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Where does the word "alfresco" come from? It comes from Italian al fresco, and was adopted directly into English (1750s).
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Where does the word "alfresco" come from? It comes from Italian al fresco, and was adopted directly into English (1750s).
Alfresco’s story begins in Italian: al fresco meant “in the cool.” 'in the cool'; in modern Italian slang it means 'in jail', where it is also cool. It reached English by 1750s as alfresco. Came to mean eating or painting out of doors. Today, alfresco means in the open air.
- Stage 1 · Italian · medieval al fresco "in the cool", 'in the cool'; in modern Italian slang it means 'in jail', where it is also cool.
- Stage 2 · English · 1750s alfresco "outdoors", came to mean eating or painting out of doors.