Zanni

Zanni

Zanni (from the Italian dialectal nickname for Giovanni) can refer to either the archetype comic servant of the "Commedia dell'arte" or various stereotypical servant characters of the same genre.

"Zanni" is the origin for the English word "zany".

The Archetype

The character of Zanni was an older, impoverished man and hired servant of one of the other characters, typically Pantalone.

Zanni's costume was loosely fitting white smock and pants. He wore a black mask similar to his more popular descendant, Arlecchino. His behavior is a cartoon imitation of the impoverished rural folk of Bergamo who were forced to move to Venice in order to make a living. As such, his interests do not always coincide with those of his master. His primary goals are his own comfort and the satisfaction of various immediate desires.

Other "Zanni" Characters

In later periods the character fell into disuse and the word "zanni" came to mean the whole category of comic servant characters. However, the term "zanni" was not used in this manner in Italy.
* "Harlequin"
* "Brighella"
* "Coviello"
* "Pulcinella"
* "Pierrot"
* "Trivelino


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем решить контрольную работу

Look at other dictionaries:

  • zanni — zanni …   Dictionnaire des rimes

  • zanni — [ (d)zani ] n. m. VAR. zani • 1583 84; Zany n. pr. 1558; mot vénitien, de l it. Giovanni « Jean » ♦ Hist. du théâtre Bouffon des comédies vénitiennes. ● zanni ou zani nom masculin (altération de Giovanni en dialecte vénitien) Personnage de… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Zanni — steht für Reto Zanni, ein schweizer Fussballspieler Zanni (Theaterfigur), eine Figur oder ein Figurentypus aus der Commedia dell arte Diese Seite ist eine Begriffsklärung zur Unterscheidung mehrerer mit …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • zanni — / dzan:i/ s.m. [propr. Zanni, forma toscanizzata del veneto Zani, corrispondente al tosc. Gianni ]. 1. (teatr.) [personaggio della commedia dell arte che rappresenta il servo scaltro e imbroglione o sciocco e goffo]. 2. (estens., non com.)… …   Enciclopedia Italiana

  • Zanni — u. Zanneschi, komische Charakterrollen auf dem Italienischen Theater, s.d …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • Zanni — (d. h. Giovanni, »Johann«), Maske des bergamaskischen Dieners in der ital. Stegreifkomödie, aus der sich zwei Dienermasken entwickelten, der dumme Arlecchino und der verschlagene Brighella (s. d. und Pierrot). Vgl. Merlini, Saggio di ricerche… …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

  • zanni — (izg. dzȁni) m DEFINICIJA kazal. lik vječnoga sluge u talijanskoj komediji dell̕arte (od 16. st.) ETIMOLOGIJA tal …   Hrvatski jezični portal

  • zanni — ▪ stock theatrical character plural  zanni  or  zannis   stock servant character in the Italian improvisational theatre known as the commedia dell arte. Zanni were valet buffoons, clowns, and knavish jacks of all trades. All possessed common… …   Universalium

  • Zanni — Este artículo o sección necesita referencias que aparezcan en una publicación acreditada, como revistas especializadas, monografías, prensa diaria o páginas de Internet fidedignas. Puedes añadirlas así o avisar a …   Wikipedia Español

  • Zanni — Brighella, l’un des types les plus anciens et les plus constants de zanni. Les zanni sont des personnages de théâtre type de valets. Les bouffons, Sanniones ou bouffons de la comédie antique sont retrouvés, avec l’emploi de valets, dans la… …   Wikipédia en Français

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”