Etymologically
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internet

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Pronunciation

  • /ˈin.terˌnɛt/, /ˌin.terˈnɛt/[1]

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