[Ads-l] cicisbeo

[Barretts Mail]

The English OLD (https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/cicisbeo <https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/cicisbeo>) says that the origin of “cicisbeo” is unknown, which is echoed by Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cicisbeo <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cicisbeo>).

If I understand it correctly, the 1714 "La Tabaccheide Ditirambo di Girolamo Baruffaldi Ferrarese...” provides a then-popular explanation that “cicisbeo” was derived from Narcissus + bello (handsome) and then discards that explanation as being a “rope that is too long” to believe:
https://tinyurl.com/yae5lo7a <https://tinyurl.com/yae5lo7a>

——
V. 1982. Voler farmi da Narciso
La favola di Narciso, che per troppo amore di se stesso, si trasformò in fiore, è nota fino alle femminelle, & è molto profittevole altresi per coloro, che molto si compiacciono di los stessi. V’è chi mi vorrebbe dare ad intendere, aver l’ origine da Narciso, la parola Cicisbeo, cioè Narciso bello, tirandola, come il Menagio, & il Ferrari, Arcisbello, Cisbello, Cisbeo, Cicisbeo: ma la corda mi par troppo longa.
——

(I have tried to correctly replace the older long s (ſ) with the modern short s (s), but please see the original for any number of possible errors in my transcription.)

The presence of the word “cicisbeatura” in the Wikipedia article seems to lend credence to the idea that “-beo” comes from “bello”.

Benjamin Barrett
Formerly of Seattle, WA
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