suzzacchera

Italian

FWOTD – 20 February 2019

Alternative forms

• suzzachera

Etymology

From Late Ancient Greek ὀξυσάκχαρον (oxusákkharon), compound of ὀξύς (oxús, “sharp, acid”) + σάκχαρον (sákkharon, “sugar”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /sudˈd͡zak.ke.ra/, /sutˈt͡sak.ke.ra/
• Rhymes: -akkera
• Hyphenation: suz‧zàc‧che‧ra

Noun

suzzacchera f (plural suzzacchere) (Tuscany, archaic or rare)

1. a medicinal drink made of vinegar and sugar
   • 14^th c., Franco Sacchetti, “Novella CCX [Novel 210]”, in Novelle di Franco Sacchetti, published 1724, page 177:

     noi ce ne avvedremo a’ medici e alli sciroppi e alle suzzacchere, che sapete quello che costano

     We will realize it with the doctors, and the syrups and the suzzacchere; you know how much they cost

2. (by extension) muddle, mixture
3. (figurative) something that brings sorrow or sadness
4. (figurative) something lengthy and boring

Derived terms

• zozza

Further reading

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