Etymologically
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epoca

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Pronunciation

  • /ˈɛ.po.ka/[1]

Forms

epoca f (plural epoche)[1]

Etymology

It is a learned word, borrowed from Ancient Greek ἐποχή (epokhḗ, “stop, suspension”).[2][3][4] The Greek noun is from ἐπέχω (epékhō, “to hold back, check”), formed from ἐπί (epí, “upon”) and ἔχω (ékhō, “to have, hold”).[2][5][6] In astronomy it named the point where a star seems to halt at its apogee, fixed as a starting point for reckoning a cycle, and then the period itself.[2][3] Pianigiani derived it through Latin epocha.[7][8]

The GDLI notes that the word entered the languages of Europe in the 17th century and spread in the 18th; it compares English epoch (1614) and French époque (1637), from which the Italian senses descend.[9] The phrase fare epoca is a calque of French faire époque, recorded in 1762.[2][10] The philosophical epochè, the suspension of judgement, is the same Greek word.[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

DELI's first record is Daniello Bartoli, before 1685, in astronomy: the moment from which the mean longitude of a heavenly body is reckoned.[2] GRADIT gives the same date, and Zingarelli an earlier one, 1546.[4][11]

Semantic evolution

In the 18th century the word passed from astronomy to history: the fourth Crusca dictionary (1731) has a long historical period marked by its main events, and Eustachio Manfredi defines it as the notable point from which a people count their years.[2][9] The looser sense “time, period” is recorded from 1800, in the Milanese press and in Alfieri, and the geological epoch, a division of a period, from 1819.[2]

In modern use d'epoca means “period, antique” (furniture, cars, costumes), all'epoca means “at the time”, and something that fa epoca is memorable.[11][12][6] The adjective epocale, “epoch-making”, is recorded from 1965.[3]

Timeline

  • 1546 – First record according to Zingarelli.[11]
  • Before 1685 – Daniello Bartoli uses epoca in astronomy.[2]
  • 1731 – The fourth Crusca dictionary records the historical sense.[2]
  • 1762 – French faire époque, the model of fare epoca, is recorded.[2]
  • 1800 – The sense “time, period” appears in the Milanese press.[2]
  • 1819 – The geological sense is recorded.[2]
  • 1965 – Epocale is first recorded.[3]

Meanings

Noun

  1. An era, a historical period marked by particular events or developments: Il castello fu costruito in epoca normanna.[4][10][13]
  2. Time, period; a particular time in someone's life: All'epoca lavoravo ancora a Torino.[4][10][11]
  3. A date taken as the start of a new era; in astronomy, the instant from which a quantity varying in time is reckoned.[4][12]
  4. (geology) An epoch, a division of a geological period.[4][10][13]
  5. (commerce) The date from which interest or a term is calculated.[4][10][12]

Word family

  • epocale
  • d'epoca
  • epochè
  • era
  • Ancient Greek ἐποχή (epokhḗ)
  • French époque

Usage notes

Set phrases are fare epoca (to be memorable, epoch-making), d'epoca (period, vintage: auto d'epoca) and dell'epoca (of that time).[10][11][12]

References

  1. ^ a b 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 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 De Mauro, Tullio (ed.) (2003), Grande dizionario italiano dell'uso, CD-ROM version 2.0, Torino: UTET
  5. ^ Battaglia, Salvatore; Bàrberi Squarotti, Giorgio (1961–2002), Grande dizionario della lingua italiana, 21 vols., Torino: UTET; digital ed. Accademia della Crusca
  6. ^ a b Gabrielli, Aldo (2020), Grande dizionario italiano, digital ed., Milano: Hoepli
  7. ^ Wikizionario (Italian Wiktionary), it.wiktionary.org
  8. ^ Pianigiani, Ottorino (1907), Vocabolario etimologico della lingua italiana, 2 vols., Roma / Milano: Albrighi, Segati
  9. ^ a b Battaglia, Salvatore; Bàrberi Squarotti, Giorgio (1961–2002), Grande dizionario della lingua italiana, 21 vols., Torino: UTET; digital ed. Accademia della Crusca, p. 5, 206
  10. ^ 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
  11. ^ a b c d e Zingarelli, Nicola (2009), Lo Zingarelli 2010: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Bologna: Zanichelli
  12. ^ a b c d Vocabolario della lingua italiana Treccani (2011), Roma: Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana
  13. ^ a b Sabatini, Francesco; Coletti, Vittorio; Manfredini, Manuela (2026), Dizionario italiano Sabatini Coletti, digital ed., Milano: Sansoni / Rizzoli Larousse