vergogna Italian · revision 39327

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=last quarter of the 12th century, Proverbia que dicuntur|origins=la vereor}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /verˈɡoɲ.ɲa/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''vergogna''' ''f'' (plural vergogne)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old Italian has many forms, such as [[m|roa-oit|vergogna]], [[m|roa-oit|vergonça]] and [[m|roa-oit|verghogna]].^(TLIO) The south has Sicilian and Calabrian [[m|scn|vrigogna]].^(DEI|4022)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|la-vul|*verecunnia]], the popular outcome of Latin [[m|la|verēcundia|t=restraint, modesty; shame]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary) The learned [[verecondia]] is its doublet.^(DELI 1999)^(Wiktionary) The same word is [[fr|vergogne]], now only in a phrase meaning “shamelessly”, [[oc|vergonha]], [[ca|vergonya]], [[es|vergüenza]] and [[pt|vergonha]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(DEI|4022) DEI regards the Italian word as belonging to northern Italy and the western Romance area, and it reached the southern dialects too.^(DEI|4022)

+

+ Devoto explains the form by the loss of the unstressed inner vowel, the northern voicing of ⟨-c-⟩ to ⟨-g-⟩ (as in [[gragnola]]) and the change of ⟨-ndj-⟩ to ⟨-nj-⟩, written ⟨gn⟩.^(Devoto 1968) Wiktionary suggests the influence of [[m|la|cunnus]].^(Wiktionary) The Latin noun is derived from [[m|la|verēcundus|t=restrained, modest]], from [[m|la|vereor|t=to show respect, fear]], which de Vaan traces to [[ine-pro|*wer-|t=to note, be wary]], the root also of [[got|𐍅𐌰𐍂𐍃|tr=wars|t=careful]] and [[en|wary]].^(de Vaan 2008)^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The TLIO's first record is the Venetian ''Proverbia que dicuntur'', of the late 12th century.^(TLIO) In DELI the first record is Brunetto Latini, before 1294, who defines it as a passion of the soul and not a virtue: ''Vergogna è passione d'animo, e non è virtude''.^(DELI 1999)^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Old Italian already used the word for the feeling of shame, for blushing, for shyness and for dishonour, and also for an insult or outrage and for the private parts.^(TLIO) Dante, in the ''Convivio'', called it “fear of dishonour”, good and praiseworthy in women and the young, an echo of Aristotle through Thomas Aquinas.^(DELI 1999) Petrarch uses it for a person or thing that brings disgrace (1374).^(DELI 1999)

+

+ The derivatives [[vergognarsi]] and [[vergognoso]] are as old as Guittone and Dante, and [[svergognare]] and [[svergognato]] appear in the 14th century.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010) Today the exclamation ''vergogna!'' expresses strong disapproval.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Treccani 2011)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Late 12th century – ''Vergogna'' appears in the Venetian ''Proverbia que dicuntur''.^(TLIO)

+ * Before 1294 – Brunetto Latini defines shame as a passion of the soul.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1293–1294 – Dante uses ''vergognoso''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1304–1308 – Dante's ''Convivio'' discusses ''vergogna'' as fear of dishonour.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1374 – Petrarch uses it for a person or thing that brings disgrace.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 14th century – The plural ''vergogne'' names the genitals.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # [[m|en|shame]], the painful feeling caused by an act or behaviour, one's own or another's, felt to be wrong or dishonourable: ''Arrossì di vergogna davanti a tutti.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Wiktionary)

+ # [[m|en|embarrassment]], shyness: ''Ha vergogna di parlare davanti alla classe.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # [[m|en|disgrace]], dishonour; as an exclamation, an expression of strong disapproval: ''Che vergogna!''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # A person or thing that is a disgrace: ''Questo parcheggio è una vergogna.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # ''(in the plural, euphemistic or jocular)'' The genitals.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Treccani 2011)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[vergognarsi]]

+ * [[vergognoso]]

+ * [[svergognare]]

+ * [[svergognato]]

+ * [[svergognatezza]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[verecondia]]

+ * [[verecondo]]

+ * [[la|verecundia]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}