ritrovati

Ritrovati is the masculine plural form of ritrovato, used as an adjective or as the past participle of the verb ritrovare. It conveys that something has been found again or recovered after being lost or misplaced. In Italian, ritrovato describes a state of recovery or rediscovery; ritrovati refers to multiple such items or instances.

Etymology and grammar: Ritrovare is formed from re- (again) and trovar(e). The participle ritrovato agrees in gender and number with the noun it modifies, producing ritrovato (masc. sing.), ritrovata (fem. sing.), ritrovati (masc. plur.), ritrovate (fem. plur.). When used substantively, ritrovati can mean “the things that have been found,” though more common nouns in specialized contexts are ritrovamento or reperto for the finds themselves.

Usage: In archaeology and museography it appears in phrases like “reperti ritrovati” or “oggetti ritrovati in sito.” In journalism and historical writing, it may refer to rediscovered documents, texts, or sites, as in “ritrovati storici” or “ritrovati d’autore.” The plural ritrovati is largely stylistic; the preferred generic noun for a collection of finds remains ritrovamenti.

See also: ritrovamento, ritrovare, reperto, reperti.