Etymologically
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ingresso

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Pronunciation

  • /inˈɡrɛs.so/[1]

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

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