Etymologically
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disco

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Pronunciation

Forms

disco m (plural dischi)[1]

Etymology

It is a learned word, borrowed from Latin discus (“quoit; dish”), from Ancient Greek δίσκος (dískos, “quoit”).[2][3][4][1] The popular outcome of the same Latin word is desco, once a table or board.[2][3][1] Inherited descendants of the Latin noun in the sense “flat dish” are also Old French dois and Old Occitan desc.[5][6] The learned word is French disque, recorded from 1556, and Spanish disco.[3][7]

The Greek noun is usually derived from δικεῖν (dikeîn, “to throw”), a verb of uncertain origin.[2][8][9] DEI reconstructs a form with the suffix ⟨-sko-⟩ and compares δίκτυον (díktuon, “net”), as the net that is cast.[7]

Some senses came from other languages: the anatomical disc is probably a calque of the French word, used so from 1852, and disco volante (“flying saucer”) is a calque of English flying saucer.[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

The TLIO's first record is in the Tuscan of Arrigo Simintendi, before 1333, where the word names the flat round object thrown in contests; the same texts also have the popular form desco in this sense, and the phrase giocare al desco, to compete at throwing the discus.[10] DELI and GRADIT date the discus to 1551, in Bernardo Segni.[2][4]

Semantic evolution

In the 17th century the word took on the general sense of a flat circular body: Galileo uses it in 1612, and speaks of the disco solare, the visible face of the sun.[2][11] The 19th century added technical senses: the railway signal turned on an axis (1858), and the fibrous ring between two joints in anatomy (1892).[2]

The gramophone record is first recorded in an advertisement of 1904, and, from it came the figurative il solito disco, the same tiresome talk, and cambiare disco, to change the subject.[2][4][12] The 20th century brought the magnetic and optical discs of computing (disco rigido, the hard disk) and the disco orario, the parking disc.[13][8] From disco came discoteca (1927), formed on the model of biblioteca as a collection of records and later the dance club, and discografia (1963).[2][3]

Timeline

  • Before 1333 – Arrigo Simintendi uses the word for the discus.[10]
  • 1551 – Bernardo Segni writes of the game of the discus.[2][14]
  • 1612 – Galileo uses disco for a flat circular body.[2]
  • 1858 – Dischi-segnali, railway disc signals, are recorded.[2]
  • 1892 – The anatomical sense, the disc between two joints, appears.[2]
  • 1904 – Disco names a gramophone record in an advertisement.[2]
  • 1927 – Discoteca, a record collection, is first recorded.[2]

Meanings

Noun

  1. Any flat, circular object; also the apparent disc of the sun, moon or a planet: Ho ritagliato un disco di cartone per la base della torta.[4][12][15]
  2. (athletics) The discus, and the discus throw; also the puck in ice hockey and each of the plates on a weightlifting bar.[4][12][15]
  3. A gramophone record, and the music recorded on it, an album: Hanno appena inciso il loro secondo disco.[4][12][15]
  4. (figurative) A tiresome, repeated speech, in il solito disco and cambiare disco.[4][12]
  5. (computing) A magnetic or optical storage disk: disco rigido, the hard disk.[12][15][13]
  6. (anatomy) A disc of fibrous cartilage between two vertebrae.[4][13]
  7. (railways, historical) A disc signal showing whether the line is clear.[4][15]

Word family

  • discobolo
  • discofilo
  • discografia
  • discografico
  • discoidale
  • discoide
  • discoteca
  • discotecario
  • discale
  • dischetto

Usage notes

Disco is also an invariable feminine noun, short for discoteca (the club) and for disco music: andare in disco.[4][15][12] Sabatini–Coletti dates it to 1975, and Treccani explains it as a clipping of French discothèque.[15][8] Disco volante is a flying saucer.[2][13]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p 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 h i j De Mauro, Tullio (ed.) (2003), Grande dizionario italiano dell'uso, CD-ROM version 2.0, Torino: UTET
  5. ^ Meyer-Lübke, Wilhelm (1935), Romanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., Heidelberg: Winter
  6. ^ Körting, Gustav (1907), Lateinisch-romanisches Wörterbuch: etymologisches Wörterbuch der romanischen Hauptsprachen, 3rd ed., Paderborn: Schöningh
  7. ^ a b Battisti, Carlo; Alessio, Giovanni (1950–1957), Dizionario etimologico italiano, 5 vols., Firenze: Barbèra (reprint 1975), p. 1329
  8. ^ a b c Vocabolario della lingua italiana Treccani (2011), Roma: Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana
  9. ^ Wikizionario (Italian Wiktionary), it.wiktionary.org
  10. ^ a b Tesoro della Lingua Italiana delle Origini (1997–), Opera del Vocabolario Italiano, CNR, Firenze; tlio.ovi.cnr.it
  11. ^ Tommaseo, Niccolò; Bellini, Bernardo (1861–1879), Dizionario della lingua italiana, 4 vols., Torino: UTET
  12. ^ 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
  13. ^ a b c d Zingarelli, Nicola (2009), Lo Zingarelli 2010: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Bologna: Zanichelli
  14. ^ Battaglia, Salvatore; Bàrberi Squarotti, Giorgio (1961–2002), Grande dizionario della lingua italiana, 21 vols., Torino: UTET; digital ed. Accademia della Crusca
  15. ^ a b c d e f g Sabatini, Francesco; Coletti, Vittorio; Manfredini, Manuela (2026), Dizionario italiano Sabatini Coletti, digital ed., Milano: Sansoni / Rizzoli Larousse