efficace

Forms

efficace m or f by sense (plural efficaci, superlative efficacissimo)^[1]

Etymology

It is learned: it is borrowed from Latin efficāx (“effective”), formed on efficiō (“to bring about, accomplish”) with -āx.^{[2][3][4][1][5]} The verb is faciō (“to make”) with ex-, “to make completely”, and Devoto compared the pattern of audāx beside audeō.^[6][7][8]

The LEI finds the Latin adjective in learned form in every Romance language except Friulian and Occitan: Romansh efficazi, Old French efficace (14th century), Catalan eficaç (1507), Spanish eficaz and Portuguese eficaz (15th century).^[9][3] In the Italian dialects it spread only in the main sense, with forms that lose the first syllable or change ⟨ef-⟩ to ⟨af-⟩.^[9]

De Vaan traces the Italic stem of the verb to the root aorist of Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁- (“to put, place”).^[10]

Earliest recorded meaning

The TLIO's first record is the Tuscan translation of Albertano da Brescia by Andrea da Grosseto, 1268, in the sense “able to reach its purpose, producing the intended effect”.^[11][9] DELI dates it from Guittone d'Arezzo, before 1294, and GRADIT from about 1274.^[2][4]

Semantic evolution

Old Italian already used it of words that persuade, of acts that are legally valid, and as an adverb, “convincingly”.^[11] D. Cavalca wrote that the incarnation and death of Christ were più efficace modo (“a more effective way”) than any other to show man the way of salvation.^[12] The LEI dates the sense “convincing, expressive” from Boccaccio's Ameto (1341–1342).^[9] The noun efficacia is in Giordano da Pisa (1303–1306), and inefficacia, from Late Latin, in 1598.^[2][3]

Later uses include the theology of grazia efficace, the grace that moves the will to do good, and in physics the valore efficace, the root mean square of a quantity that varies periodically.^[13][6][14] In Sicilian afficaci also means convincing, and fàrisi afficaci is to take a lively interest in something.^[9] Romanesco altered the word to ficaccio, and its clipping fico became the colloquial word for “cool”.^[1]

Timeline

• 1268 – First record, in Andrea da Grosseto's translation of Albertano da Brescia.^[11][9]
• About 1275 – Florentine eficace appears in the Fiori di filosafi.^[9]
• 1287–1288 – Pisan eficace appears in a translation of Albertano's treatises.^[9]
• Before 1294 – Guittone d'Arezzo uses it.^[2][7]
• 1303–1306 – Giordano da Pisa uses efficacia.^[2]
• 1341–1342 – Boccaccio's Ameto uses it for “convincing, expressive”.^[9]
• 1598 – Inefficacia is recorded.^[3]

Meanings

Adjective

1. effective, efficacious: producing the effect or result that is wanted: Questo sciroppo è efficace contro la tosse secca.^[4][13][6]
2. Expressive, striking; of a writer, speaker or artist: incisive, persuasive: un oratore efficace.^[4][13][6]
3. (law) Valid; producing legal effects.^[4][14]
4. (theology) grazia efficace: the grace that moves the human will to do good.^[13][6][7]
5. (physics) valore efficace: the root mean square of a quantity that varies periodically.^[13][6][14]

Word family

• efficacia
• efficacemente
• inefficace
• inefficacia

Related words

• effetto
• Latin efficax
• French efficace

Usage notes

The opposite is inefficace.^[15] Sicilian has the form afficaci.^[9]

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ 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
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 De Mauro, Tullio (ed.) (2003), Grande dizionario italiano dell'uso, CD-ROM version 2.0, Torino: UTET
5. ^ Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
6. ^ a b c d e f Sabatini, Francesco; Coletti, Vittorio; Manfredini, Manuela (2026), Dizionario italiano Sabatini Coletti, digital ed., Milano: Sansoni / Rizzoli Larousse
7. ^ a b c Zingarelli, Nicola (2009), Lo Zingarelli 2010: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Bologna: Zanichelli
8. ^ Devoto, Giacomo (1968), Avviamento alla etimologia italiana: dizionario etimologico, 2nd ed., Firenze: Le Monnier
9. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Pfister, Max; Schweickard, Wolfgang; Prifti, Elton (eds.) (1979–), Lessico Etimologico Italiano, Wiesbaden: Reichert; online at lei-digitale.it, p. 21, 235
10. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
11. ^ a b c Tesoro della Lingua Italiana delle Origini (1997–), Opera del Vocabolario Italiano, CNR, Firenze; tlio.ovi.cnr.it
12. ^ Battaglia, Salvatore; Bàrberi Squarotti, Giorgio (1961–2002), Grande dizionario della lingua italiana, 21 vols., Torino: UTET; digital ed. Accademia della Crusca
13. ^ a b c d e Devoto, Giacomo; Oli, Gian Carlo; Serianni, Luca; Trifone, Maurizio (2026), Nuovo Devoto–Oli: il vocabolario dell'italiano contemporaneo, digital ed., Milano: Le Monnier
14. ^ a b c Duro, Aldo (ed.) (1986–1994), Vocabolario della lingua italiana, Roma: Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana; online ed. treccani.it/vocabolario (2008 copy)
15. ^ Gabrielli, Aldo (2020), Grande dizionario italiano, digital ed., Milano: Hoepli