lodatore

Forms

lodatore m (plural lodatori, feminine lodatrice)^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin laudātor (“one who praises”), with its form brought into line with lodare.^{[2][3][4][5][6]} The GDLI calls it semi-learned and compares the older form laudatore.^[7] Wiktionary allows a formation in Italian, from Italian lodare + -tore.^[1] Latin laudātor is an agent noun of laudō (“to praise”), with -tor.^[8][9]

Earliest recorded meaning

The first record is in Bartolomeo da San Concordio, before 1347: “Non credere a' lodatori tuoi” (do not believe those who praise you).^[10][2][7] DELI's sense is one who praises, especially to gain favour.^[10]

Semantic evolution

Old Italian already set lodatori against detractors: the translation of St Bernard says there will always be praisers and slanderers.^[7] Tasso, Parini and Croce used the word for anyone who praises or celebrates.^[7]

The feminine lodatrice is also an adjective, “celebratory”, as in Groto's orazioni lodatrici.^[7][9] Today the word mostly means one who praises out of habit or flattery, as in lodatore del tempo passato, which renders Latin laudator temporis acti.^[4][2]

Timeline

• Before 1347 – Bartolomeo da San Concordio.^[10][7]

Meanings

Noun

1. One who praises, often for advantage; a flatterer: un lodatore del passato.^{[2][3][5][11]}

Adjective

1. That praises; of things, celebratory, encomiastic.^[9][5][7]

Related words

• lodare
• lode
• laudatore
• Latin laudator

Usage notes

The feminine is lodatrice.^[1][3] Sabatini–Coletti records the old form laudatore.^[9]

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d De Mauro, Tullio (ed.) (2003), Grande dizionario italiano dell'uso, CD-ROM version 2.0, Torino: UTET
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. ^ a b Duro, Aldo (ed.) (1986–1994), Vocabolario della lingua italiana, Roma: Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana; online ed. treccani.it/vocabolario (2008 copy)
5. ^ a b c Zingarelli, Nicola (2009), Lo Zingarelli 2010: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Bologna: Zanichelli
6. ^ Devoto, Giacomo (1968), Avviamento alla etimologia italiana: dizionario etimologico, 2nd ed., Firenze: Le Monnier, p. 261
7. ^ a b c d e f g Battaglia, Salvatore; Bàrberi Squarotti, Giorgio (1961–2002), Grande dizionario della lingua italiana, 21 vols., Torino: UTET; digital ed. Accademia della Crusca
8. ^ Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
9. ^ a b c d Sabatini, Francesco; Coletti, Vittorio; Manfredini, Manuela (2026), Dizionario italiano Sabatini Coletti, digital ed., Milano: Sansoni / Rizzoli Larousse
10. ^ a b c Cortelazzo, Manlio; Zolli, Paolo (1999), Dizionario etimologico della lingua italiana, 2nd ed. by Manlio Cortelazzo and Michele A. Cortelazzo, Bologna: Zanichelli
11. ^ Vocabolario della lingua italiana Treccani (2011), Roma: Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana