generale

Forms

generale (adjective, plural generali; noun m and f, plural generali; jocular feminine generalessa)^[1][2][3] Old forms include northern Old Italian çenerale and Old Italian çeneral, and Old Italian gennerale.^[4]

Etymology

It is a learned word, borrowed from Latin generālis (“belonging to a kind or species”), from genus (“birth, race, kind”) and the suffix -ālis.^[5][6][7][1] It was spread through Late Latin and the medieval schools, and came to be opposed to Latin speciālis (“particular”) on the model of Greek.^[8][5] Latin “genus” goes back to Proto-Indo-European *ǵénh₁os (“race”), from the root Proto-Indo-European *ǵenh₁- (“to beget”).^[1] French général is recorded in the 12th century, and Spanish general has the same source.^[9][6]

DELI and Nocentini give the noun a separate article, but it is the adjective used as a noun: a “generale” was first a “capitano generale”, a captain over the whole army, and the noun arose by ellipsis.^[5][6][8] Nocentini notes the parallel French capitaine général, of the same 14th century, and that “general” spread from these titles into the European languages.^[6] Already in Late Latin the adjective was added to the titles of officials.^[8]

Earliest recorded meaning

The TLIO's first record is the Storie de Troia e de Roma, a Roman text of 1252–1258.^[4] DELI's first dated sense, “concerning a whole class of persons, things or facts”, is in Brunetto Latini before 1292, and “vague, generic” in Bono Giamboni at the same time.^[5] Latini contrasts what is generale, comprising many other things, with its parts.^[9]

Semantic evolution

The noun first named the head of a religious order: Catherine of Siena uses it before 1380.^[5] Capitano generale is in Antonio Pucci before 1388, and the military generale in Machiavelli before 1527.^[5][10] Generals of the sea and of the fleet are recorded in the 16th century.^[11][7] The superlative generalissimo is older than the military noun, from before 1332, and later named the supreme commander of an army.^[5] Generalessa was a joke for a general's wife in Foscolo (1801), and Carducci used it for a domineering woman (1881).^[5]

In the adjective, indice generale and norma generale are recorded in 1887, and the plural generalità for a person's particulars (name, date of birth) in 1790.^[5] In older military language la generale was the drum signal for a general assembly.^[3][12]

Timeline

• 1252–1258 – The Storie de Troia e de Roma use generale.^[4]
• Before 1292 – Brunetto Latini uses generale “general”.^[5]
• Before 1332 – Generalissimo in Alberto della Piagentina.^[5]
• Before 1380 – Catherine of Siena uses generale for the head of an order.^[5]
• Before 1388 – Capitano generale in Antonio Pucci.^[5]
• Before 1527 – Machiavelli uses generale for a military commander.^[5]
• 1799 – Generale di divisione in the constitution of the Republic of Lucca.^[5]
• 1801 – Foscolo uses generalessa.^[5]

Meanings

Adjective

1. general, applying to a whole class of facts, things or persons, as opposed to particular: Prima di tutto spiegherò le regole generali.^{[7][2][12][1]}
2. Common to all or most people: Il malcontento era generale.^[7][2][3]
3. In which a whole category takes part: sciopero generale, elezioni generali.^[7][2][12]
4. In charge of a whole organization, or holding its highest rank: direttore generale, quartier generale.^[7][13][3]
5. Vague, not detailed: Mi ha dato solo un'idea generale del progetto.^[3][14]

Noun

1. (military) A general, an officer of the highest rank: generale di brigata, generale di divisione.^[7][2][3]
2. (religion) The superior of a religious order or congregation: il generale dei gesuiti.^[7][2][3]
3. (only singular) What is general, as opposed to the particular: Il generale conta più dei singoli casi..^[7][12][3]

Word family

• generalità
• generalizzare
• generalizzazione
• generalmente
• generalato
• generalessa
• generalissimo
• generalizio
• generalista
• generaleggiare

Related words

• genere
• Latin generālis
• French général

Usage notes

In generale means “in general, without going into detail”, and stare sulle generali “to speak in vague terms”.^[12][14] The masculine noun is often used for a woman general too.^[2][3]

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g Devoto, Giacomo; Oli, Gian Carlo; Serianni, Luca; Trifone, Maurizio (2026), Nuovo Devoto–Oli: il vocabolario dell'italiano contemporaneo, digital ed., Milano: Le Monnier
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i Sabatini, Francesco; Coletti, Vittorio; Manfredini, Manuela (2026), Dizionario italiano Sabatini Coletti, digital ed., Milano: Sansoni / Rizzoli Larousse
4. ^ a b c Tesoro della Lingua Italiana delle Origini (1997–), Opera del Vocabolario Italiano, CNR, Firenze; tlio.ovi.cnr.it
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Cortelazzo, Manlio; Zolli, Paolo (1999), Dizionario etimologico della lingua italiana, 2nd ed. by Manlio Cortelazzo and Michele A. Cortelazzo, Bologna: Zanichelli
6. ^ a b c d Nocentini, Alberto; Parenti, Alessandro (2010), l'Etimologico: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Firenze: Le Monnier
7. ^ a b c d e f g h i De Mauro, Tullio (ed.) (2003), Grande dizionario italiano dell'uso, CD-ROM version 2.0, Torino: UTET
8. ^ a b c Battisti, Carlo; Alessio, Giovanni (1950–1957), Dizionario etimologico italiano, 5 vols., Firenze: Barbèra (reprint 1975), p. 1782
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. 6, 646
10. ^ Battaglia, Salvatore; Bàrberi Squarotti, Giorgio (1961–2002), Grande dizionario della lingua italiana, 21 vols., Torino: UTET; digital ed. Accademia della Crusca
11. ^ Prati, Angelico (1951), Vocabolario etimologico italiano, Milano: Garzanti
12. ^ a b c d e Vocabolario della lingua italiana Treccani (2011), Roma: Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana
13. ^ Zingarelli, Nicola (2009), Lo Zingarelli 2010: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Bologna: Zanichelli
14. ^ a b Gabrielli, Aldo (2020), Grande dizionario italiano, digital ed., Milano: Hoepli