Etymologically
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discussione

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Pronunciation

  • /dis.kusˈsjo.ne/[1]

Forms

discussione f (plural discussioni)[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin discussio (“a shaking; later an examination”), a noun formed from discutiō (“to shake apart, shatter”), the verb that gave discutere.[2][3][4][1] That verb is made of dis- (“apart”) and quatiō (“to shake”).[2][4][5]

In classical Latin the noun meant a shaking or vibration;[5][6] the sense “examination, discussion” appears in Late Latin, in Macrobius according to DEI.[7][8][6] The Italian word is a learned one, like Old French discussion, recorded in the 12th century.[7][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

The TLIO's first record is in the Constitutiones Aegidianae of 1357, in an Umbrian-Romagnol text, where it means the treatment of a question by several people with opposing arguments.[9] DELI dates it to Francesco da Buti, before 1406.[2][4]

Semantic evolution

In the 16th century Machiavelli and Guicciardini use the word for debates on public matters.[10] A medical sense, the dispersal of humours (for example in treating plague buboes), is recorded in Muratori and is now obsolete.[10] DEI lists the scrutiny of public accounts among the older senses and dates the political debate to the 17th century.[7]

Mettere in discussione, to call into question, is recorded in 1796, and the sense “argument, quarrel” in the Milanese press of 1836.[2] In law it names the stage of a trial in which counsel argue their case, and in mathematics the study of the solutions of an equation according to its parameters.[4][8]

Timeline

  • 1357 – First record, in the Constitutiones Aegidianae.[9]
  • Before 1406 – Francesco da Buti uses the word.[2]
  • 1796 – Mettere in discussione “to call into question” is recorded.[2]
  • 1836 – The sense “quarrel” appears in the Milanese press.[2]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A discussion: the careful examination of a question by two or more people who put forward their views; a debate: La discussione sul bilancio è durata tutta la sera.[4][11][8]
  2. (by extension) An argument, a quarrel: Ieri sera hanno avuto una brutta discussione.[4][8][12]
  3. An objection or protest, especially in senza discussioni, without arguing.[4][11][6]
  4. (law) The stage of a civil or criminal trial in which the parties' lawyers and the prosecutor present their conclusions orally.[4][11][12]
  5. (mathematics) The study of how the solutions of an equation or system vary with its parameters.[4][8][13]

Usage notes

Common set phrases are fuori discussione, certain, beyond doubt, in discussione, under debate or in doubt, mettere in discussione, to question, and discussione della tesi, the oral defence of a degree thesis.[4][11][6]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g 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 e f g h i j De Mauro, Tullio (ed.) (2003), Grande dizionario italiano dell'uso, CD-ROM version 2.0, Torino: UTET
  5. ^ a b Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  6. ^ a b c d Vocabolario della lingua italiana Treccani (2011), Roma: Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana
  7. ^ a b c Battisti, Carlo; Alessio, Giovanni (1950–1957), Dizionario etimologico italiano, 5 vols., Firenze: Barbèra (reprint 1975), p. 1334
  8. ^ a b c d e Sabatini, Francesco; Coletti, Vittorio; Manfredini, Manuela (2026), Dizionario italiano Sabatini Coletti, digital ed., Milano: Sansoni / Rizzoli Larousse
  9. ^ a b Tesoro della Lingua Italiana delle Origini (1997–), Opera del Vocabolario Italiano, CNR, Firenze; tlio.ovi.cnr.it
  10. ^ a b Battaglia, Salvatore; Bàrberi Squarotti, Giorgio (1961–2002), Grande dizionario della lingua italiana, 21 vols., Torino: UTET; digital ed. Accademia della Crusca, p. 4, 642
  11. ^ a b c d Devoto, Giacomo; Oli, Gian Carlo; Serianni, Luca; Trifone, Maurizio (2026), Nuovo Devoto–Oli: il vocabolario dell'italiano contemporaneo, digital ed., Milano: Le Monnier
  12. ^ a b Zingarelli, Nicola (2009), Lo Zingarelli 2010: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Bologna: Zanichelli
  13. ^ Gabrielli, Aldo (2020), Grande dizionario italiano, digital ed., Milano: Hoepli