ingresso

Forms

ingresso m (plural ingressi)^[1]

Etymology

It is a learned word, borrowed from Latin ingressus (“entry, entrance”), a noun formed on the past participle of ingredior (“to go in”), from gradior (“to step, walk”) with the prefix in- (“in”).^[2][3][4][5] Devoto explains the Latin form as from *in-gred-tu-s, with /dt/ becoming /ss/ and the root vowel /a/ becoming /e/ in a non-initial syllable.^[6] De Vaan thinks that the participle gressus itself was taken from such compounds.^[7] The same learned word is Spanish ingreso and English ingress.^[3][8]

Earliest recorded meaning

The TLIO's first records are in Accurso di Cremona's Messinese translation (1321–1337) and in Ventura Monachi (before 1348, Florence), for the space through which one enters a place, and figuratively for a beginning.^[9] DELI's first date is about 1470, in Leon Battista Alberti, for the act of entering.^[2][4]

Semantic evolution

The sense of a first or solemn entry, as of a bishop into his diocese, is recorded in 1572, and the right of admission to a place in 1630;^[2] Ugo Foscolo has biglietto d'ingresso, an admission ticket, in 1811.^[2] Tommaseo's dictionary (1869) has the hall or vestibule of a house and the figurative first appearance, as of a season.^[2][10]

DEI notes the 17th-century “beginning” and an astronomical sense, the passing of a body into another's shadow.^[8] In computing ingresso renders English “input”.^[11][12]

Timeline

• 1321–1337 – Accurso di Cremona uses ingresso.^[9]
• About 1470 – Leon Battista Alberti uses it for the act of entering.^[2]
• 1572 – Giovan Battista Bombaso uses it for a solemn entry.^[2]
• 1630 – Davila uses it for the right of admission.^[2]
• 1811 – Foscolo has biglietto d'ingresso.^[2]
• 1869 – Tommaseo's dictionary has “entrance hall”.^[2]

Meanings

Noun

1. entrance: the way in to a place; a door or gate: Ci vediamo all'ingresso del parco.^[4][5][12]
2. The hall or vestibule just inside the front door of a flat.^[5][11][12]
3. The act of entering, especially a solemn or official entry; a first entry into a field or office: il suo ingresso in politica.^[4][5][11]
4. admission, the right to enter: ingresso libero, ingresso gratuito.^[4][11]
5. The price of admission, or a ticket: Ho comprato due ingressi per la mostra.^[4][11]
6. (computing, electronics) input.^[11][12][13]

Word family

• reingresso

Related words

• ingressivo
• ingrediente
• entrata
• Latin ingressus

Usage notes

Old Italian also had an adjective ingresso “violent, hostile”, from Old French engrés and Old Occitan engres, which go back to the same Latin participle.^[4][9][11] Its first record is in Pier della Vigna, before 1249: “la morte amara, crudele ed ingressa” (“bitter, cruel and violent death”).^[9][14]

References

1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ 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
3. ^ a b 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. ^ a b c d Devoto, Giacomo; Oli, Gian Carlo; Serianni, Luca; Trifone, Maurizio (2026), Nuovo Devoto–Oli: il vocabolario dell'italiano contemporaneo, digital ed., Milano: Le Monnier
6. ^ Devoto, Giacomo (1968), Avviamento alla etimologia italiana: dizionario etimologico, 2nd ed., Firenze: Le Monnier
7. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
8. ^ a b Battisti, Carlo; Alessio, Giovanni (1950–1957), Dizionario etimologico italiano, 5 vols., Firenze: Barbèra (reprint 1975), p. 2033
9. ^ a b c d Tesoro della Lingua Italiana delle Origini (1997–), Opera del Vocabolario Italiano, CNR, Firenze; tlio.ovi.cnr.it
10. ^ Tommaseo, Niccolò; Bellini, Bernardo (1861–1879), Dizionario della lingua italiana, 4 vols., Torino: UTET
11. ^ a b c d e f g Zingarelli, Nicola (2009), Lo Zingarelli 2010: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Bologna: Zanichelli
12. ^ a b c d Sabatini, Francesco; Coletti, Vittorio; Manfredini, Manuela (2026), Dizionario italiano Sabatini Coletti, digital ed., Milano: Sansoni / Rizzoli Larousse
13. ^ Wikizionario (Italian Wiktionary), it.wiktionary.org
14. ^ Battaglia, Salvatore; Bàrberi Squarotti, Giorgio (1961–2002), Grande dizionario della lingua italiana, 21 vols., Torino: UTET; digital ed. Accademia della Crusca, p. 7