internet

Forms

internet m or f (uncountable)^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from English internet, an unadapted loan.^[2][1] The sources explain the English word differently: Nocentini and Devoto–Oli as a shortening of “International Network”, Sabatini–Coletti of “Interconnected Network”, while GRADIT, Treccani, Gabrielli and the GDLI analyse it as inter- and net (“network”).^{[3][4][5][2][6][7][8]}

Earliest recorded meaning

The GDLI's first quotation is from La Repubblica of 24 January 1990, which reports the conviction of a student who had put a virus into the computer network Internet.^[8] The dictionaries date the word 1992 (Sabatini–Coletti), 1995 (Nocentini, Devoto–Oli) and 1996, from the title of a handbook, Internet '96.^[5][3][4][2]

Semantic evolution

In 1993 La Stampa still explained it as the world network linking thousands of other computer networks.^[8] The word is also used after a noun like an adjective, as in sito internet and collegamento internet.^[2][4][9] Compounds of the 1990s and 2000s include Internet café and Internet point.^[9]

Timeline

• 1990 – La Repubblica writes of the network Internet.^[8]
• 1992 – Sabatini–Coletti's date for the word.^[5]
• 1996 – The handbook Internet '96 is published.^[2]

Meanings

Noun

1. The internet: the worldwide system of interconnected computer networks: Ho trovato l'orario dei treni su internet.^[2][4][5]

Adjective

1. Of or on the internet: un indirizzo internet.^[2][4][1]

Word family

• internettiano
• internettista
• internettizzare

Usage notes

It is often written with a capital, Internet.^[2][1] The gender varies: GRADIT, Zingarelli, Treccani and Gabrielli give it as feminine, after la rete, and Sabatini–Coletti as masculine.^{[2][9][6][7][5]}

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ 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
3. ^ a b Nocentini, Alberto; Parenti, Alessandro (2010), l'Etimologico: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Firenze: Le Monnier
4. ^ a b c d e Devoto, Giacomo; Oli, Gian Carlo; Serianni, Luca; Trifone, Maurizio (2026), Nuovo Devoto–Oli: il vocabolario dell'italiano contemporaneo, digital ed., Milano: Le Monnier
5. ^ a b c d e Sabatini, Francesco; Coletti, Vittorio; Manfredini, Manuela (2026), Dizionario italiano Sabatini Coletti, digital ed., Milano: Sansoni / Rizzoli Larousse
6. ^ a b Vocabolario della lingua italiana Treccani (2011), Roma: Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana
7. ^ a b Gabrielli, Aldo (2020), Grande dizionario italiano, digital ed., Milano: Hoepli
8. ^ 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
9. ^ a b c Zingarelli, Nicola (2009), Lo Zingarelli 2010: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Bologna: Zanichelli