scherzo

Etymology

Borrowed from Italian scherzo (“joke, play”), from scherzare (“to joke, jest”), from Old Italian scherzare, from Lombardic *skerzan (“to jump merrily, enjoy oneself, jest”), from Proto-Germanic *skirtaną (“to hop, jump”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kerǝd- (“to dance, jump”). Akin to Middle High German scherzen (“to frolic, jump merrily, hop up and down”) (German scherzen (“to joke”), Scherz (“joke, sport”)), Norwegian skjerta (“to joke”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈskɛətsəʊ/, /ˈskɜːt-/
• (General American) enPR: skĕrʹtsō('), skĕrtʹsō('), IPA^(key): /ˈskɛɹ(ˌ)tsoʊ/, /ˈskɛɹtˌsoʊ/
• Rhymes: -ɛɹtsəʊ, -ɜː(ɹ)tsəʊ, -ɛə(ɹ)tsəʊ
• Hyphenation: scher‧zo

Noun

scherzo (plural scherzos or scherzi)

1. (music) A piece of music or a movement from a larger piece such as a symphony; especially, a piece of music played in a playful manner.
   • 1980, Anthony Burgess, Earthly Powers:

     At seven Val knocked – three shorts and one long, out of the scherzo of Beethoven’s Fifth – and I rushed to open.

Etymology

From scherzare "to joke, play, jest" from Old Italian scherzare, borrowed from Lombardic *skerzan "to jump merrily, enjoy oneself, jest" from Proto-Germanic *skirtaną (“to hop, jump”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kerǝd- (“to dance, jump”). Akin to Middle High German scherzen "to frolic, jump merrily, hop up and down" (German scherzen "to joke"; Scherz "joke, sport"), Norwegian skjerta "to joke".

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈskertso/

Noun

scherzo m (plural scherzi)

1. joke, jest, trick, hoax, frolic

   Synonyms: beffa, battuta

2. (something easy to do) joke, trifle, cinch
3. (music) scherzo

Verb

scherzo

1. first-person singular present indicative of scherzare