A-Z: General definitions
- Yahweh
- Yarn
- Yeast
- Yellowback
- YMCA
- Yoke
- Yom Kippur
- YWCA
- Zacchaeus
- Zanni
- Zeal
- Zechariah
- Zephyr
- Zeugma
- Zeus
- Ziggurat
- Zion
- Zodiac
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A-Z: General definitions: Zanni
Definition
A stock character of the Commedia dell'Arte. Zanni were male servants, clowns and jacks-of-all-trades. They enjoyed practical jokes and intrigue but could be quarrelsome, cowardly, and treacherous. Dei Zanni (‘the zanni’) was also a generic term for the Commedia dell'Arte itself. The English word ‘zany’ is derived from the antics of these Commedia characters.
Commedia dell'Arte all'improvviso originated in medieval Italy and features a touring company of actors improvising around stock plot-lines, using stereotypical characters, into which topical references are added.
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