Etymologically
Log in

offerta

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 21 October 2026 at 21:10. This address is a permanent link to this version.
Changes in this edit History

Pronunciation

  • /ofˈfɛr.ta/[1]

Forms

offerta f (plural offerte)[1]

Etymology

It is the feminine of offerto, the past participle of offrire (“to offer”) (in its older form “offerire”), used as a noun.[2][3][4][5] Wiktionary allows that it may also continue a Late or Medieval Latin noun Late Latin offerta.[1] Körting saw in the Romance word a popular Latin “*offerta” that took the place of Latin oblata.[6] The verb goes back to Latin offerō (“to bring before, present”), a compound of ob- (“towards”) and ferō (“to carry”).[1][7]

The same formation is Spanish oferta, Portuguese oferta, Catalan oferta, Sardinian oferta, Friulian ufierte, Romansh offerta and Sicilian ufferta.[1] German used “Offerta” rarely from 1695, a blend of the French and the Italian word.[8]

Earliest recorded meaning

DELI and GRADIT give the sermons of Giordano da Pisa (1302–1305) as the first record, for the act of offering;[9][4][10] Zingarelli dates the word to about 1261.[9][4][10] The second sense, what is offered, follows in Matteo Villani before 1363.[9]

Semantic evolution

In older Italian the word was much used of gifts made in church: Tommaseo notes offerta for what is given to priests or religious houses in honour of God, and andare all'offerta for going to church to make it.[11] In Dante's Paradiso the Hebrews are bound to make an offering, “ancor ch'alcuna offerta si permutasse” (“even though some offering might be changed”).[11] In the liturgy the plural still names the bread and wine brought to the altar at the offertory.[4][12]

The commercial sense, a price offered in a shop, an auction or a tender, is recorded in a Tuscan proclamation of 1585 and in Giuseppe Casaregi in 1723–1737, and the general sense “proposal” in Petrocchi in 1891.[9] Emilio Cecchi used it in 1936 for goods put on sale on the market, the economists' “supply”, as in la legge della domanda e dell'offerta.[9][4][13] In offerta speciale, for goods sold cheaply for a time, is recorded in 1973.[9]

Timeline

  • 1302–1305 – Giordano da Pisa uses offerta for the act of offering.[9][4]
  • Before 1363 – Matteo Villani uses it for what is offered.[9]
  • 1585 – A Tuscan proclamation uses it for a price offered.[9]
  • 1695 – German Offerta is recorded.[8]
  • 1891 – Petrocchi records the sense “proposal”.[9]
  • 1936 – Emilio Cecchi uses it for the supply of goods on the market.[9]
  • 1973 – In offerta speciale appears in the Zingarelli dictionary.[9]

Meanings

Noun

  1. The act of offering something, or of offering oneself: Abbiamo accettato volentieri la sua offerta di aiuto.[4][3][13]
  2. What is offered, especially money given freely for a cause; a donation: una piccola offerta per la parrocchia.[4][3][13]
  3. A proposal: un'offerta di lavoro.[3][10][14]
  4. A price offered for goods or services; a bid, also in an auction or a tender: Per la sua moto gli hanno fatto un'offerta bassa.[4][3][13]
  5. (commerce) A sale at a reduced price: Questa settimana i detersivi sono in offerta.[4][3][10]
  6. (economics) supply: the quantity of goods or services producers are willing to sell at a given price.[4][13][12]
  7. (religion, plural) The bread and wine brought to the altar at the offertory.[4][12]

Word family

  • controfferta

Usage notes

Set phrases include offerta speciale (a promotional sale), offerta pubblica di acquisto (a takeover bid, abbreviated OPA) and, in law, offerta reale, the formal tender of what a debtor owes.[4][10][13]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ Nocentini, Alberto; Parenti, Alessandro (2010), l'Etimologico: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Firenze: Le Monnier
  3. ^ a b c d e f 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 c d e f g h i j k l m 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, p. 302
  6. ^ Körting, Gustav (1907), Lateinisch-romanisches Wörterbuch: etymologisches Wörterbuch der romanischen Hauptsprachen, 3rd ed., Paderborn: Schöningh
  7. ^ Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  8. ^ a b Stammerjohann, Harro, et al. (2008), Dizionario di italianismi in francese, inglese, tedesco, Firenze: Accademia della Crusca; online at difit.italianisticaonline.it
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Cortelazzo, Manlio; Zolli, Paolo (1999), Dizionario etimologico della lingua italiana, 2nd ed. by Manlio Cortelazzo and Michele A. Cortelazzo, Bologna: Zanichelli
  10. ^ a b c d e Zingarelli, Nicola (2009), Lo Zingarelli 2010: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Bologna: Zanichelli
  11. ^ a b Tommaseo, Niccolò; Bellini, Bernardo (1861–1879), Dizionario della lingua italiana, 4 vols., Torino: UTET, p. 3, 577
  12. ^ a b c Vocabolario della lingua italiana Treccani (2011), Roma: Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana
  13. ^ a b c d e f Sabatini, Francesco; Coletti, Vittorio; Manfredini, Manuela (2026), Dizionario italiano Sabatini Coletti, digital ed., Milano: Sansoni / Rizzoli Larousse
  14. ^ Gabrielli, Aldo (2020), Grande dizionario italiano, digital ed., Milano: Hoepli