Gobbo and gobba: nouns or adjectives?

By Sigrid Lee

In a recent lesson, we talked about the moon, and shapes. We mentioned which side il gobbo (the hump) would appear, according to whether the moon was waxing or waning. Here is an article in Italian about that.

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In a recent video, there is also mention of gobbo. So let's delve a bit deeper into this interesting word.

Little Livietta, in the series Provaci ancora, prof! is worried about a condition that might cause her to be slightly hunchbacked as she grows.

Diventerò gobba, mamma?

Will I become hunchbacked, Mom?

Caption 57, Provaci ancora prof! S3 EP2 Doppio imprevisto - Part 2
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It turned out she needed to just do some swimming. Here is what she reported to her father, as he came home after a hard day.

Amore, perché non dai la bella notizia a papà? -Ah, sì! Non diventerò gobba, papà.

Darling, why don't you tell Dad the good news? -Oh, yes! I won't become hunchbacked, Dad.

Captions 8-9, Provaci ancora prof! S3 EP2 Doppio imprevisto - Part 10
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In effect, gobba can be either an adjective or a noun. In our two examples, gobba is an adjective, but it may give the feeling of a noun.

The noun form gobba indicates a bump or hump, usually on the upper back. Livietta's father, in a foul mood, comments this way:

Ma in fondo anche una piccola gobba cosa sarebbe stata, in confronto alla sofferenza del mondo, no?

But deep down even a little hump, what would it have been compared to the suffering in the world, right?

Captions 15-17, Provaci ancora prof! S3 EP2 Doppio imprevisto - Part 10
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Un gobbo can indicate a person who can be described as a hunchback.

Gobbo (in the masculine form) can also refer to the prompt box. or its covering, in a theater. A human prompter in a theater can be in the wings, or, in operas, the prompter can sit in a covered box in the center of the proscenium, so as to be seen by the performers, not the audience.

In modern times, il gobbo may also refer to the teleprompter used in speeches, on TV, and in videos.

There are also specifically Neapolitan references to il gobbo, but we will leave those to the Neapolitans. We'll provide a final reference to a vegetable. Cardoons, called cardi in Italian, come in various shapes and sizes, one of which is sharply curved at its base. These are called gobbi in Tuscany. Here's an article.