Usage Note
Signorotto is an augmentative-pejorative form of signore, used historically for a minor local lord who wielded disproportionate power over his small territory. The suffix -otto adds a slightly contemptuous or ironic tone — it implies pretension without matching rank. In modern Italian it can describe any petty authority figure.
Examples
"Il signorotto imponeva tasse arbitrarie ai contadini."
Natural Translation
The petty lord imposed arbitrary taxes on the peasants.
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