Etymologically
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custodia

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 22 October 2026 at 20:49. This address is a permanent link to this version.
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Pronunciation

  • /kusˈtɔ.dja/[1]

Forms

custodia f (plural custodie)[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin custōdia (“guard, protection”), a noun formed from custōs (“guardian”).[2][3][4][1] DEI and Zingarelli call it a learned word, and Körting notes that the popular Romance words for guarding come instead from a Germanic word.[5][6][7] Northern place names such as Custoza and Costozza come from it.[5]

The origin of the Latin noun is unknown.[8] De Vaan rejects the common explanation as “one who sits by the hidden thing”, a compound with the root of Latin sedeō (“to sit”).[8]

Earliest recorded meaning

The TLIO's first record is in the Roman Miracole de Roma (mid-13th century), with the sense “watch, protection”.[9] DELI dates the word to Dino Compagni's chronicle (1310–1312), in the sense “the act of guarding”.[2][4]

Semantic evolution

In Old Italian custodia was the watch kept over persons or things, also the persons who kept it, and a guard or arrest that held someone; in the Franciscan order it was a district governed by a vicar.[9] The concrete sense “case, container for keeping something” appears at the end of the 15th century, in the jests of the Piovano Arlotto, and in many dialects the word names the tabernacle of a church.[2][5][6]

In modern law custodia cautelare is detention before a final sentence.[6][10][11] In football avere in custodia an opponent is to mark him closely.[6]

Timeline

  • Mid-13th century – The Miracole de Roma use custodia “protection”.[9]
  • 1310–1312 – Dino Compagni uses it for the act of guarding.[2]
  • End of the 15th century – The Piovano Arlotto uses it for a case.[2]
  • 1984 – A newspaper discusses the new law on custodia cautelare.[11]

Meanings

Noun

  1. The act of keeping something or someone safe; care, custody, safekeeping: Ha lasciato le chiavi in custodia al portiere.[4][10][12]
  2. The guarding of a person under watch or under arrest: Il sospettato è stato preso in custodia dalla polizia.[10][12][6]
  3. A case or cover for keeping an object safe: la custodia della chitarra.[4][10][12]
  4. (regional) The tabernacle or ciborium of a church.[5][6]

Usage notes

Agente di custodia is a prison guard, and custodia cautelare detention before trial.[10][6]

References

  1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e Cortelazzo, Manlio; Zolli, Paolo (1999), Dizionario etimologico della lingua italiana, 2nd ed. by Manlio Cortelazzo and Michele A. Cortelazzo, Bologna: Zanichelli
  3. ^ Nocentini, Alberto; Parenti, Alessandro (2010), l'Etimologico: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Firenze: Le Monnier
  4. ^ a b c d De Mauro, Tullio (ed.) (2003), Grande dizionario italiano dell'uso, CD-ROM version 2.0, Torino: UTET
  5. ^ a b c d Battisti, Carlo; Alessio, Giovanni (1950–1957), Dizionario etimologico italiano, 5 vols., Firenze: Barbèra (reprint 1975), p. 1198
  6. ^ a b c d e f g Zingarelli, Nicola (2009), Lo Zingarelli 2010: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Bologna: Zanichelli
  7. ^ Körting, Gustav (1907), Lateinisch-romanisches Wörterbuch: etymologisches Wörterbuch der romanischen Hauptsprachen, 3rd ed., Paderborn: Schöningh
  8. ^ a b de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  9. ^ a b c Tesoro della Lingua Italiana delle Origini (1997–), Opera del Vocabolario Italiano, CNR, Firenze; tlio.ovi.cnr.it
  10. ^ 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
  11. ^ a b Battaglia, Salvatore; Bàrberi Squarotti, Giorgio (1961–2002), Grande dizionario della lingua italiana, 21 vols., Torino: UTET; digital ed. Accademia della Crusca
  12. ^ a b c Sabatini, Francesco; Coletti, Vittorio; Manfredini, Manuela (2026), Dizionario italiano Sabatini Coletti, digital ed., Milano: Sansoni / Rizzoli Larousse