced too late for such an old idiom.^(DELI 1999) ''Brutta bestia'' is something dreaded and hard to face, ''bestia nera'' a person or thing one hates or fears.^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}