scudo
From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
See also: Scudo
Etymology
Borrowed from Italian scudo (“a crown, a dollar, a shield”), from Latin scutum (“a shield”). Compare the doublets scute, escudo, scutum, and écu.
Noun
scudo (plural scudos or scudoes or scudi)
- (historical) A silver coin and unit of currency of various Italian states from the 16th to the 19th centuries.
- 2007, Giambattista Basile, translated by Nancy L. Canepa, Tale of Tales, Penguin, page 46:
- And this was the salvation of his house, for several large chunks of plaster cracked off and inside he discovered a pot full of golden scudos.
- A former unit of currency in Malta, now the official currency of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta.
- (historical) A unit of currency in 19th-century Bolivia, equal to 16 soles.
Anagrams
Etymology
From earlier *scuto, from Latin scūtum, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *skei- (“to cut, split”), an extension of *sek- (“to cut”).
Pronunciation
Noun
scudo m (plural scudi)
- shield, specifically:
- a broad piece of defensive armor, carried on the arm, formerly in general use in war, for the protection of the body
- 13th century, Bono Giamboni, “Come la schiera di debbia ordinare acciocchè per battaglia vincere non si possa. Cap. 14. [Chapter 14: How a rank should be positioned so that it cannot be defeated in battle]”, in Dell'arte della guerra [On the Art of War], translation of Epitoma Rei Militaris by Publius Flavius Vegetius Renatus, published 1815, page 116:
- Coloro che sono senza scudo, e colle mani gittano le pietre, e lanciano le lance, in questa schiera combattiano
- Those who lack a shield, and, with their hands, throw stones, and throw spears, fought in this rank
- early-mid 1310s–mid 1310s, Dante Alighieri, “Canto XXXII”, in Purgatorio [Purgatory], lines 19–21; republished as Giorgio Petrocchi, editor, La Commedia secondo l'antica vulgata [The Commedia according to the ancient vulgate], 2nd revised edition, Florence: publ. Le Lettere, 1994:
- Come sotto li scudi per salvarsi
volgesi schiera, e sé gira col segno- Like a rank [of soldiers] under its shields, to save itself, falls back, and rotates around the insignia
- 1516, Ludovico Ariosto, “Canto quarto”, in Orlando Furioso [Raging Roland], Venice: Printed by Gabriel Giolito, published 1551, page 15:
- Piglia lo scudo (ch'io tel dono) e quello
Destrier, che va per l’aria così presto- Take the shield, for I'm giving it to you, and that steed that so swiftly goes through the air
- 1723, “Libro Ⅺ [11th Book]”, in Anton Maria Salvini, transl., Iliade [Iliad], Milan: Giovanni Gaetano Tartini, Santi Franchi, translation of Ἰλιάς (Iliás) by Homer, page 298:
- Sì dicendo, ferì il ritondo scudo,
Pel lustro scudo andò la greve lancia,
E si ficcò trall' ingegnoso petto- Saying this, he broke the round shield. The heavy spear went through the shining shield, and lodged itself in the ingenious chest
- 1835, Giacomo Leopardi with Alessandro Donati, “IV. Nelle nozze della sorella Paolina”, in Canti, Bari: Einaudi, published 1917, page 23, lines 73–75:
- spandea le negre chiome
sul corpo esangue e nudo,
quando e' reddía nel conservato scudo- She rested the black hair upon the lifeless, naked body, when he returned upon the saved shield
- (by extension) anything that protects or defends; defense; shelter; protection
- mid 1300s–mid 1310s, Dante Alighieri, “Canto XXII”, in Inferno [Hell], lines 116–117; republished as Giorgio Petrocchi, editor, La Commedia secondo l'antica vulgata [The Commedia according to the ancient vulgate], 2nd revised edition, Florence: publ. Le Lettere, 1994:
- Lascisi ’l collo, e sia la ripa scudo,
a veder se tu sol più di noi vali- Let's leave the embankment, and let the cliff be a shelter, to see if you alone are better than us
- c. 1477, Lorenzo de' Medici, Rime, collected in Opere, published 1913, page 265, lines 92–93:
- […] preparato è il petto,
ché alla infelice è sol la morte scudo- The bosom is ready, for only Death is shield for the unhappy
- 1764, Cesare Beccaria, “Ⅸ. Accuse segrete [9. Secret Accusations]”, in Dei delitti e delle pene [On Crimes and Punishments], Paris: Dal Molini, published 1780, page 37:
- Chi può difendersi dalla calunnia, quando ella è armata dal più forte scudo della tirannia, il segreto?
- Who can defend themselves from slander, when it is armed by secrecy, the strongest shield of tyranny?
- 1799, Vittorio Alfieri, “Sonetto ⅩⅥ [Sonnet 16]”, in Misogallo [The French-Hater], London, page 70, lines 1–2:
- È Repubblica il suolo, ove divine
Leggi son base a umane leggi, e scudo- Republic is that land where divine laws are base, and shield, for human laws
- (figurative, poetic) defender, protector
- 13th century, Guittone d'Arezzo, “197. La fortezza”, in , collected in Le rime di Guittone d'Arezzo, Bari: Laterza, published 1940, page 246, lines 10–11:
- tu d’amadori scudo, und’è vittora
che non piò re che grilli in timor hai- You, defender of the lovers, where you're victorious, for you don't fear kings any more than you do crickets
- 1374, Francesco Petrarca, Il Canzoniere, Florence: Andrea Bettini, published 1858, page 384, lines 4–5:
- O saldo scudo dell’afflitte genti
Contra’ colpi di Morte e di Fortuna- Oh, you steady shield of the troubled, against the blows of Death and Fortune
- (heraldry) the escutcheon or field on which are placed the bearings in coats of arms
- 16th century, Vincenzo Borghini, Dell'arme delle famiglie fiorentine, Florence: Pietro Gaet. Viviani, published 1755, page 93, collected in Discorsi di monsignore D. Vincenzio Borghini - parte seconda:
- […] dividendo per traverso lo scudo, e colorando la parte di sopra, e di sotto del leone
- […] dividing the escutcheon diagonally, and colouring/coloring the part above, and below, the lion
- 1913, “Stemmi negli antichi vessilli sabaudi”, in Rivista del Collegio Araldico, Rome, page 215:
- Due rami d’oro decussati sotto la punta dello scudo.
- Two decussate golden branches under the tip of the escutcheon.
- (geology) a large expanse of exposed stable Precambrian rock
- (numismatics) used to designate various monetary units, specifically:
- (historical) a gold or silver coin minted in Italy bearing the image of a shield; scudo
- 16th century, Vincenzo Borghini, Della moneta fiorentina, Florence: Pietro Gaet. Viviani, published 1755, page 227, collected in Discorsi di monsignore D. Vincenzio Borghini - parte seconda:
- Onde si vede i Fiorini, e i Ducati, […] ed oggi gli Scudi con gli Scudi esser tutti del medesimo peso.
- Thus one can see how the florins, the ducats, and, today, the scudos all have the same weight.
- (literally, “Thus it can be seen the florins, and the ducats, and today the scudos with the scudos being all of the same weight.”)
- 1750s, Carlo Goldoni, “Atto primo, Scena Ⅵ [First Act, Scene 6]”, in La dama prudente [The Careful Lady], collected in Raccolta di commedie scelte dell'avvocato C. Goldoni, tomo Ⅶ, published 1819, page 191:
- Sette scudi? Sette scudi in fattura? Io con sette scudi mi faccio un abito, e pretenderebbe ch’io li pagassi?
- Seven scudos? Seven scudos in the bill? For seven scudos I can get a suit, and she expects me to pay as much?
- 1840, Alessandro Manzoni, I promessi sposi, Tip. Guglielmini e Redaelli, Capitolo, pages 554–555:
- non aveva fatta la confidenza a nessuno, fuorché a don Abbondio; dal quale andava, volta per volta, a farsi spicciolare uno scudo
- She hadn't mentioned it to anyone, except for don Abbondio, to whom she went, time after time, to get change of a scudo
- (historical, by extension) any similar coin of non-Italian mintage; écu, escudo
- (historical) a silver coin minted in Italy valued at 5 lire. [18th c. – c. 1918]
- (historical) a gold or silver coin minted in Italy bearing the image of a shield; scudo
- (historical, Rome) a 5000-lira banknote
- (Rome) a 5-euro banknote
Derived terms
Related terms
Descendants
- → English: scudo
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