gita

Forms

gita f (plural gite)^[1]

Etymology

It is from Italian gire (“to go”): the feminine of its past participle gito, used as a noun, so that it first meant “a going”.^{[2][3][4][5][6]} GRADIT analyses it as the verb with the suffix -ita.^[7] Wiktionary compares Sicilian juta.^[1]

The verb gire continues Latin īre (“to go”), through a Vulgar Latin variant *jīre, which Nocentini explains as arising in hiatus after words ending in a vowel.^[3][1] DELI explains the ⟨g-⟩ from the Latin form eāmus “let us go”, Vulgar Latin *iāmus, Old Italian giamo.^[2] The Latin verb goes back to the Indo-European root Proto-Indo-European *ei-/*i- (“to go”).^[3][2]

Earliest recorded meaning

The TLIO's first record is in the Ritmo di Sant'Alessio, from the Marche in the late 12th century.^[8] DELI's first is Iacopone, before 1306, in the sense “a going”: e socce dui lochi là ’v’è nostra gita (“and there are two places where our going leads”).^[2][6]

Semantic evolution

In the old writers gita meant “a going”, often opposed to the return, as in Bembo's quella gita e quel ritorno.^[6][5] DEI dates the sense “walk, outing” to the 16th century.^[9] In Florentine edicts a gita was also an official's journey on public business.^[10]

In Tuscany a gita is also the round of a delivery boy among his customers, and a turn of work.^[4][5][11] The obsolete sense “move” belonged to chess.^[4][7] The derivative gitante “day-tripper” was recorded in 1892 by Arlìa among the neologisms he condemned.^[2]

Timeline

• Late 12th century – Gita appears in the Ritmo di Sant'Alessio.^[8]
• Before 1306 – Iacopone uses gita for “a going”.^[2][6]
• 16th century – Gita is used for a walk or outing.^[9]
• 1892 – The derivative gitante is recorded.^[2]

Meanings

Noun

1. A trip, an outing or excursion for pleasure: una gita scolastica, Domenica facciamo una gita in collina.^[7][4][5]
2. (Tuscany) The round of a supplier or delivery boy among his customers.^[7][4][5]
3. (obsolete) A going, as opposed to the return.^[7][4]
4. (obsolete, chess) A move.^[7][4]

Word family

• gitante
• giterella

Related words

• gire
• ire
• andata

Usage notes

DEI records a separate bureaucratic gita “deputation”, probably from Latin accita and drawn towards gire.^[9]

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g 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 Nocentini, Alberto; Parenti, Alessandro (2010), l'Etimologico: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Firenze: Le Monnier
4. ^ a b c d e f g Zingarelli, Nicola (2009), Lo Zingarelli 2010: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Bologna: Zanichelli
5. ^ a b c d e Duro, Aldo (ed.) (1986–1994), Vocabolario della lingua italiana, Roma: Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana; online ed. treccani.it/vocabolario (2008 copy)
6. ^ a b c d Battaglia, Salvatore; Bàrberi Squarotti, Giorgio (1961–2002), Grande dizionario della lingua italiana, 21 vols., Torino: UTET; digital ed. Accademia della Crusca
7. ^ a b c d e f De Mauro, Tullio (ed.) (2003), Grande dizionario italiano dell'uso, CD-ROM version 2.0, Torino: UTET
8. ^ a b Tesoro della Lingua Italiana delle Origini (1997–), Opera del Vocabolario Italiano, CNR, Firenze; tlio.ovi.cnr.it
9. ^ a b c Battisti, Carlo; Alessio, Giovanni (1950–1957), Dizionario etimologico italiano, 5 vols., Firenze: Barbèra (reprint 1975), p. 1817
10. ^ Tommaseo, Niccolò; Bellini, Bernardo (1861–1879), Dizionario della lingua italiana, 4 vols., Torino: UTET
11. ^ Cortelazzo, Manlio; Marcato, Carla (1998), I dialetti italiani: dizionario etimologico, Torino: UTET