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dispensa

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Etymology and origin of the Italian word dispensa

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
1274 before 1274, Brunetto Latini's Tesoretto More words from the 13th century
Ultimate origin
Latin pēnsō

Pronunciation

  • /disˈpɛn.sa/[1]

Forms

dispensa f (plural dispense)[1]

Etymology

It is a deverbal noun with no suffix, from Italian dispensare (“to distribute; to exempt”).[2][3][4][5] The verb is learned, taken from Latin dispēnsāre (“to weigh out; to distribute; to manage”).[2][3][4] DELI and GRADIT call it an intensive of dispendere (“to weigh out, distribute”).[2][4] Nocentini derives it from pēnsāre (“to weigh”) with the prefix dis-.[3] Wiktionary instead takes the noun from Late Latin dispēnsa, a feminine past participle of that verb.[1]

According to DELI the sense “exemption” grew out of the idea of giving or granting.[2] Battaglia treats the legal sense as a learned deverbal of the verb in its sense “to exempt”, which once alternated with the older dispensazione.[6] DEI compares French despense in that sense (1488) and Ecclesiastical Latin dispensātiō.[7] Battaglia explains the pantry as the place holding the provisions to be handed out.[6]

Körting lists Old Occitan despensa (“expense”), French dépense (“expense”) and Spanish despensa (“larder”) as corresponding words.[8]

Earliest recorded meaning

The TLIO's first record is in Brunetto Latini's Tesoretto, written before 1274, and its oldest sense is a share of something, what is allotted.[9][3] The pantry is in the 13th-century Detto d'Amore, In dispensa e 'n guardarobe e 'n cella (“in the pantry, the wardrobe and the cellar”).[2][6] The exemption is in Malispini, where King Charles marries his niece to Charles of Valois con dispensa del papa (“with the pope's dispensation”).[2][6]

Semantic evolution

In Old Italian the word also meant conduct, and figuratively the distribution of food through the body, digestion.[9] Aldobrandino's treatise calls the stomach dispensa del corpo, “the body's dispenser”.[10] Dante has night holding tutte sue dispense, all its allotted parts of the sky.[10][6]

The piece of furniture is recorded from 1824, and the instalment of a work published in parts from 1835, when a Piedmontese journal called dispensa “the true Italian word” for it.[2] DEI compares French livraison for that sense.[7] Lecture notes for a university course followed in 1923.[2]

In modern law the word names an administrative exemption and the document that proves it, and in canon law the release from a vow or from an impediment to marriage.[4][11][12] In public employment dispensa dal servizio is the ending of the employment of an unfit or unproductive employee.[4][6]

Timeline

  • Before 1274 – Brunetto Latini uses dispensa in the Tesoretto.[9][3]
  • 13th century – The Detto d'Amore has the sense “pantry”.[2]
  • 13th century – Malispini uses it for a papal dispensation.[2]
  • Before 1321 – Dante uses it for distribution or allotment.[2]
  • 1824 – The sense “cupboard for provisions” is recorded.[2]
  • 1835 – A Piedmontese journal recommends it for an instalment of a serial publication.[2]
  • 1923 – The sense “university lecture notes” is recorded.[2]

Meanings

Noun

  1. (uncommon) distribution, handing out.[4][13][12][1]
  2. A pantry or larder, a room for keeping food: Le conserve sono in dispensa.[4][5][11]
  3. A cupboard for food, a sideboard.[4][11][1]
  4. (nautical) The storeroom on a ship from which food is issued to the crew.[5][11][12]
  5. (regional, central Italy) A shop selling food or wine.[5][11][4]
  6. An instalment of a work published in parts: un atlante uscito a dispense.[4][11][1]
  7. A booklet with the text of a course of lectures: dispense universitarie.[4][5][12]
  8. (law) An exemption granted by an authority from an obligation: ottenere la dispensa dall'obbligo di frequenza.[4][11][14]
  9. (canon law) A dispensation, release from a precept or a vow: dispensa matrimoniale allows a marriage despite an impediment.[11][12][4]
  10. The document certifying such an exemption.[4][11][14]
  11. (administration) Release from an office or service, or dismissal of an unfit public employee.[4][5]

Word family

  • dispensiere
  • dispensina

Usage notes

An obsolete dispensa “expense”, recorded before 1294 and formed on Latin dispendere, is a separate word for GRADIT, also spelt dispesa.[4][12] DEI records it as an old Tuscan word of the 13th century.[7] Zingarelli gives an old popular form dispenza.[11]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n 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 e 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 k l m n o p De Mauro, Tullio (ed.) (2003), Grande dizionario italiano dell'uso, CD-ROM version 2.0, Torino: UTET
  5. ^ a b c d e f Devoto, Giacomo; Oli, Gian Carlo; Serianni, Luca; Trifone, Maurizio (2026), Nuovo Devoto–Oli: il vocabolario dell'italiano contemporaneo, digital ed., Milano: Le Monnier
  6. ^ a b c d e f Battaglia, Salvatore; Bàrberi Squarotti, Giorgio (1961–2002), Grande dizionario della lingua italiana, 21 vols., Torino: UTET; digital ed. Accademia della Crusca, p. 4, 718
  7. ^ a b c Battisti, Carlo; Alessio, Giovanni (1950–1957), Dizionario etimologico italiano, 5 vols., Firenze: Barbèra (reprint 1975), p. 1347
  8. ^ Körting, Gustav (1907), Lateinisch-romanisches Wörterbuch: etymologisches Wörterbuch der romanischen Hauptsprachen, 3rd ed., Paderborn: Schöningh
  9. ^ a b c Tesoro della Lingua Italiana delle Origini (1997–), Opera del Vocabolario Italiano, CNR, Firenze; tlio.ovi.cnr.it
  10. ^ a b Tommaseo, Niccolò; Bellini, Bernardo (1861–1879), Dizionario della lingua italiana, 4 vols., Torino: UTET
  11. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Zingarelli, Nicola (2009), Lo Zingarelli 2010: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Bologna: Zanichelli
  12. ^ a b c d e f Duro, Aldo (ed.) (1986–1994), Vocabolario della lingua italiana, Roma: Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana; online ed. treccani.it/vocabolario (2008 copy)
  13. ^ Sabatini, Francesco; Coletti, Vittorio; Manfredini, Manuela (2026), Dizionario italiano Sabatini Coletti, digital ed., Milano: Sansoni / Rizzoli Larousse
  14. ^ a b Gabrielli, Aldo (2020), Grande dizionario italiano, digital ed., Milano: Hoepli
Cite this entry

“Dispensa.” Etymologically, 14 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/it/dispensa. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.

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