provvigione

Forms

provvigione f (plural provvigioni)^[1] Old forms include Old Italian provigione, Old Italian provegione and Old Italian proviggione.^[2][3][4]

Etymology

It is learned: it is borrowed from Latin prōvīsiō (“foresight; provision”), from prōvīsus, past participle of prōvideō (“to foresee, provide”).^{[5][6][7][8][9]} In Late Latin the noun also meant “supplying, provisioning”.^[9][10]

Battaglia treats the word as a doublet of provvisione.^[3][6] According to Sabatini–Coletti, the ⟨gi⟩ shows that the word came through the northern dialects, where the Latin cluster /sj/ became the voiced palatal /ʒ/, later adapted to Tuscan sounds.^[10] French provision and Spanish provisión are learned too.^[9]

Earliest recorded meaning

DELI's first record is the form provigione in the Datini archive of 1389, already in the sense of a payment to an agent measured by the business he brings in.^[2][6] DEI dates the word from the 15th century, with the sense of provvisione, and the commission sense only from 1931.^[4]

Semantic evolution

For centuries provvigione shared the senses of provvisione: the act of providing for one's needs, a supply of food, and a fixed allowance or salary.^[3][11] Bandello writes of grain brought in per la provigion de la casa, and Goldoni of the need to make una buona provigione for many people.^[3] Matteo Villani uses the word ironically for a king whose only provision against danger was dancing and feasting.^[3]

In the modern language the word has narrowed to commerce: a commission paid to a broker, agent or salesperson in proportion to the business concluded.^[6][7][11] The older senses are now labelled obsolete.^{[6][7][10][11]} DEI records provvisione in this sense in the 16th century, in Davanzati and Sassetti.^[4] The verb approvvigionare is recorded from before 1812 and approvvigionamento from before 1802.^[9]

Timeline

• 1389 – Provigione appears in the Datini archive.^[2]
• 16th century – Davanzati and Sassetti use provvisione for a broker's fee.^[4]
• Before 1802 – Approvvigionamento is recorded.^[9]
• Before 1812 – Approvvigionare is recorded.^[9]
• 1931 – DEI's date for the sense of a broker's or banker's fee.^[4]

Meanings

Noun

1. A commission: payment to a broker, agent or salesperson in proportion to the business they conclude: lavorare a provvigione, to work on commission.^[6][7][10]
2. (archaic) The same as provvisione, a stipend or allowance.^[6][10][11]

Word family

• approvvigionare
• approvvigionamento

Related words

• provvisione
• provvedere
• Latin prōvīsiō

References

1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c Cortelazzo, Manlio; Zolli, Paolo (1999), Dizionario etimologico della lingua italiana, 2nd ed. by Manlio Cortelazzo and Michele A. Cortelazzo, Bologna: Zanichelli
3. ^ a b c d e Battaglia, Salvatore; Bàrberi Squarotti, Giorgio (1961–2002), Grande dizionario della lingua italiana, 21 vols., Torino: UTET; digital ed. Accademia della Crusca
4. ^ a b c d e Battisti, Carlo; Alessio, Giovanni (1950–1957), Dizionario etimologico italiano, 5 vols., Firenze: Barbèra (reprint 1975), p. 3123
5. ^ Zingarelli, Nicola (2009), Lo Zingarelli 2010: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Bologna: Zanichelli
6. ^ a b c d e f g De Mauro, Tullio (ed.) (2003), Grande dizionario italiano dell'uso, CD-ROM version 2.0, Torino: UTET
7. ^ 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
8. ^ Gabrielli, Aldo (2020), Grande dizionario italiano, digital ed., Milano: Hoepli
9. ^ a b c d e f Nocentini, Alberto; Parenti, Alessandro (2010), l'Etimologico: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Firenze: Le Monnier
10. ^ a b c d e Sabatini, Francesco; Coletti, Vittorio; Manfredini, Manuela (2026), Dizionario italiano Sabatini Coletti, digital ed., Milano: Sansoni / Rizzoli Larousse
11. ^ a b c d Duro, Aldo (ed.) (1986–1994), Vocabolario della lingua italiana, Roma: Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana; online ed. treccani.it/vocabolario (2008 copy)