ratto

Unknown, possibly from Russian рад (rad, “glad”)

• IPA^(key): /ˈrɑtːo/, [ˈrɑ̝t̪ːo̞]
• Rhymes: -ɑtːo
• Syllabification^(key): rat‧to
• Hyphenation^(key): rat‧to

ratto

1. pleasure, fun, enjoyment, amusement

• “ratto”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎^[1] (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 3 July 2023

• Rotta, ortta, ratot, rotat, rotta, torat

ratto (plural rattos)

1. rat

• IPA^(key): /ˈrat.to/
• Rhymes: -atto
• Hyphenation: ràt‧to

Inherited from Latin rapidus (“quick”). Doublet of rapido, which was borrowed.

ratto (feminine ratta, masculine plural ratti, feminine plural ratte)

1. (obsolete) quick, swift, rapid

   Synonyms: celere, rapido, scattante, veloce

   Antonym: lento

   • 1310s, Dante Alighieri, “Canto XVIII”, in Purgatorio [Purgatory], lines 103–105; republished as Giorgio Petrocchi, editor, La Commedia secondo l'antica vulgata [The Commedia according to the ancient vulgate], 2^nd revised edition, Florence: publ. Le Lettere, 1994:

     "Ratto, ratto, che ’l tempo non si perda
     per poco amor", gridavan li altri appresso,
     "che studio di ben far grazia rinverda".

     "Quick, quick, let time not be lost for little love!", cried the others behind, "for effort in well-doing renews grace."

2. (obsolete) steep, downward, brant

   Synonyms: (literary) acclive, (literary) precipite, ripido, scosceso

   Antonyms: pianeggiante, piano, piatto

   • 1310s, Dante Alighieri, “Canto XVIII”, in Purgatorio [Purgatory], lines 103–105; republished as Giorgio Petrocchi, editor, La Commedia secondo l'antica vulgata [The Commedia according to the ancient vulgate], 2^nd revised edition, Florence: publ. Le Lettere, 1994:

     così s’allenta la ripa che cade
     quivi ben ratta da l’altro girone;
     ma quinci e quindi l’alta pietra rade.

     thus diminishes the bank which falls straight downward here from the other circle; but it grazes the high rock here and there.

• rattamente
• rattezza

ratto (obsolete)

1. quickly, swiftly

   Synonyms: celermente, rapidamente, velocemente

   • 1321, Dante Alighieri, La divina commedia: Inferno [The Divine Comedy: Hell], 12th edition (paperback), Le Monnier, published 1994, Canto V, page 80, lines 103–105:

     Amor, ch'al cor gentil ratto s'apprende, ¶ prese costui de la bella persona ¶ che mi fu tolta; e 'l modo ancor m'offende.

     Love, that swiftly clings on to the gentle heart, seized this man for the beautiful person that was taken from me, and the mode still offends me.

2. (followed by che) as soon as

   Synonym: appena

   • 1321, Dante Alighieri, La divina commedia: Inferno [The Divine Comedy: Hell], 12th edition (paperback), Le Monnier, published 1994, Canto II, page 29, lines 109–111:

     Ma quell'anime, ch'eran lasse e nude, ¶ cangiar colore e dibattero i denti, ¶ ratto che 'nteser le parole crude.

     But those souls, who were weary and naked, changed their colour/color and gnashed their teeth together, as soon as they heard the cruel words.

From Latin raptus.

ratto (feminine ratta, masculine plural ratti, feminine plural ratte)

1. (archaic) having been abducted or kidnapped

ratto m (plural ratti)

1. (literary, specifically referring to classical antiquity) abduction
   • 2007, Andrea Celestino Montanaro, Ruvo di Puglia e il suo territorio: le necropoli : i corredi funerari tra la documentazione del XIX secolo e gli scavi moderni, L'Erma di Bretschneider (1st ed.), →ISBN, page 60.

     (...) di una grande loutrophoros decorata con scene di amazzonomachia e scene di ispirazione dionisiaca, di una lekythos con Eracle nel giardino dell Esperidi e di una situla con la raffigurazione dell'uccisione di Reso e il ratto dei suoi cavalli, mentre degli altri vasi viene data una descrizione sommaria.

     (...) of a large loutrophoros depicting scenes of amazonomachia and scenes of dionysiac inspiration, of a lekythos depicting Hercules in the garden of the Hesperides and of a situla with a representation of Rhesus' murder and the abduction of his horses, while the other ones are only summarily described.

• Nowadays the word ratto, when related to a kidnapping, is only used regarding the abduction of helpless female figures in classical literature (the most common one is il ratto delle Sabine, The Rape of the Sabine Women); otherwise it sounds rather antique, if not weird, to a native speaker. For a common, neutral term for kidnapping, see rapimento.

From Vulgar Latin rattus (“rat”), from Proto-Germanic *rattaz.

ratto m (plural ratti)

1. rat
   • 2016, Andrea Giardina, Giovanni Sabbatucci, Vittorio Vidotto, “Storia più: Società Economia Tecnologia”, in Dal Mille al Seicento, volume 1, Laterza, →ISBN:

     Prima di essere una malattia degli uomini la peste è una malattia dei ratti.

     The plague is an illness of rats first, and an illness of men second.

2. ratton

• sorcio (rat or mouse)
• topo (rat or mouse)

• rotta, torta, trota

rattō

1. dative/ablative singular of rattus

ratto m (plural rattos, feminine ratta, feminine plural rattas)

1. obsolete spelling of rato