acquedotto

Forms

acquedotto m (plural acquedotti)^[1] An older and now archaic form is acquidotto (Machiavelli, Berni); acquedutto and aquidotto are also recorded.^[2][3][4][5]

Etymology

It is inherited from Latin aquaeductus (“conveying of water”), from aquae (“of water”) and ductus (“conveying”), from dūcō (“to lead”).^[6][7][8][1] The LEI treats it as inherited, continuing the Latin word and its variants aquiductus and *aquaductus; the GDLI calls it semi-learned and points to the Late Latin form aquiductus in the Appendix Probi.^[9][10] Wiktionary notes that it can also be read as acque plus -dotto.^[1]

The Latin word also lived on in Catalan aguaduy, Old Spanish aguaducho and the dialects of the Grisons.^[9][11]

Earliest recorded meaning

The TLIO's first record is Domenico Cavalca, a Pisan, before 1342, who uses it figuratively of a channel through which divine grace reaches man;^{[12][9][2][10]} DELI's first record of the literal sense is Vespasiano da Bisticci, before 1498, on the ancient aqueducts still standing at Florence.^{[12][9][2][10]}

Semantic evolution

Old Italian used the word for a conduit carrying water to a community and for a navigable canal.^[12] Machiavelli writes acquidotto (1522–1525).^[2] From the 19th century anatomy named small canals in the body after it (acquedotto di Silvio, 1829), and law speaks of servitù d'acquedotto, the right to bring water across another's land.^[9][13] Today it is chiefly the whole system that collects, carries and distributes drinking water.^[6][8]

Timeline

• Before 1342 – Cavalca uses acquedotto figuratively.^[12][9]
• Before 1498 – Vespasiano da Bisticci uses it of ancient aqueducts.^[2]
• 1522–1525 – Machiavelli writes acquidotto.^[2]
• 1829 – The anatomical sense is recorded.^[9]
• 1869 – servitù d'acquedotto is recorded.^[9]

Meanings

Noun

1. waterworks: the system of works that collects, carries and distributes water to users: L'acquedotto comunale resterà chiuso per lavori.^[6][14][8]
2. aqueduct: a channel, raised or underground, that carries water over a distance: gli acquedotti romani.^[6][5][15]
3. (anatomy) A small canal through which a fluid passes: acquedotto di Silvio, the cerebral aqueduct.^[6][14][13]
4. (law) In servitù d'acquedotto: the easement allowing water to be carried across another's land.^[8][13]

Word family

• acquedottistico

Related words

• acqua
• condotto
• Latin aquaeductus

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f Cortelazzo, Manlio; Zolli, Paolo (1999), Dizionario etimologico della lingua italiana, 2nd ed. by Manlio Cortelazzo and Michele A. Cortelazzo, Bologna: Zanichelli
3. ^ Prati, Angelico (1951), Vocabolario etimologico italiano, Milano: Garzanti, p. 21
4. ^ Tommaseo, Niccolò; Bellini, Bernardo (1861–1879), Dizionario della lingua italiana, 4 vols., Torino: UTET
5. ^ a b Gabrielli, Aldo (2020), Grande dizionario italiano, digital ed., Milano: Hoepli
6. ^ a b c d e De Mauro, Tullio (ed.) (2003), Grande dizionario italiano dell'uso, CD-ROM version 2.0, Torino: UTET
7. ^ Nocentini, Alberto; Parenti, Alessandro (2010), l'Etimologico: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Firenze: Le Monnier
8. ^ a b c d Sabatini, Francesco; Coletti, Vittorio; Manfredini, Manuela (2026), Dizionario italiano Sabatini Coletti, digital ed., Milano: Sansoni / Rizzoli Larousse
9. ^ a b c d e f g h Pfister, Max; Schweickard, Wolfgang; Prifti, Elton (eds.) (1979–), Lessico Etimologico Italiano, Wiesbaden: Reichert; online at lei-digitale.it, p. 3, 588
10. ^ a b c Battaglia, Salvatore; Bàrberi Squarotti, Giorgio (1961–2002), Grande dizionario della lingua italiana, 21 vols., Torino: UTET; digital ed. Accademia della Crusca
11. ^ Meyer-Lübke, Wilhelm (1935), Romanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., Heidelberg: Winter
12. ^ a b c d Tesoro della Lingua Italiana delle Origini (1997–), Opera del Vocabolario Italiano, CNR, Firenze; tlio.ovi.cnr.it
13. ^ a b c Duro, Aldo (ed.) (1986–1994), Vocabolario della lingua italiana, Roma: Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana; online ed. treccani.it/vocabolario (2008 copy)
14. ^ a b Devoto, Giacomo; Oli, Gian Carlo; Serianni, Luca; Trifone, Maurizio (2026), Nuovo Devoto–Oli: il vocabolario dell'italiano contemporaneo, digital ed., Milano: Le Monnier
15. ^ Zingarelli, Nicola (2009), Lo Zingarelli 2010: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Bologna: Zanichelli