svelto

Italian

Etymology

Past participle of svellere (“to pluck out, root out”), from Vulgar Latin *exvellere, from Latin vellere (“to pluck, stretch”), perhaps influenced by Spanish suelto (“free; agile”).[1]

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /ˈzvɛl.to/

Adjective

svelto (feminine singular svelta, masculine plural svelti, feminine plural svelte)

  1. quick
    Svelto! ― Hurry up!
    Chi è svelto a mangiare è svelto a lavorare.
    He who is a quick eater is a quick worker.
  2. brisk
  3. quick-witted
    è una ragazza svelta ― she is a quick-witted girl

Derived terms

Descendants

Verb

svelto m (feminine singular svelta, masculine plural svelti, feminine plural svelte)

  1. masculine singular past participle of svellere

References
  1. svelto in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana

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