Etymologically
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lancio

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Pronunciation

  • /ˈlan.t͡ʃo/[1]

Forms

lancio m (plural lanci)[1]

Etymology

It is a noun formed from the verb lanciare without a suffix.[2][3][4][5][1] The verb comes from Late Latin lanceāre (“to wield a lance”), from Latin lancea (“lance”).[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

The TLIO's first record is in the Florentine translation of Valerius Maximus, of about 1346, where it means the hurling of missiles, stones or arrows; the same sources also use it for a long leap.[7] DELI's first record is in Franco Sacchetti, before 1400, who describes the leaps and kicks of a horse that scatter the crowd.[2][8]

Semantic evolution

Until the 19th century the word mostly meant a sudden leap or bound, and Tommaseo–Bellini lists phrases such as a lanci “by leaps” and di lancio “in a single quick movement”.[9][8] DEI dates the use for a parachute jump from an aircraft to the 20th century; the word is now also used for the launch of missiles and spacecraft.[10][4]

The figurative sense of promoting a product or a person to the public is first recorded in 1928, in the Illustrazione italiana.[2] Sport added the throwing events of athletics (1953), the cast of a fishing line (1957), the long pass in football and the pitch in baseball.[2][4][11] In newspaper jargon a lancio is each dispatch of news sent out by an agency.[4][11]

Timeline

  • c. 1346 – The Florentine translation of Valerius Maximus uses lancio for the hurling of missiles.[7]
  • Before 1400 – Franco Sacchetti uses lanci of a horse's leaps.[2]
  • 1928 – The sense “promotional launch” is recorded.[2]
  • 1953 – The throwing events of athletics are called lanci.[2]
  • 1957 – The cast of a fishing line is recorded.[2]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A throw, the act of throwing something with force: il lancio di un pallone.[4][12][13]
  2. A jump, especially from an aircraft with a parachute, and a drop of supplies from an aircraft.[4][13][11]
  3. The launch of a rocket or spacecraft, giving it the speed it needs to take off.[4][12][14]
  4. (figurative) The launch of a product or the promotion of a person, an idea or an initiative: il lancio del nuovo modello.[4][13][11]
  5. (sports) A throwing event in athletics (lancio del disco, del giavellotto), a long pass in football, a pitch in baseball, and the cast of a fishing line.[4][12][11]
  6. (journalism) A news dispatch sent out by an agency.[4][11][14]
  7. (uncommon) A sudden, impetuous leap.[12][9]
  • lanciare
  • slancio
  • lancia

Usage notes

Offerta di lancio and prezzo di lancio are an introductory offer and price.[15][11] DEI and Tommaseo–Bellini also record an obsolete lancio, used only in the plural lanci, meaning “lances”.[16][9]

References

  1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Cortelazzo, Manlio; Zolli, Paolo (1999), Dizionario etimologico della lingua italiana, 2nd ed. by Manlio Cortelazzo and Michele A. Cortelazzo, Bologna: Zanichelli
  3. ^ Nocentini, Alberto; Parenti, Alessandro (2010), l'Etimologico: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Firenze: Le Monnier
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j De Mauro, Tullio (ed.) (2003), Grande dizionario italiano dell'uso, CD-ROM version 2.0, Torino: UTET
  5. ^ Devoto, Giacomo (1968), Avviamento alla etimologia italiana: dizionario etimologico, 2nd ed., Firenze: Le Monnier
  6. ^ Wikizionario (Italian Wiktionary), it.wiktionary.org
  7. ^ a b Tesoro della Lingua Italiana delle Origini (1997–), Opera del Vocabolario Italiano, CNR, Firenze; tlio.ovi.cnr.it
  8. ^ a b Battaglia, Salvatore; Bàrberi Squarotti, Giorgio (1961–2002), Grande dizionario della lingua italiana, 21 vols., Torino: UTET; digital ed. Accademia della Crusca, p. 8
  9. ^ a b c Tommaseo, Niccolò; Bellini, Bernardo (1861–1879), Dizionario della lingua italiana, 4 vols., Torino: UTET
  10. ^ Battisti, Carlo; Alessio, Giovanni (1950–1957), Dizionario etimologico italiano, 5 vols., Firenze: Barbèra (reprint 1975)
  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 Devoto, Giacomo; Oli, Gian Carlo; Serianni, Luca; Trifone, Maurizio (2026), Nuovo Devoto–Oli: il vocabolario dell'italiano contemporaneo, digital ed., Milano: Le Monnier
  13. ^ a b c Sabatini, Francesco; Coletti, Vittorio; Manfredini, Manuela (2026), Dizionario italiano Sabatini Coletti, digital ed., Milano: Sansoni / Rizzoli Larousse
  14. ^ a b Gabrielli, Aldo (2020), Grande dizionario italiano, digital ed., Milano: Hoepli
  15. ^ Vocabolario della lingua italiana Treccani (2011), Roma: Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana
  16. ^ Battisti, Carlo; Alessio, Giovanni (1950–1957), Dizionario etimologico italiano, 5 vols., Firenze: Barbèra (reprint 1975), p. 2161