ghezzo

Italian

Etymology

Borrowed from Byzantine Greek Αἰγύπτιος (Aigúptios, “Egyptian”), apparently early enough for the Greek υ to have still been pronounced /ø/ or /e/ yet late enough for the borrowing to escape the Romance palatalisation of velars before front vowels. Compare gheppio < αἰγυπιός (aigupiós). Documented in Italian since 1282. Doublet of egizio.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɡet.t͡so/
• Rhymes: -ettso
• Hyphenation: ghéz‧zo

Adjective

ghezzo (feminine ghezza, masculine plural ghezzi, feminine plural ghezze) (archaic)

1. dark-skinned
2. (by extension) a species of bird
3. (by extension) a species of mushroom

Noun

ghezzo (feminine ghezza, masculine plural ghezzi, feminine plural ghezze) (archaic)

1. person with dark skin (especially said of Berbers and Abyssinians)

Further reading

• ghezzo in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana