Etymologically
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clinica

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Pronunciation

  • /ˈkli.ni.ka/[1]

Forms

clinica f (plural cliniche)[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from French clinique, from Latin clīnicē (“clinical medicine”) and the related clīnicus (“physician who visits the bedridden”).[2][3][4][5][1] The Latin words come from Ancient Greek κλινική (klinikḗ), short for a phrase with τέχνη (tékhnē, “art”) meaning “the art of treating those in bed”, and, from κλινικός (klinikós, “of the sickbed”).[2][3][6][7] They are derived from κλίνη (klínē, “bed”), from κλίνω (klínō, “to bend, lean”).[3][1]

The French noun is recorded from the early 17th century and the French adjective from 1696.[2] GRADIT treats the Italian noun as derived from the adjective clinico, with the French word for comparison.[8]

Earliest recorded meaning

The word first appears in its Latin shape, clinice, in Lodovico Domenichi's translation of Pliny, before 1564: questa medicina, che si chiama clinice (“this medicine, which is called clinice”).[2][9] The form clinica is recorded in 1818 for a hospital section run by a clinician, in Giovanni Rasori, and in 1820 for the branch of medicine.[2][8]

Semantic evolution

In the 19th century the word meant medicine taught and practised at the patient's bedside, and the place where patients were treated for that teaching.[10][9] Boccardo describes public lectures called cliniche given beside the sick for medical students.[9]

Its commonest modern sense is a private nursing home or hospital, besides the university clinic.[5][8][4] It is also used for a veterinary surgery and, figuratively, for a workshop that repairs some kind of object.[11][8] The adjective clinico is recorded in 1750, and the noun clinico “clinician” in 1814.[2]

Timeline

  • Before 1564 – Domenichi uses the Latin form clinice.[2]
  • Early 17th century – French clinique is recorded.[2]
  • 1750 – The adjective clinico appears in Antonio Cocchi.[2]
  • 1814 – Clinico “clinician” is recorded.[2]
  • 1818 – Giovanni Rasori uses clinica for a hospital section.[2][8]
  • 1820 – Clinica is recorded for the branch of medicine.[2]

Meanings

Noun

  1. (medicine) The branch of medicine based on the direct study and treatment of the individual patient, from diagnosis to therapy: Ha scelto di specializzarsi in clinica pediatrica.[8][11][4]
  2. A university hospital department where a branch of clinical medicine is taught: Lo hanno operato alla clinica ortopedica dell'università.[8][4][5]
  3. A clinic, especially a private nursing home: Mia sorella ha partorito in una clinica privata.[8][11][4][1]
  4. A veterinary surgery.[11]
  5. (figurative) A workshop that repairs a particular kind of object.[8][11]

Word family

  • clinico

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Cortelazzo, Manlio; Zolli, Paolo (1999), Dizionario etimologico della lingua italiana, 2nd ed. by Manlio Cortelazzo and Michele A. Cortelazzo, Bologna: Zanichelli
  3. ^ a b c Nocentini, Alberto; Parenti, Alessandro (2010), l'Etimologico: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Firenze: Le Monnier
  4. ^ a b c d e Sabatini, Francesco; Coletti, Vittorio; Manfredini, Manuela (2026), Dizionario italiano Sabatini Coletti, digital ed., Milano: Sansoni / Rizzoli Larousse
  5. ^ a b c Zingarelli, Nicola (2009), Lo Zingarelli 2010: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Bologna: Zanichelli
  6. ^ Devoto, Giacomo (1968), Avviamento alla etimologia italiana: dizionario etimologico, 2nd ed., Firenze: Le Monnier, p. 98
  7. ^ Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i De Mauro, Tullio (ed.) (2003), Grande dizionario italiano dell'uso, CD-ROM version 2.0, Torino: UTET
  9. ^ a b c Battaglia, Salvatore; Bàrberi Squarotti, Giorgio (1961–2002), Grande dizionario della lingua italiana, 21 vols., Torino: UTET; digital ed. Accademia della Crusca, p. 3, 229
  10. ^ Tommaseo, Niccolò; Bellini, Bernardo (1861–1879), Dizionario della lingua italiana, 4 vols., Torino: UTET
  11. ^ a b c d e Devoto, Giacomo; Oli, Gian Carlo; Serianni, Luca; Trifone, Maurizio (2026), Nuovo Devoto–Oli: il vocabolario dell'italiano contemporaneo, digital ed., Milano: Le Monnier