balbettare

Italian

Etymology

From Late Latin balbitāre[1] (cf. also balbūtīre), a derivative of balbāre, from Latin balbus (stammering). Compare French balbutier.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /bal.betˈta.re/
  • Rhymes: -are
  • Hyphenation: bal‧bet‧tà‧re

Verb

balbettàre (first-person singular present balbétto, first-person singular past historic balbettài, past participle balbettàto, auxiliary avére)

  1. (transitive, intransitive) to stammer [auxiliary avere]
  2. (intransitive) to babble [auxiliary avere] (of a baby)
  3. (intransitive, figurative) to emerge; to be nascent [auxiliary avere] (of a science, philosophy, etc.)
    quando fu eletto JFK, la medicina balbettava ancora
    when JFK was elected, (the field of) medicine was still undeveloped
  4. (intransitive, nautical) to luff (to shake) [auxiliary avere]
  5. (transitive) to speak a little bit of (a foreign language)
    balbetto un po' di italiano
    I speak a little bit of Italian

Conjugation

References

  1. balbettare in sapere.it – De Agostini Editore

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