Save Type Settlement Usage Italian, English, French, Esperanto, German, Spanish, Dutch Pronounced Pron. /ˈpraː.to/(Italian) /ˈprɑː.toʊ/(English) /pʁa.to/(French) [key·simplify] Meaning & History Italian for "meadow". This is the name of a city in northern Italy, which was probably chosen because the city was founded on a meadow.