Zanni or Zani 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 were first seen in commedia as early as the fourteenth century. It is the origin of the adjective "zany", meaning "bizarrely comical".
Read more about Zanni: The Origin of The Name, Actors, Costume and Mask, Props, Stance, Six Types of Walks, Speech, Characteristics, Two Types of Zanni, Lazzi, Relationship With The Audience, Variations, Gallery