ciotto

Italian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈt͡ʃɔt.to/
• Rhymes: -ɔtto
• Hyphenation: ciòt‧to

Etymology 1

Uncertain. Perhaps of Germanic origin; cf. German Schutt (“rubble”). Alternatively from Latin cautēs (“rough pointed rock”), via a Gallo-Italic language (to explain the palatalization of /ka-/), but this requires a change in gender and notable reduction in size. Either way, cognate with Romagnol ẓòt.

Noun

ciotto m (plural ciotti)

1. (archaic) pebble

   Synonym: ciottolo

   • c. 1300, Giovanni Boccaccio, “Giornata ottava – Novella terza”, in Decameron:

     Andianne; ma io giuro a Dio che mai Calandrino non me ne farà più niuna: e se io gli fossi presso come stato sono tutta mattina, io gli darei tale di questo ciotto nelle calcagna, che egli si ricorderebbe forse un mese di questa beffa!

     Let's go; but I swear to God that Calandrino will never fool me again like this: and if I were near him like I've been all morning, I would throw something like this pebble at his heels, so that he'd remember maybe for a month of this prank!

Derived terms

• ciottolo

Etymology 2

See chiotto.

Adjective

ciotto (feminine ciotta, masculine plural ciotti, feminine plural ciotte)

1. (central Italy) Alternative form of chiotto

Etymology 3

Unknown.

Adjective

ciotto (feminine ciotta, masculine plural ciotti, feminine plural ciotte)

1. (archaic) lame, limping, crippled (unable to walk properly)

   Synonym: zoppo

Etymology 4

Unknown. Likely of recent coinage, used by younger generations.

Adjective

ciotto (feminine ciotta, masculine plural ciotti, feminine plural ciotte)

1. (Rome, slang) cool, great, sick

   Synonyms: fico, gagliardo

   Sarebbe ciotta come idea.

   That would be a cool idea.

Further reading

• ciotto¹ in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana
• ciotto² in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana
• ciotto in Dizionario Italiano Olivetti, Olivetti Media Communication
• Pianigiani, Ottorino (1907) “ciottolo”, in Vocabolario etimologico della lingua italiana (in Italian), Rome: Albrighi & Segati

Anagrams

• ottico