corso

corso¹ course

Etymology tree of corso¹

inherited borrowed derived

Latin curro

French courir

Italian correre

Latin cursus

French cours

Italian corso

German Kurs

Derived words · corso¹

Latin accurro ← curro

Latin concurro ← curro

Latin curso ← curro

Latin cursor ← curro

Latin discurro ← curro

Latin excurro ← curro

Latin praecurro ← curro

Latin recurro ← curro

Latin succurro ← curro

Latin transcurro ← curro

French courant ← courir

English corsair ← cursus

Pronunciation

• /ˈkor.so/^[1]

Forms

corso m (plural corsi)^[1]

Etymology

The noun “course” is inherited from Latin cursus (“a running; course, direction”), the action noun of currō (“to run”).^[2][3][1][4] The word is found throughout Romance: French cours, Occitan cos, Catalan cos, Spanish coso, Portuguese cosso, Sardinian cussu (“diarrhoea”) and Romanian curs.^[2][5]

DEI notes that the link with correre kept the group ⟨rs⟩ from becoming ⟨ss⟩, which happened in Logudorese.^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The TLIO's first record is the Venetian version of Pamphilus, about 1250, and its oldest senses are “running” and a horse's gallop.^[6] DELI's first record is Bonagiunta Orbicciani, before 1257, with the sense “the steady flow of water”.^[7][3]

Semantic evolution

Bono Giamboni, before 1292, used corso for a voyage by sea and for the motion of the stars, and the 13th-century chronicle of Malispini for the current value of coins.^[7] In 1310–1312 Dino Compagni used it for a wide, busy street, originally the street where the horse races were run, and Dante for the unfolding of events in time.^[7][6] Old Italian fare corso also meant to plunder, especially at sea, the source of the corsairs' trade.^[6]

The academic senses came later: a cycle of lessons in Tasso before 1595, a treatise on a subject in Vallisneri before 1730, and a year of study in Pascoli in 1893.^[7] In Vico's philosophy corsi e ricorsi are the alternating cycles of civilization and barbarism in history.^[8][9]

English Corso, the main street of an Italian city and especially that of Rome, is recorded from about 1635, French le Corso from 1807, and German Korso for a procession of vehicles from the 19th century.^[10]

Timeline

• c. 1250 – The Venetian Pamphilus has the first record.^[6]
• Before 1257 – Bonagiunta Orbicciani uses corso for a flow of water.^[7]
• Before 1292 – Bono Giamboni uses it for a sea voyage and for the motion of the stars.^[7]
• 1310–1312 – Dino Compagni uses it for a city street.^[7]
• Before 1321 – Dante uses it for the course of events in time.^[7]
• Before 1595 – Tasso uses it for a course of lessons.^[7]
• c. 1635 – English Corso is recorded.^[10]
• 1716 – Salvini uses it for a procession through the streets.^[7]
• 1893 – Pascoli uses it for a year of study.^[7]

Meanings

Noun

1. The flow of a river or stream; its course: Dopo la piena il corso del torrente è cambiato.^{[3][8][11][1]}
2. The real or apparent motion of a heavenly body.^[3][11][9]
3. The progress or unfolding of something in time: nel corso dei secoli, in corso, in progress.^[3][8][11]
4. A course of lessons; a textbook for it: Si è iscritta a un corso serale di tedesco.^[11][12][1]
5. A year of a degree programme or school; a class.^[11][7]
6. A main street of a town, an avenue: Abbiamo passeggiato lungo il corso fino al duomo.^[11][12][1]
7. A procession or parade through the streets: corso mascherato.^[11][12]
8. (economics) The legal circulation of a currency, (finance) the market price of securities or currencies.^[11][1]
9. (nautical) A sea voyage, in capitano di lungo corso, a master mariner.^[12][9]

Word family

• corsista
• corsia
• corsivo
• corsiero
• corsaro

corso² Corsican

Pronunciation

• /ˈkɔr.so/^[1]

Forms

corso (feminine corsa, masculine plural corsi, feminine plural corse)^[1]

Etymology

The adjective “Corsican” is from Latin Corsus (“of Corsica”), the ethnic adjective of Corsica.^[7][2][3][1] Compare French corse and Spanish corso.^[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

The first record is Dante's Purgatorio, where the moon sets “tra Sardi e Corsi” (between the Sardinians and the Corsicans).^[7][6][13]

Semantic evolution

Already in Old Italian corso was also a wine from Corsica, and the word named a grape variety in Soderini in the 16th century and a kind of fig.^[6][4] Redi's Ditirambo praises “un sorso di buon Corso” (a sip of good Corsican).^[14] With a capital, il Corso is Napoleon.^[3][13] The noun also names the Romance language of the island.^[3][1]

Timeline

• Before 1321 – Dante uses Corsi “the Corsicans”.^[7][6]
• 15th century – Sercambi uses corso for the wine of Corsica.^[4]
• 16th century – Corsesca, a kind of lance, is recorded.^[2]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Corsican, of Corsica: I paesi corsi dell'interno sono quasi tutti in montagna.^[3][11][1]

Noun

1. A Corsican, a native or inhabitant of Corsica.^[3][11][1]
2. il Corso, Napoleon Bonaparte.^[3][8]
3. The Corsican language.^[3][1]
4. A grape variety of Corsica and the wine made from it.^[3][14]

Word family

• corsesca