maggiuri

Sicilian

Alternative forms

• majuri
• ματζούρη (matzuri) (medieval)

Etymology

From Latin maior. Compare Italian maggiore.

Adjective

maggiuri (feminine singular maggiuri, masculine and feminine plural maggiuri)

1. grater, major
2. better
   • 1259–1266, Wedding vow in the codex Hunter 475:

     βούη τζυράτι […] δι πρήνδιρη ἀ κήστου μησὲρ Τάλη κη βη στάη λάτου πηρ βόστρου λητζήτιμου μαρίτου […] δι νό λου καντζάρι πὴρ ματζούρη σόου νἧν πὴρ πιγ[ι]ουρη σόου?

     vui tzurati […] di prindiri a kistu miser Tali ki vi stai latu pir vostru litzitimu maritu […] di no lu kantzari pir matzuri sou nin pir pig[i]uri sou?

     Do you swear […] to take this sir Placeholder that stands besides you as your legitimate husband […] and to not replace him for [someone] better than him nor for [someone] worse than him?

3. of age (of a person)
4. (military) major
5. (music) major (of a scale)

References

• Traina, Antonino (1868) “maggiuri”, in Nuovo vocabolario Siciliano-Italiano [New Sicilian-Italian vocabulary] (in Italian), Liber Liber, published 2020, page 2327