cauto

Italian

Etymology

From Latin cautus, derived from caveō (“to beware, avoid”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈkaw.to/
• Rhymes: -awto
• Hyphenation: càu‧to

Adjective

cauto (feminine cauta, masculine plural cauti, feminine plural caute)

1. prudent, cautious, sly

   Synonyms: accorto, attento, circospetto, guardingo, prudente

   Antonyms: arrischiato, avventato, azzardato, imprudente, incauto, inconsulto, sconsiderato

   • 1300s–1310s, Dante Alighieri, “Canto XVI”, in Inferno [Hell], lines 118–120; 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:

     Ahi quanto cauti li uomini esser dienno
     presso a color che non veggion pur l'ovra,
     ma per entro i pensier miran col senno!

     Ah me! how very cautious men should be with those who not alone behold the act, but with their wisdom look into the thoughts!

   • 1349–1353, Giovanni Boccaccio, “Giornata quarta – Novella terza”, in Decameron; republished as Aldo Francesco Massera, editor, Il Decameron‎, Bari: Laterza, 1927:

     La Maddalena, […] per un cauto ambasciadore gli significò, sé essere presta ad ogni suo comandamento

     Maddalena signified to him by a prudent messenger that she was at his commandment in everything

   • 1825, “Libro XXIII [Book 23]”, in Vincenzo Monti, transl., Iliade [Iliad]‎, Milan: Giovanni Resnati e Gius. Bernardoni di Gio, translation of Ῑ̓λιάς (Īliás) by Homer, published 1840, page 496, lines 450–453:

     […] infranto
     N'andrebbe il carro, offesi i corridori,
     E tu deriso e di disnor coperto.
     Sii dunque saggio e cauto.

     The chariot would be destroyed, the racers hurt, and you mocked and dishonoured/dishonored. Be therefore wise and cautious.

   • 1835, Giacomo Leopardi with Alessandro Donati, “V. A un vincitore nel pallone”, in Canti‎, Bari: Einaudi, published 1917, page 26, lines 43–46:

     […] pochi Soli
     forse fien vòlti, e le cittá latine
     abiterá la cauta volpe, e l’atro
     bosco mormorerá fra le alte mura

     perhaps only a few suns will turn, and the sly fox will inhabit Latin cities, and the dark woods’ murmuring surround the high walls

Derived terms

• cautamente

Anagrams

• acuto

Latin

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): [ˈkau̯.toː]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [ˈkaːu̯.to]

Noun

cautō

1. dative/ablative singular of cautum