pulizia

Forms

pulizia f (plural pulizie)^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from Italian pulito + -ia according to GRADIT.^[2] DELI, Devoto–Oli, Treccani and Gabrielli give it as a derivative of the verb pulire (“to clean”).^[3][4][5][6] Sabatini–Coletti adds a probable overlap with Latin politīa, the source of polizia (“police”), and DEI calls the word a crossing of that Latin noun with poliō (“to polish”).^[7][8] Körting set up Latin *polītia (“cleanliness”) from the verb, with Spanish policía and Portuguese polícia in the same sense.^[9]

That verb continues the Latin one, “to smooth, polish”, of Indo-European origin.^[3][10]

Earliest recorded meaning

The first records are in Benvenuto Cellini, who died in 1571, in the senses “polish of a literary composition” and “perfect workmanship”.^[3][8][2] Of a mirror of bone and ivory he writes that it was made “con gran pulizía e con gran disegno” (with great finish and great design).^[11] Nocentini gives the second half of the 16th century and the sense “simplicity and elegance”, and Zingarelli the year 1566.^[10][12]

Semantic evolution

The sense “state of being clean” is recorded before 1667 in Sforza Pallavicino, who thanks a friend for gifts that provide for cleanliness “ne' fazzoletti” (in handkerchiefs).^[3][13] An older spelling pulisia is found in Lione Pascoli.^[13] In Manzoni's Promessi sposi Renzo calls himself poor but “avvezzo alla pulizia” (used to cleanliness).^[13]

The sense “good manners” is seen in Goldoni: “con buona grazia, con pulizia, con un poco di disinvoltura” (with good grace, with politeness, with a little ease).^[4][5] Today it is rare, like the sense “stylistic refinement”.^[2][12]

In current use the plural pulizie names housework and cleaning jobs, as in donna delle pulizie.^[2][4] The pulizie pasquali, a thorough spring cleaning, were once done for the Easter blessing of houses.^[14] Fare pulizia also means clearing out dishonest or unwanted people.^[5][4] This use gave the phrase pulizia etnica, which spread in international journalism with the wars in the former Yugoslavia.^[5]

Timeline

• Before 1571 – Benvenuto Cellini uses pulizia for the fine finish of a work.^[3][2]
• Before 1667 – Sforza Pallavicino uses it for cleanliness.^[3]

Meanings

Noun

1. cleanliness: the state of being clean, also in a moral sense.^{[2][4][7][12]}
2. cleaning: the work of making something clean, often in the plural: fare le pulizie is to clean and tidy the house.^{[2][4][7][12]}
3. (figurative) fare pulizia: to clear out everything from a place, or to get rid of dishonest or unwanted people.^[4][12][14]
4. (figurative) Moral integrity, honesty.^[2][4]
5. (uncommon) Good manners, courtesy.^[2][4][12]
6. (uncommon) Stylistic refinement, elegance of form.^[2][4][7]
7. pulizia etnica: ethnic cleansing.^[14][2]
8. (technology) pulizia alla fiamma: flame cleaning of metal surfaces before painting.^[5]

Word family

• pulizia etnica
• donna delle pulizie

Related words

• pulire
• pulitore
• pulito
• polizia

Usage notes

Wiktionary also lists pulizia as a dated, invariable form of polizia “police”, and the GDLI has a pulizia that refers to polizia.^[1][13] The confusion ran both ways: GRADIT records polizia in the sense “cleanliness”, and Tommaseo lists polizia as an old form of pulizia.^[2][11]

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 De Mauro, Tullio (ed.) (2003), Grande dizionario italiano dell'uso, CD-ROM version 2.0, Torino: UTET
3. ^ a b c d e f Cortelazzo, Manlio; Zolli, Paolo (1999), Dizionario etimologico della lingua italiana, 2nd ed. by Manlio Cortelazzo and Michele A. Cortelazzo, Bologna: Zanichelli
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Devoto, Giacomo; Oli, Gian Carlo; Serianni, Luca; Trifone, Maurizio (2026), Nuovo Devoto–Oli: il vocabolario dell'italiano contemporaneo, digital ed., Milano: Le Monnier
5. ^ a b c d e Duro, Aldo (ed.) (1986–1994), Vocabolario della lingua italiana, Roma: Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana; online ed. treccani.it/vocabolario (2008 copy)
6. ^ Gabrielli, Aldo (2020), Grande dizionario italiano, digital ed., Milano: Hoepli
7. ^ a b c d Sabatini, Francesco; Coletti, Vittorio; Manfredini, Manuela (2026), Dizionario italiano Sabatini Coletti, digital ed., Milano: Sansoni / Rizzoli Larousse
8. ^ a b Battisti, Carlo; Alessio, Giovanni (1950–1957), Dizionario etimologico italiano, 5 vols., Firenze: Barbèra (reprint 1975), p. 3144
9. ^ Körting, Gustav (1907), Lateinisch-romanisches Wörterbuch: etymologisches Wörterbuch der romanischen Hauptsprachen, 3rd ed., Paderborn: Schöningh
10. ^ a b Nocentini, Alberto; Parenti, Alessandro (2010), l'Etimologico: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Firenze: Le Monnier
11. ^ a b Tommaseo, Niccolò; Bellini, Bernardo (1861–1879), Dizionario della lingua italiana, 4 vols., Torino: UTET
12. ^ a b c d e f Zingarelli, Nicola (2009), Lo Zingarelli 2010: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Bologna: Zanichelli
13. ^ a b c d Battaglia, Salvatore; Bàrberi Squarotti, Giorgio (1961–2002), Grande dizionario della lingua italiana, 21 vols., Torino: UTET; digital ed. Accademia della Crusca, p. 14, 929
14. ^ a b c Vocabolario della lingua italiana Treccani (2011), Roma: Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana