beffa

See also: Beffa

Italian

Etymology

Probably of onomatopoeic origin.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbɛf.fa/
• Rhymes: -ɛffa

Noun

beffa f (plural beffe)

1. joke, prank

   Synonym: scherzo

   • 1947, Primo Levi, “Sul fundo”, in Se questo è un uomo [If This Is a Man], Torino: Einaudi, published 1987, →ISBN, page 23:

     Sciocchezze, a me pare ovvio che il cartello è una beffa, «essi» sanno che noi moriamo di sete, e ci mettono in una camera, e c'è un rubinetto, e Wassertrinken verboten.

     Nonsense, it seems obvious to me that the sign is a joke, "they" know that we are dying of thirst, and they put us in a room, and there is a faucet, and Wassertrinken verboten.

Derived terms

• beffare

Related terms

• beffardo

Descendants

• → Catalan: befa

Verb

beffa

1. inflection of beffare:
   1. third-person singular present indicative
   2. second-person singular imperative

Anagrams

• Baffè