scherzo

See also: scherzò and Scherzo

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Italian scherzo (joke, play), from scherzare (to joke, jest), from Lombardic *skerzan (to jump merrily, enjoy oneself, jest), from Proto-Germanic *skirtaną (to hop, jump), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kerǝd- (to dance, jump). Akin to Middle High German scherzen (to frolic, jump merrily, hop up and down) (modern German scherzen (to joke), Scherz), Norwegian skjerta (to joke).

Pronunciation

  • (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈskɛətsəʊ/, /ˈskɜːt-/
  • (General American) enPR: skĕrʹtsō('), skĕrtʹsō('), IPA(key): /ˈskɛəɹ(ˌ)tsoʊ/, /ˈskɛəɹtˌsoʊ/
  • Rhymes: -ɛəɹtsəʊ, -ɜː(ɹ)tsəʊ, -ɛə(ɹ)tsəʊ
  • Hyphenation: scher‧zo

Noun

scherzo (plural scherzos or scherzi)

  1. (music) A piece of music or a movement from a larger piece such as a symphony; especially, a piece of music played in a playful manner.
    • 1980, Anthony Burgess, Earthly Powers:
      At seven Val knocked – three shorts and one long, out of the scherzo of Beethoven’s Fifth – and I rushed to open.

Translations

See also

Further reading


Italian

Etymology

From scherzare (to joke, play, jest) from Old Italian scherzare, borrowed from Lombardic *skerzan (to jump merrily, enjoy oneself, jest) from Proto-Germanic *skirtaną (to hop, jump), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kerǝd- (to dance, jump). Akin to Middle High German scherzen (to frolic, jump merrily, hop up and down) (German scherzen (to joke); Scherz (joke, sport)), Norwegian skjerta (to joke).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈsker.t͡so/

Noun

scherzo m (plural scherzi)

  1. joke, jest, trick, hoax, frolic
    Synonyms: beffa, battuta
  2. (figuratively) joke, trifle, cinch (something easy to do)
  3. (music) scherzo (piece of music played in a playful manner)

Descendants

Verb

scherzo

  1. first-person singular present indicative of scherzare
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