occhiali

Forms

occhiali m pl (plural only)^[1] Old Italian also wrote ochiali.^[2][3]

Etymology

It is the plural of occhiale, used as a noun, an adjective meaning “of the eye” formed from Italian occhio + -ale.^[4][5][1][2] Byzantine Greek borrowed it as ὀκκιάλι (okkiáli), the source of Modern Greek κιάλι (kiáli).^[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

The first record is in a sermon of Giordano da Pisa preached in Florence in 1305–1306, who says that the art of making spectacles had been found less than twenty years before (non è ancora venti anni, che si trovò l'arte di fare gli occhiali), and calls it one of the best and most necessary arts in the world.^[6][2][7] The sense is a pair of glass lenses placed before the eyes to correct poor sight.^[2]

Semantic evolution

Prati notes that spectacles were already known in Venice in the 13th century, under the name roidi da ogli, and that Alessandro della Spina, who died in 1313, was long held to be their inventor.^[7] They appear again in Sacchetti's stories, before 1400.^[6]

Later uses name types by their lenses or frames, such as occhiali affumicati or occhiali d'oro, and protective glasses.^[3] Diminutives followed: occhialino and occhialetto for glasses without sides held up by a handle, and occhialaio for their maker.^[7] In draughts fare gli occhiali is a move that places one's own piece between two exposed enemy pieces, so that one of them is lost.^[5][8] The Indian cobra is cobra or serpente dagli occhiali, from the marks on its hood.^[8][9]

Timeline

• 1305–1306 – Giordano da Pisa speaks of the recent art of making occhiali.^[6][2]
• Before 1400 – Spectacles appear in Sacchetti's stories.^[6]
• 15th century – The adjective and noun occhiale is recorded.^[4]

Meanings

Noun

1. glasses, spectacles: two lenses in a frame worn in front of the eyes to correct sight or to protect them: Senza gli occhiali non riesco a leggere il menu.^[10][5][11]
2. (draughts) A move that places one's own piece between two unprotected opposing pieces, so that one of them is certain to be taken.^[5][11][8]

Word family

• occhialino
• occhialetto
• occhialaio
• occhialoni

Related words

• occhio
• occhiale
• cannocchiale

Usage notes

The word is used only in the plural: un paio di occhiali, occhiali da sole (sunglasses), occhiali da vista (prescription glasses).^[11][8][1] Mettiti gli occhiali! is said to someone who fails to notice something obvious.^[8][9]

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e Tesoro della Lingua Italiana delle Origini (1997–), Opera del Vocabolario Italiano, CNR, Firenze; tlio.ovi.cnr.it
3. ^ a b Battaglia, Salvatore; Bàrberi Squarotti, Giorgio (1961–2002), Grande dizionario della lingua italiana, 21 vols., Torino: UTET; digital ed. Accademia della Crusca, p. 11, 756
4. ^ a b Nocentini, Alberto; Parenti, Alessandro (2010), l'Etimologico: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Firenze: Le Monnier
5. ^ 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
6. ^ 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
7. ^ a b c Prati, Angelico (1951), Vocabolario etimologico italiano, Milano: Garzanti, p. 706
8. ^ a b c d e Vocabolario della lingua italiana Treccani (2011), Roma: Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana
9. ^ a b Gabrielli, Aldo (2020), Grande dizionario italiano, digital ed., Milano: Hoepli
10. ^ De Mauro, Tullio (ed.) (2003), Grande dizionario italiano dell'uso, CD-ROM version 2.0, Torino: UTET
11. ^ a b c Sabatini, Francesco; Coletti, Vittorio; Manfredini, Manuela (2026), Dizionario italiano Sabatini Coletti, digital ed., Milano: Sansoni / Rizzoli Larousse