Etymologically
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mostra

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Pronunciation

Forms

mostra f (plural mostre)[1]

Etymology

It is a deverbal noun of mostrare (“to show”).[2][3][4][5][1] The verb continues Latin mōnstrō (“to show, point out”), a derivative of mōnstrum (“portent, sign of the gods”), so that it first meant showing the will of the gods before it became the everyday word for “to point out”.[6][7] This noun comes from moneō (“to remind, warn”), with the suffix -strum.[8]

Sabatini–Coletti derive the sense “clock face” from French montre, the French noun of the same origin.[9][10] GDLI records two other words of this spelling: the feminine of mostro “monster”, used in jest, and a Tuscan word for a schoolmistress, a Florentine pronunciation of maestra.[11]

Earliest recorded meaning

DELI's first record is Bono Giamboni (before 1292), with the sense of showing, especially in display;[2][11] Giamboni writes of the Roman ornaments that Viriathus set alla mostra on his mountains as a sign of victory.[2][11] GRADIT dates the word to 1313–1319, in the sense of an exhibition.[4]

Semantic evolution

In the 14th century mostra was also a military review or parade, and Dante saw knights far lor mostra, parading before battle.[2][9][12] In the merchant language of Florence it meant a shop window (1319, then in the statutes of the Calimala guild of 1332–1337) and a sample of goods (1384).[2] Sacchetti uses it for pretence (before 1400), the sense still alive in far mostra di, to pretend (1525, Pigafetta).[2]

The sense “exhibition” is dated 1550, in Vasari, though a horse fair was called monstra at Bergamo in 1429.[2] Later senses are a lapel in a different cloth (1541), the military collar badge, now mostrina (1871), and the face of a clock (before 1703).[2] Mettere in mostra is from Manzoni (1840–1842).[2] Its sense “sample” was borrowed as German Muster (“pattern, sample”) about 1400, and English took mostra as a musical sign in 1724.[12][5]

Timeline

  • Before 1292 – Bono Giamboni uses mostra “display”.[2]
  • 1319 – A Florentine text uses it for a shop window.[2]
  • 1384 – A Florentine letter uses it for a sample of goods.[2]
  • Before 1400 – Sacchetti uses it for pretence.[2]
  • c. 1400 – German Muster “sample” is borrowed from it.[12]
  • 1429 – Monstra names a horse fair at Bergamo.[2]
  • 1550 – Vasari uses it for an exhibition.[2]
  • 1724 – English mostra is recorded as a musical term.[12]
  • 1840–1842 – Manzoni uses mettere in mostra.[2]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A display of something one is proud of; show, showing off: far mostra della propria cultura, mettersi in mostra, to draw attention to oneself.[13][9][14]
  2. An exhibition of works of art, or of objects, animals or products for the public: Abbiamo visitato una mostra di fotografia.[4][13][9]
  3. The place or building where an exhibition is held.[4][13][14]
  4. Pretence; in far mostra di, to pretend.[13][14][15]
  5. (dated) A shop window; the front of a shop.[4][14][15]
  6. (uncommon) A sample of a kind of goods.[4][9][10]
  7. (clothing) A lapel or facing in a different cloth or colour.[4][9][10]
  8. (dated) The face of a clock, (nautical) a precision pocket watch used for observations on board.[4][9][10]

Word family

  • mostrina
  • mostreggiatura
  • mostra mercato

References

  1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p 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 De Mauro, Tullio (ed.) (2003), Grande dizionario italiano dell'uso, CD-ROM version 2.0, Torino: UTET
  5. ^ a b Battisti, Carlo; Alessio, Giovanni (1950–1957), Dizionario etimologico italiano, 5 vols., Firenze: Barbèra (reprint 1975)
  6. ^ Cortelazzo, Manlio; Zolli, Paolo (1999), Dizionario etimologico della lingua italiana, 2nd ed. by Manlio Cortelazzo and Michele A. Cortelazzo, Bologna: Zanichelli, p. mostrare
  7. ^ Nocentini, Alberto; Parenti, Alessandro (2010), l'Etimologico: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Firenze: Le Monnier, p. mostrare
  8. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  9. ^ a b c d e f g Sabatini, Francesco; Coletti, Vittorio; Manfredini, Manuela (2026), Dizionario italiano Sabatini Coletti, digital ed., Milano: Sansoni / Rizzoli Larousse
  10. ^ a b c d Vocabolario della lingua italiana Treccani (2011), Roma: Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana
  11. ^ a b c Battaglia, Salvatore; Bàrberi Squarotti, Giorgio (1961–2002), Grande dizionario della lingua italiana, 21 vols., Torino: UTET; digital ed. Accademia della Crusca
  12. ^ a b c d Stammerjohann, Harro, et al. (2008), Dizionario di italianismi in francese, inglese, tedesco, Firenze: Accademia della Crusca; online at difit.italianisticaonline.it
  13. ^ 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
  14. ^ a b c d Zingarelli, Nicola (2009), Lo Zingarelli 2010: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Bologna: Zanichelli
  15. ^ a b Gabrielli, Aldo (2020), Grande dizionario italiano, digital ed., Milano: Hoepli