Etymologically
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computer

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 21 October 2026 at 21:11. This address is a permanent link to this version.
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Pronunciation

  • /komˈpju.ter/[1]

Forms

computer m (invariable)[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from English computer, from compute (“to calculate”), which came from French computer (“to compute, to count”).[2][3][4][5][1] The English noun has this sense from 1897.[2][4] Devoto–Oli traces the verb back to Latin computō (“to calculate”), the source also of Italian computare.[6][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

GRADIT and Nocentini date the word to 1966.[4][3] The GDLI quotes the Corriere della Sera of 29 January 1966, still with an English plural: a German had said that in the matter of computers the ratio between the United States and Germany was perhaps twenty to one.[7] DELI's first record is of 1968, in the Domenica del Corriere.[2]

Semantic evolution

Writers of the 1960s still had to explain the word: Luciano Bianciardi described computers as electronic instruments that calculate in the binary system, and Alberto Arbasino mentioned poetry made with them.[7] Italian has native synonyms, calcolatore, elaboratore and cervello elettronico.[8][7][2]

The plural is usually invariable, i computer, though computers is also used, and the Italian pronunciation is adapted.[8][9][7] Phrases name newer kinds of machine: computer portatile (laptop), computer di bordo (trip computer) and computer quantistico.[6][4][10] Figuratively a computer is a person who calculates coldly or works with inhuman efficiency.[9]

Timeline

  • 1897 – English computer is recorded in the sense “calculating machine”.[2][4]
  • 1966 – The Corriere della Sera uses computers.[7][4]
  • 1968 – The Domenica del Corriere uses computer.[2]
  • Before 1977 – Computazionale is borrowed from English computational.[3]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A computer, an electronic machine that stores and processes data according to a program: Ho comprato un computer nuovo per lavorare da casa.[4][6][8][10][1]
  2. (figurative) A person who calculates coldly or works with machine-like efficiency.[9]

Word family

  • computerizzare
  • computeristico
  • supercomputer
  • computare
  • calcolatore
  • elaboratore

Usage notes

Gender and number: il computer, plural i computer (rarely i computers).[8][9][1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e 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. ^ a b c d Nocentini, Alberto; Parenti, Alessandro (2010), l'Etimologico: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Firenze: Le Monnier
  4. ^ a b c d e f g De Mauro, Tullio (ed.) (2003), Grande dizionario italiano dell'uso, CD-ROM version 2.0, Torino: UTET
  5. ^ Gabrielli, Aldo (2020), Grande dizionario italiano, digital ed., Milano: Hoepli
  6. ^ a b c Devoto, Giacomo; Oli, Gian Carlo; Serianni, Luca; Trifone, Maurizio (2026), Nuovo Devoto–Oli: il vocabolario dell'italiano contemporaneo, digital ed., Milano: Le Monnier
  7. ^ a b c d e Battaglia, Salvatore; Bàrberi Squarotti, Giorgio (1961–2002), Grande dizionario della lingua italiana, 21 vols., Torino: UTET; digital ed. Accademia della Crusca
  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 Vocabolario della lingua italiana Treccani (2011), Roma: Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana
  10. ^ a b Zingarelli, Nicola (2009), Lo Zingarelli 2010: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Bologna: Zanichelli