Leggero
/leˈdʒɛ.ro/noun
Light in weight, or light and delicate in manner, tone, or style.
Did you know?Italian leggero ultimately descends from Latin levis, a word that meant both “light in weight” and “light, not serious,” showing how physical lightness and emotional ease were linked from very early on.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*h₁léwos / *lewh₁-
“A root associated with lightness, ease, and being unburdened.”
Latin
Latin
levis
“Light in weight; also slight, trivial, or not heavy.”
Late Latin
Latin
leviāre
“To make lighter, ease, or relieve.”
Old Italian
It
leggiero / leggero
“Light, nimble, delicate, or not heavy.”
Modern Italian
It
leggero
“Light; delicate; slight; in music, lightly or with a graceful touch.”