differenza

Forms

differenza f (plural differenze)^[1] The old form differenzia was common; the TLIO also records diferensa, diferenza and deferenza.^[2][3][4]

Etymology

It is a learned word, borrowed from Latin differentia (“difference”).^{[5][6][7][8][9]} The Latin noun is formed on differēns (“different”), the present participle of differō (“to carry apart; to differ”), which joins dis- (“apart”) and ferō (“to carry”).^[10][11][12] Cicero used it to render Ancient Greek διαφορά (diaphorá), built the same way.^[8][13]

The word belongs with differire and differente.^[6][7] The same Latin noun gave French différence, recorded in the 12th century, and Spanish diferencia.^[8]

Earliest recorded meaning

The TLIO's first record is the Venetian Proverbia que dicuntur super natura feminarum of the late 12th century.^[4] DELI dates the word to Guittone d'Arezzo, before 1294, in the sense of what distinguishes two or more people or things.^[5][6] Guittone writes molto è gran diferensa between the knights of the world and his own.^[14]

Semantic evolution

In Dante's Convivio the senses perceive la differenza de le cose by their colours.^[14] The TLIO records Old Italian a differenza di “unlike”, senza differenza “in the same way” and fare differenza, as well as the sense “dispute, quarrel”.^[4] DEI dates the legal sense “controversy” to the 14th century; today it is literary.^[8][15]

In logic, after Aristotle, the differenza specifica is the quality that sets a species apart within its genus.^[11][15] The arithmetical sense, the result of a subtraction, is in Galileo in 1606.^[5] Maria Gaetana Agnesi used differenziale in mathematics in 1748.^[8] The recent fare la differenza “to be the decisive factor” is a calque of English make the difference.^[11][16]

Timeline

• Late 12th century – The Venetian Proverbia que dicuntur have the word.^[4]
• Before 1294 – Guittone d'Arezzo uses diferensa.^[5][14]
• 14th century – The sense “dispute” is recorded.^[8]
• 1606 – Galileo uses it for the result of a subtraction.^[5]
• 1748 – Maria Gaetana Agnesi uses differenziale.^[8]

Meanings

Noun

1. difference, the fact of being different; what makes two or more people or things unlike: Tra i due fratelli c'è una differenza di cinque anni.^[7][15][10]
2. (mathematics) The result of a subtraction: La differenza tra nove e quattro è cinque.^[7][15][10]
3. (science) The gap between the values of a quantity: differenza di potenziale.^[10][7]
4. The sum still needed to complete a payment; in accounting, a balance or shortfall.^[7][10]
5. (literary) A dispute, quarrel.^[7][15][10]
6. (philosophy) In differenza specifica, the quality that distinguishes a species within its genus.^[15][11]

Word family

• differenziale
• differenziare
• indifferenza
• differenziazione

Related words

• differire
• differente
• Latin differentia
• French différence

Usage notes

Common phrases are a differenza di “unlike”, non fa differenza “it makes no difference”, fare differenze “to treat people unequally”, fare la differenza “to be decisive” and, in football, differenza reti “goal difference”.^[16][15][11]

References

1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ Tommaseo, Niccolò; Bellini, Bernardo (1861–1879), Dizionario della lingua italiana, 4 vols., Torino: UTET
3. ^ Gabrielli, Aldo (2020), Grande dizionario italiano, digital ed., Milano: Hoepli
4. ^ a b c d Tesoro della Lingua Italiana delle Origini (1997–), Opera del Vocabolario Italiano, CNR, Firenze; tlio.ovi.cnr.it
5. ^ 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
6. ^ a b c Nocentini, Alberto; Parenti, Alessandro (2010), l'Etimologico: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Firenze: Le Monnier
7. ^ a b c d e f g De Mauro, Tullio (ed.) (2003), Grande dizionario italiano dell'uso, CD-ROM version 2.0, Torino: UTET
8. ^ a b c d e f g Battisti, Carlo; Alessio, Giovanni (1950–1957), Dizionario etimologico italiano, 5 vols., Firenze: Barbèra (reprint 1975), p. 1296
9. ^ Pfister, Max; Schweickard, Wolfgang; Prifti, Elton (eds.) (1979–), Lessico Etimologico Italiano, Wiesbaden: Reichert; online at lei-digitale.it
10. ^ a b c d e f Sabatini, Francesco; Coletti, Vittorio; Manfredini, Manuela (2026), Dizionario italiano Sabatini Coletti, digital ed., Milano: Sansoni / Rizzoli Larousse
11. ^ a b c d e Vocabolario della lingua italiana Treccani (2011), Roma: Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana
12. ^ Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
13. ^ Devoto, Giacomo (1968), Avviamento alla etimologia italiana: dizionario etimologico, 2nd ed., Firenze: Le Monnier, p. 140
14. ^ 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. 4, 387
15. ^ a b c d e f g Devoto, Giacomo; Oli, Gian Carlo; Serianni, Luca; Trifone, Maurizio (2026), Nuovo Devoto–Oli: il vocabolario dell'italiano contemporaneo, digital ed., Milano: Le Monnier
16. ^ a b Zingarelli, Nicola (2009), Lo Zingarelli 2010: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Bologna: Zanichelli