burattino
/buraˈtːino/
noun
Origin
Italian
buratto — a coarse cloth (bolting cloth) used for sieves
Overview
Meaning Now
- A puppet controlled by a hand from beneath.
- In a figurative sense, a person manipulated by others; a puppet.
Literal older meaning
Derived from the coarse fabric used for puppet clothing.
Language path
Italian
Earliest form
burattino
Earliest period
16th century
Journey
The term originated in the 16th century to describe theatrical puppets whose heads were often made of wood, but whose bodies were fashioned from the coarse cloth (buratto) used in flour milling sieves. It became a staple character type in the Commedia dell'arte.
Evolution
- 14th century
buratto
“a type of sieve or bolting cloth”
Original textile sense.
- 16th century
burattino
“puppet made of coarse cloth”
The suffix -ino indicates the diminutive/creation.
Connections
Word parts
buratt-
root
coarse cloth
-ino
suffix
diminutive/agentive
Related across languages
French
bourat
coarse cloth
Explore next
Related to burattino
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.