lira

lira¹ currency; old unit of weight

Pronunciation

• /ˈli.ra/^[1]

Forms

lira f (plural lire)^[1]

Etymology

The word for the currency is inherited from Latin lībra (“pound (weight); pair of scales”).^[2][3][4][1] Its original sense was “the value of the weight of a pound”, that is, a pound of silver.^[2][3][5] DELI traces the form through Old Italian livra (Guittone), Old Italian livera (1274) and an unrecorded *liera;^[2][3][6][7] Nocentini calls that form a northern variant, Sabatini–Coletti put the softening of /b/ down to Gallo-Romance dialects, and Zingarelli starts from a northern *lí(v)ira.^[2][3][6][7] REW takes the Italian word as a loan of Old Occitan liura.^[8] DEI links the coin to the pound-based money system of Charlemagne and compares the same form in Genoese and Old Florentine (13th century) and French livre (12th century).^[9] The word shares the Italian area with franco as a name for money.^[2]

In the northern dialects the word still means a pound in weight, the meaning of the inherited libbra.^[9][3]

The origin of the Latin word is unknown.^[3][10] De Vaan reconstructs Proto-Italic *leiþra- (“pound”), from which Ancient Greek λίτρα (lítra), the name of a Sicilian coin, was probably borrowed; the coin name may itself be a loan.^[11] Weiss derives it from Proto-Indo-European *leyH- (“to pour”), as the “pouring” of metal, and Zingarelli calls it pre-Indo-European.^[1][7]

Earliest recorded meaning

The first record is in Ricordano Malispini's chronicle (13th century), where the count demands lire xii mila from the people of Arezzo.^[2][12] The form livera occurs in a Tuscan account book of 1274, and Guittone has livra.^[2]

Semantic evolution

The medieval lira was a unit of account of 20 soldi or 240 denari; silver lire were struck from the late 15th century, with a different value in each Italian state, and there were also gold and copper lire.^[7][12] Boccaccio has a character pay lire cento for a cock.^[13][12] Phrases such as lira di sterlini, later lira sterlina, named foreign money.^[13]

The lira became the official currency of the Kingdom of Italy in 1862 and was replaced by the euro in 2002.^[4][14][15] The general sense “money” is recorded from 1970.^[2] The name is also used for the currencies of Turkey, Egypt, Lebanon and other countries.^[2][4][7] French borrowed the Italian word as lire (1592), English as lira (1596, first as liver), and German as Lira (1728).^[16]

Timeline

• 1274 – Livera is recorded in a Tuscan account book.^[2]
• 13th century – Lira appears in Ricordano Malispini.^[2][4]
• 1592 – French lire “Italian currency” is recorded.^[16]
• 1596 – English liver, later lira, is recorded.^[16]
• 1728 – German Lira is recorded.^[16]
• 1862 – The lira becomes the official currency of Italy.^[4]
• 1871 – English uses lira for the Turkish currency.^[16]
• 1970 – The sense “money” appears in the Zingarelli dictionary.^[2]
• 2002 – The euro replaces the lira.^[4][14]

Meanings

Noun

1. The lira, the currency of Italy from 1862 until it was replaced by the euro in 2002 (symbol L.).^[4][14][7]
2. (numismatics, historical) A unit of money of various Italian states from the Middle Ages to the unification of Italy; the medieval money of account worth 20 soldi.^[4][14][7]
3. The currency of some other countries: lira turca, lira egiziana.^[4][14][7]
4. (by extension) Money, especially in negative phrases: non avere una lira, to be penniless;^{[4][14][7][17]} non valere una lira, to be worth nothing.^{[4][14][7][17]}
5. (historical) A pound in weight, a libbra.^[4][14][7]

Word family

• liretta

lira² lyre

Pronunciation

• /ˈli.ra/^[1]

Forms

lira f (plural lire)^[1]

Etymology

The word for the lyre is borrowed from Latin lyra, from Ancient Greek λύρα (lúra), a word of unknown origin.^[2][3][4][1] DEI takes the Greek word as a loan from a non-Indo-European language; it also gave German Leier.^[9] Latin already had both senses, the instrument and the lyric poetry sung to it.^[2] The same Latin word gave French lyre and Spanish lira.^[3]

Italian lirico and lirismo were later taken directly from Ancient Greek λυρικός (lurikós) and Late Greek λυρισμός (lurismós).^[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

The TLIO's first record is in the Tuscan poem Intelligenza (late 13th or early 14th century); DELI dates the word to Dante, before 1321.^[18][2] The sense is the stringed instrument of Greek myth, which Francesco da Buti (before 1406) glossed as an instrument also called chitarra.^[18][2]

Semantic evolution

From the start the lyre stood for poetry: Petrarch uses lira for a lyric poet, and Foscolo (before 1827) for lyric poetry itself.^[2][18] In the Middle Ages the name was given to a one-string instrument like the rebec, and in the 16th century to several bowed instruments of the viol family, such as the lira da braccio and lira da gamba, which gave way to the viols in the 17th century.^[14][15] DEI notes that the humanists revived the name of the ancient instrument.^[9]

The Australian lyrebird, uccello lira, named after the shape of the male's tail, is recorded from 1833.^[2] The word also names the constellation Lyra, a tool for cutting the curd in cheese-making and a support plate of the printing press.^[14][6] German took Lira as a musical term in 1619, and French lira in 1703.^[16]

Timeline

• Late 13th or early 14th century – Lira appears in the Intelligenza.^[18]
• Before 1321 – Dante uses the word.^[2][4]
• Before 1374 – Petrarch uses lira for a lyric poet.^[2]
• 1619 – German Lira is recorded as the name of a bowed instrument.^[16]
• 1703 – French lira is recorded.^[16]
• Before 1827 – Foscolo uses lira for lyric poetry.^[2]
• 1833 – Uccello lira “lyrebird” is recorded.^[2]

Meanings

Noun

1. (music) The lyre, a stringed instrument of ancient Greece with two arms joined by a crossbar.^[4][14][17]
2. (music, historical) A medieval one-string bowed instrument; from the 16th century, any of several bowed instruments like the viola: lira da braccio, lira da gamba.^[14][6][4]
3. (figurative, literary) Poetry, poetic inspiration; also a lyric poet: spezzare la lira, to stop writing verse.^[4][14][17]
4. (astronomy) Lira, the constellation Lyra.^[14][6][17]
5. (zoology) uccello lira, the lyrebird.^[14][6][17]
6. (dairy) A tool for cutting the curd in cheese-making.^[14][6][4]

Word family

• lirica
• lirico
• liricità
• lirismo