ermo

Etymology

From Late Latin erēmus, from Ancient Greek ἐρῆμος (erêmos, “lonely, solitary, desert, waste”). Doublet of eremo.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈer.mo/, [ˈer̺mo], /ˈɛr.mo/, [ˈɛr̺mo]
• Stress: érmo, èrmo
• Hyphenation: er‧mo

Adjective

ermo (feminine singular erma, masculine plural ermi, feminine plural erme)

1. abandoned, deserted, solitary
   • 1374, Francesco Petrarca, “Mentre che 'l cor dagli amorosi vermi”, in Il Canzoniere‎ (in Italian), Florence: Andrea Bettini, published 1858, lines 1-4, page 358:

     Mentre che 'l cor dagli amorosi vermi ¶ fu consumato, e 'n fiamma amorosa arse, ¶ di vaga fera le vestigia sparse ¶ cercai per poggi solitari ed ermi.

     While my heart was being consumed by loving worms, burned in loving fire, I searched for traces of a wandering creature through the solitary enclosing hills.

   • 1835, Giacomo Leopardi, “XII. L'infinito [The Infinite]”, in Canti‎ (in Italian), Bari: Einaudi, published 1917, lines 4-8, page 49:

     Sempre caro mi fu quest’ermo colle, ¶ e questa siepe, che da tanta parte ¶ dell’ultimo orizzonte il guardo esclude.

     Always dear to me was this solitary hill and this hedge, which, from so many parts of the far horizon, the sight excludes.

   • 1877, Giosuè Carducci, “Sogno d'estate [Summer Dream]”, in Poesie‎ (in Italian), Bologna: Nicola Zanichelli, published 1906, lines 29-31, page 910:

     Io guardava la madre, guardava pensoso il fratello, ¶ questi che or giace lungi su ’l poggio d’Arno fiorito, ¶ quella che dorme presso ne l’erma solenne Certosa;

     I looked at the mother, I pensively looked at the brother, the latter now lying on the flowering hillock of Arno, the former sleeping at the solitary charterhouse;

   • 1891, Giovanni Pascoli, “VII. Anniversario [Anniversary]”, in Myricae‎ (in Italian), Livorno: Raffaello Giusti, published 1905, lines 9-11, page 36:

     Non son felici, sappi, ma serene: ¶ il lor sorriso ha una tristezza pia: ¶ io le guardo ― o mia sola erma famiglia! ―

     Know that they are not happy, but serene: their smile has a pious sadness: I look at them ― oh, my lonely solitary family! ―

2. (rare) Synonym of eremo: hermitage

Etymology

From Old Portuguese ermo, hermo, from Late Latin erēmus, from Ancient Greek ἐρῆμος (erêmos). Compare Aromanian ermu

Pronunciation

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈeɾ.mu/
• Hyphenation: er‧mo

Adjective

ermo m (feminine singular erma, masculine plural ermos, feminine plural ermas, comparable)

1. uninhabited
2. solitary, retired (far from civilisation, not able to be easily seen or accessed)

Noun

ermo m (plural ermos)

1. waste (desolate place)