Wikipedia
Zanni , Zani or Zane is a character type of Commedia dell'arte best known as an astute servant and trickster. The Zanni comes from the countryside. The Zanni is known to be a “dispossessed immigrant worker”. Throughout time, the Zanni grew to be a popular figure who was first seen in commedia as early as the fourteenth century. The English word zany derives from this persona.
Zanni is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:
- Alessandro Zanni (born 1984), Italian rugby union footballer
- Chiara Zanni (born 1978), Canadian actress
- Dom Zanni (born 1932), former right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball
- Matteo Zanni (born 1987), Italian ice dancer
- Reto Zanni (born 1980), Swiss football player
Usage examples of "zanni".
When Zanni got up, he scratched his head and ponderously cogitated, then smiled slyly.
Florian, Zanni and Maurice, each of them carrying in each hand a satchel full of lire and centesimi, scurried about to every money-changing establishment in the city.
While Zanni cavorted, flickered and pirouetted, he held his elbows high and seemed to dance weightlessly on his tiptoes.
When Zanni sang in his gruff, broken, often-cracking voice, the audience took it as a genuine and expert burlesque.
Meanwhile, Fitz had had Zanni Bonvecino write for him a rigmarole in Italian, and had memorized it.
Orvieto, Florian, Goesle, Beck and Zanni had found and bought a very nice caravan for themselves, and a horse to draw it.
He had begun following Zanni Bonvecino everywhere except to the donniker, and gamely trying to imitate his every comic turn except the aria singing.
And Ali Baba got his first-ever laugh just by walking into the pista, for Zanni had done his makeup like that of the Tambo or Bones in an American minstrel show.
At that, Zanni produced a plug hat from somewhere and set it on his head, but put it there upside down.
Let him and Zanni close the show with a slambang, knockabout spill-and-pelt.
Signor Zanni believe you have sufficiently mastered again the Lupino turn, you will follow the Misses Simms and close the show.
Then Zanni bent closer to the mirror, shut his eyes and just stood there.
When the white-face put his hat back on, he was dissatisfied with its placement, and bade Zanni hold the mirror for him.
Crouching on the far side of Ali Baba, hiding, Zanni also came creeping and looking terrified.
At exactly the same time, Zanni opened his mouth, raised his eyebrows and took a step backward.