Italian

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Etymology

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Borrowed from Latin pelagus, from Ancient Greek πέλαγος (pélagos, sea).

Pronunciation

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Noun

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pelago m (plural pelaghi) (literary)

  1. sea, open sea
    Synonyms: mare, (literary) ponto
    • 1300s–1310s, Dante Alighieri, “Canto I”, in Inferno [Hell]‎[1], lines 22–24; republished as Giorgio Petrocchi, editor, La Commedia secondo l'antica vulgata [The Commedia according to the ancient vulgate]‎[2], 2nd revised edition, Florence: publ. Le Lettere, 1994:
      E come quei che con lena affannata,
      uscito fuor del pelago a la riva,
      si volge a l’acqua perigliosa e guata
      And even as he, who, with distressful breath, forth issued from the sea upon the shore, turns to the water perilous and gazes
    • 1850, Giosuè Carducci, “Canto di primavera”, in Juvenilia[3], volume Libro II, Nicola Zanichelli, published 1906, page 41, lines 1–3:
      Qual sovra la profonda
      Pace del glauco pelago
      Uscí Venere, []
      Like Venus having risen upon the profound calm of the white sea []
  2. (figurative)
    1. an overwhelming passion
      • 13491353, Giovanni Boccaccio, “Proemio”, in Decameron; republished as Aldo Francesco Massera, editor, Il Decameron[4], volume 1, Bari: Laterza, 1927:
        quel piacere che egli è usato di porgere a chi troppo non si mette ne’ suoi piú cupi pelaghi navigando
        that pleasure, that He [Love] usually grants to those who do not sail in his darkest seas
    2. a complex matter
      • 17th c., Galileo Galilei, Dialogo terzo, collected in Opere di Galileo Galilei, volume 4, Padova, published 1744, page 200:
        mi ricordo ancora, che quando studiavo filosofia, non restai persuaso dalla dimostrazione d'Aristotile; anzi che avevo molte esperienze in contrario: le quali vi potrei anco addurre, ma non voglio, che entriamo in altri pelaghi
        I still remember, when I was studying philosophy, not being convinced by Aristotle's demonstration, but rather having many experiences to the contrary, which I might even mention, but I'd rather not open other cans of worms
    3. a group of various annoyances
    4. a very large quantity (of something)

Derived terms

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Further reading

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

Anagrams

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Latin

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Noun

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pelagō

  1. dative/ablative singular of pelagus