effetto

Forms

effetto m (plural effetti, diminutive effettùccio, augmentative effettóne, pejorative effettàccio or effettùccio)^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin effectus (“execution, accomplishment”), a learned word, the action noun of efficiō (“to bring about, accomplish”), from ex- and faciō (“to make, do”).^[2][3][4][1] The Latin word has learned and popular continuants in all the Romance languages: Romanian efect, French effet, Catalan efecte, Spanish efecto and Portuguese efeito.^[5][3] Older forms such as Old Italian affetto show the popular change of ⟨ef-⟩ to ⟨af-⟩.^[5][6]

The plural sense “clothes, belongings” is a calque of French effets (1535), and the verb effettuare is effectuer (1420).^[2][7] De Vaan traces faciō to a form of Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁- (“to put”) with a ⟨k⟩ that arose in its aorist.^[8]

Earliest recorded meaning

The TLIO's first record is Brunetto Latini's Rettorica (Florence, about 1260–1261), which says that Cicero often wondered “che effetto proviene d'eloquenzia” (what effect comes of eloquence).^[6][9] DELI's first date, for what follows from a cause, is Bono Giamboni (before 1292).^[2]

Semantic evolution

Old Italian used the word for a result, a state of mind, the meaning of a speech, and an event, and in phrases such as mandare or venire ad effetto “to carry out, to come about”.^[6] The sense “strong impression” is recorded in Domenico Cavalca (before 1342), and the spin given to a ball in games in 1555.^[2] In the 17th century the word took on “bill of exchange” (before 1676) and optical or acoustic illusion (1657); effetti “possessions” is recorded in 1586 and “clothes, personal belongings” in 1797.^[2]

Science named many phenomena effetto: effetto Doppler, effetto Joule and effetto serra “greenhouse effect”.^[10][1] Effetti speciali are the tricks of cinema and television, and a effetto or d'effetto describes what is meant to strike the audience.^[11][12]

Timeline

• c. 1260–1261 – Brunetto Latini uses effetto in the Rettorica.^[6]
• Before 1292 – Bono Giamboni uses it for a consequence.^[2]
• Before 1342 – Domenico Cavalca uses it for “impression”.^[2]
• Before 1348 – Francesco da Barberino uses it for “accomplishment”.^[2]
• 1555 – Antonio Scaino uses it for the spin of a ball.^[2]
• 1586 – Filippo Sassetti uses effetti for “possessions”.^[2]
• 1797 – Effetti “personal belongings” is recorded.^[2]

Meanings

Noun

1. An effect, the result or consequence of a cause: il rapporto tra causa ed effetto, La medicina non ha fatto effetto.^{[4][7][13][12]}
2. Validity, legal force: una legge con effetto retroattivo, a tutti gli effetti, in every respect.^[4][13][12]
3. Accomplishment: mandare a effetto un progetto.^[4][12][11]
4. An impression on someone: Mi ha fatto effetto rivedere la mia vecchia scuola.^[4][12]
5. A device or phenomenon that produces a particular impression: effetti di luce, effetti speciali.^[4][13][11]
6. (physics) A phenomenon named after its cause or discoverer: effetto Doppler, effetto serra.^[13][10]
7. (sports) spin given to a ball: un tiro a effetto.^[4][12]
8. (in the plural) Belongings, clothes: effetti personali.^[4][7][1]
9. (finance) A bill of exchange or other credit instrument.^[2][12]

Word family

• effettivo
• effettuare
• effettivamente
• effettività
• effettore
• effettuale
• effettuazione

Related words

• efficace
• fare
• Latin effectus
• French effet

Usage notes

In effetti means “in fact, indeed”.^[1][14] Per effetto di means “as a result of”.^[10]

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 Cortelazzo, Manlio; Zolli, Paolo (1999), Dizionario etimologico della lingua italiana, 2nd ed. by Manlio Cortelazzo and Michele A. Cortelazzo, Bologna: Zanichelli
3. ^ a b Nocentini, Alberto; Parenti, Alessandro (2010), l'Etimologico: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Firenze: Le Monnier
4. ^ a b c d e f g h De Mauro, Tullio (ed.) (2003), Grande dizionario italiano dell'uso, CD-ROM version 2.0, Torino: UTET
5. ^ a b Pfister, Max; Schweickard, Wolfgang; Prifti, Elton (eds.) (1979–), Lessico Etimologico Italiano, Wiesbaden: Reichert; online at lei-digitale.it, p. 21, 212
6. ^ a b c d Tesoro della Lingua Italiana delle Origini (1997–), Opera del Vocabolario Italiano, CNR, Firenze; tlio.ovi.cnr.it
7. ^ a b c Devoto, Giacomo; Oli, Gian Carlo; Serianni, Luca; Trifone, Maurizio (2026), Nuovo Devoto–Oli: il vocabolario dell'italiano contemporaneo, digital ed., Milano: Le Monnier
8. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
9. ^ Battaglia, Salvatore; Bàrberi Squarotti, Giorgio (1961–2002), Grande dizionario della lingua italiana, 21 vols., Torino: UTET; digital ed. Accademia della Crusca, p. 5, 53
10. ^ a b c Vocabolario della lingua italiana Treccani (2011), Roma: Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana
11. ^ a b c Gabrielli, Aldo (2020), Grande dizionario italiano, digital ed., Milano: Hoepli
12. ^ a b c d e f g Zingarelli, Nicola (2009), Lo Zingarelli 2010: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Bologna: Zanichelli
13. ^ a b c d Sabatini, Francesco; Coletti, Vittorio; Manfredini, Manuela (2026), Dizionario italiano Sabatini Coletti, digital ed., Milano: Sansoni / Rizzoli Larousse
14. ^ Battisti, Carlo; Alessio, Giovanni (1950–1957), Dizionario etimologico italiano, 5 vols., Firenze: Barbèra (reprint 1975), p. 1426