giornalista

Forms

giornalista m or f by sense (masculine plural giornalisti, feminine plural giornaliste)^[1]

Etymology

Most dictionaries say it is borrowed from French journaliste, a derivative of journal (“newspaper”).^[2][3][4][5] De Mauro's GRADIT and Wiktionary instead treat it as an Italian formation, from Italian giornale + -ista, comparing the French word.^[6][1] The dates favour the Italian formation: GRADIT records the French word only from 1704 and the GDLI from 1703, while the first Italian record is of 1669.^[6][5][7]

The noun giornale, to which the word belongs in either case, is itself a derivative of giorno (“day”).^[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

An earlier, local use is recorded in Venice in 1584, where the word, also in the dialect spelling zornalista, named the clerk who kept the daybook (giornale) of the public banks.^[7] In the modern line of meaning Giovan Battista Capucci used it in 1669 for the compiler of a literary journal.^[7][6][8]

Semantic evolution

In the 18th century a giornalista was still mostly the editor of a learned or literary review: Antonio Vallisneri speaks of the “most learned journalists of Trévoux”, the Jesuit editors of the Journal de Trévoux.^[5][7] Francesco D'Alberti listed it in 1798 as a word in common use, though not always a flattering one.^[7] Vittorio Alfieri mocked the trade in verse, asking who gives fame and who defames, and answering each time i giornalisti.^[9] Rigutini and Fanfani in 1875 quote the remark that young men who fail their school-leaving exams throw themselves into journalism.^[7]

With the political press of the 19th century the word came to mean anyone who writes for newspapers, and in the 20th century it took in the newsrooms of radio, television and press agencies.^[10][6][3] Italian law distinguishes the giornalista professionista, who does nothing else for a living, from the giornalista pubblicista, who writes alongside another job.^[8][11]

Timeline

• 1584 – In Venice the word names a clerk of the public banks' daybook.^[7]
• 1669 – Giovan Battista Capucci uses giornalista for the compiler of a literary journal.^[7][6]
• 1703–1704 – French journaliste is first recorded.^[5][6]
• 1798 – D'Alberti's dictionary lists the word as current.^[7]

Meanings

Noun

1. journalist, a man or woman who writes for a newspaper or works in its editorial staff, or who reports the news for a press agency, the radio or television: Due giornalisti aspettavano davanti al tribunale.^[6][3][4]
2. (historical) The editor or contributor of a literary or scientific review.^[5][7]

Word family

• giornalistume

Related words

• giornale
• giorno
• French journaliste

Usage notes

The noun is masculine or feminine according to the person: il giornalista, la giornalista, plural i giornalisti, le giornaliste.^[1][4] A giornalista professionista is registered with the professional order and has no other paid work; a giornalista pubblicista is registered but writes alongside another occupation.^[8][12]

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b Nocentini, Alberto; Parenti, Alessandro (2010), l'Etimologico: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Firenze: Le Monnier
3. ^ 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
4. ^ a b c Sabatini, Francesco; Coletti, Vittorio; Manfredini, Manuela (2026), Dizionario italiano Sabatini Coletti, digital ed., Milano: Sansoni / Rizzoli Larousse
5. ^ a b c d e Battaglia, Salvatore; Bàrberi Squarotti, Giorgio (1961–2002), Grande dizionario della lingua italiana, 21 vols., Torino: UTET; digital ed. Accademia della Crusca, p. 6
6. ^ a b c d e f g De Mauro, Tullio (ed.) (2003), Grande dizionario italiano dell'uso, CD-ROM version 2.0, Torino: UTET
7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Cortelazzo, Manlio; Zolli, Paolo (1999), Dizionario etimologico della lingua italiana, 2nd ed. by Manlio Cortelazzo and Michele A. Cortelazzo, Bologna: Zanichelli
8. ^ a b c Zingarelli, Nicola (2009), Lo Zingarelli 2010: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Bologna: Zanichelli
9. ^ Tommaseo, Niccolò; Bellini, Bernardo (1861–1879), Dizionario della lingua italiana, 4 vols., Torino: UTET, p. 2, 1081
10. ^ Battaglia, Salvatore; Bàrberi Squarotti, Giorgio (1961–2002), Grande dizionario della lingua italiana, 21 vols., Torino: UTET; digital ed. Accademia della Crusca
11. ^ Gabrielli, Aldo (2020), Grande dizionario italiano, digital ed., Milano: Hoepli
12. ^ Vocabolario della lingua italiana Treccani (2011), Roma: Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana