isolano

Forms

isolano (feminine isolana, masculine plural isolani, feminine plural isolane)^[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin insulānus (“islander”), formed from īnsula (“island”) with the suffix -ānus, and is shaped after isola.^{[2][3][4][5][1]} Körting records an older Italian form insolano.^[6]

The origin of the Latin noun is unclear: de Vaan finds the old explanation as “what is in the salt (sea)” possible in form but not convincing in sense.^[7]

Earliest recorded meaning

The noun is first recorded in Cavalca, who died before 1342, with the sense “inhabitant or native of an island”.^[8][5][9] Tommaseo quotes from the Dialogo di San Gregorio: Domandò se quegli isolani erano Cristiani (“he asked whether those islanders were Christians”).^[10]

Semantic evolution

The adjective “of an island” is recorded later, in Adriani, who died before 1604.^[8] Tommaseo quotes his translation of Plutarch: quell'isolano riposo (“that island repose”).^[10] Ariosto has gl'isolani in the Orlando furioso.^[10]

The adjective usually refers to a particular island and its people (Sardinia, Sicily); for the general sense “of islands” Italian uses insulare.^[11]

Timeline

• Before 1342 – Cavalca uses isolano “islander”.^[8][5]
• Before 1604 – Adriani uses isolano as an adjective.^[8]
• 1898 – GRADIT's isolano 2 is recorded for Isola delle Femmine.^[5]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Of an island or its people: la cucina isolana.^{[5][3][12][9][13]}

Noun

1. An islander, a native or inhabitant of an island.^{[5][3][12][9][13]}

Word family

• isolanità

Related words

• isola
• insulare
• Latin insula

Usage notes

Isolano is also the third person plural of the present indicative of isolare (“they isolate”).^[1] GRADIT has a separate isolano 2, formed from the place name ⟨Isola⟩ with the suffix -ano, for the people of the many places called Isola, such as Isola delle Femmine, Isola del Liri and Isola di Capo Rizzuto.^[5]

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ Nocentini, Alberto; Parenti, Alessandro (2010), l'Etimologico: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Firenze: Le Monnier
3. ^ a b c Devoto, Giacomo; Oli, Gian Carlo; Serianni, Luca; Trifone, Maurizio (2026), Nuovo Devoto–Oli: il vocabolario dell'italiano contemporaneo, digital ed., Milano: Le Monnier
4. ^ Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
5. ^ a b c d e f g De Mauro, Tullio (ed.) (2003), Grande dizionario italiano dell'uso, CD-ROM version 2.0, Torino: UTET
6. ^ Körting, Gustav (1907), Lateinisch-romanisches Wörterbuch: etymologisches Wörterbuch der romanischen Hauptsprachen, 3rd ed., Paderborn: Schöningh
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 c d Cortelazzo, Manlio; Zolli, Paolo (1999), Dizionario etimologico della lingua italiana, 2nd ed. by Manlio Cortelazzo and Michele A. Cortelazzo, Bologna: Zanichelli
9. ^ a b c Zingarelli, Nicola (2009), Lo Zingarelli 2010: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Bologna: Zanichelli
10. ^ a b c Tommaseo, Niccolò; Bellini, Bernardo (1861–1879), Dizionario della lingua italiana, 4 vols., Torino: UTET
11. ^ Duro, Aldo (ed.) (1986–1994), Vocabolario della lingua italiana, Roma: Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana; online ed. treccani.it/vocabolario (2008 copy)
12. ^ a b Sabatini, Francesco; Coletti, Vittorio; Manfredini, Manuela (2026), Dizionario italiano Sabatini Coletti, digital ed., Milano: Sansoni / Rizzoli Larousse
13. ^ a b Vocabolario della lingua italiana Treccani (2011), Roma: Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana