ciotto

• IPA^(key): /ˈt͡ʃɔt.to/
• Rhymes: -ɔtto
• Hyphenation: ciòt‧to

Uncertain. Perhaps of Germanic origin; cf. German Schutt (“rubble”). Alternatively from Latin cautēs (“rough pointed rock”), via a Gallo-Italic language (to explain the palatalization of /ka-/), but this requires a change in gender and notable reduction in size. Either way, cognate with Romagnol ẓòt.[1]

ciotto m (plural ciotti)

1. (archaic) pebble

   Synonym: ciottolo

   • c. 1300, Giovanni Boccaccio, “Giornata ottava – Novella terza”, in Decameron:

     Andianne; ma io giuro a Dio che mai Calandrino non me ne farà più niuna: e se io gli fossi presso come stato sono tutta mattina, io gli darei tale di questo ciotto nelle calcagna, che egli si ricorderebbe forse un mese di questa beffa!

     Let's go; but I swear to God that Calandrino will never fool me again like this: and if I were near him like I've been all morning, I would throw something like this pebble at his heels, so that he'd remember maybe for a month of this prank!

• ciottolo

See chiotto.

ciotto (feminine ciotta, masculine plural ciotti, feminine plural ciotte)

1. (central Italy) Alternative form of chiotto

Unknown.

ciotto (feminine ciotta, masculine plural ciotti, feminine plural ciotte)

1. (archaic) lame, limping, crippled (unable to walk properly)

   Synonym: zoppo

Unknown. Likely of recent coinage, used by younger generations.

ciotto (feminine ciotta, masculine plural ciotti, feminine plural ciotte)

1. (Rome, slang) cool, great, sick

   Synonyms: fico, gagliardo

   Sarebbe ciotta come idea.

   That would be a cool idea.

• ciotto¹ in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana
• ciotto² in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana
• ciotto in Dizionario Italiano Olivetti, Olivetti Media Communication
• Pianigiani, Ottorino (1907) “ciottolo”, in Vocabolario etimologico della lingua italiana (in Italian), Rome: Albrighi & Segati

• ottico