Etymologically
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reazione

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Pronunciation

  • /re.atˈt͡sjo.ne/[1]

Forms

reazione f (plural reazioni)[1]

Etymology

It is formed from Italian re- + azione, as the noun of reagire.[2][3][4][5] GRADIT compares the Latin supine reactum, and Wiktionary gives the source as Latin reāctiō, from reagō.[4][1]

DEI compares French réaction, recorded from the 16th century, and the GDLI points to the French word for one of the modern senses.[6][7]

Earliest recorded meaning

DELI's first record is in Jacopo Alighieri, Dante's son, before 1348: in his Dottrinale the stars influence things senza necessitate through their action and its reazione.[8][7] The sense is the act or effect of reacting, as of a body acted upon.[8][9]

Semantic evolution

Vannoccio Biringuccio, before 1537, still introduces the word with an apology: una certa reazione, “a certain reaction, so to speak”.[8] The chemical sense, the change of one or more substances into others, is recorded from 1795.[8]

The political sense grew in the 19th century: in 1855 the word named the efforts to restore an authoritarian system after the revolutions, by 1891 any attitude opposed to progress, and by 1918 the conservative forces themselves.[8] The physical sense comes from the principle of action and reaction, and a reazione names jet engines and jet planes, recorded from 1914.[10][6] In medicine the word names the body's response to a stimulus, such as a fever or an allergy.[4][11]

Timeline

  • Before 1348 – Jacopo Alighieri uses reazione.[8]
  • Before 1537 – Biringuccio introduces it as an unusual word.[8]
  • 1795 – The chemical sense is recorded.[8]
  • 1855 – The political sense “movement to restore an authoritarian order” is recorded.[8]
  • 1891 – The sense “opposition to progress” is recorded.[8]
  • 1914 – Apparecchio a reazione, a jet-propelled aircraft, is recorded.[6]
  • 1918 – The sense “the conservative forces” is recorded.[8]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A reaction, the act of reacting and its result; a response to something done or said: La sua reazione alla notizia ci ha sorpresi.[4][3][11]
  2. (politics) Opposition to change and progress, aiming to restore an earlier order, and the forces that pursue it: la reazione monarchica.[4][3][11]
  3. (physics) A force equal and opposite to another force acting on a body.[4][3][10]
  4. (chemistry) The change of one or more substances into others: reazione a catena.[4][11][10]
  5. (medicine) The body's response to an outside stimulus, and a clinical test that shows it: una reazione allergica.[4][11]

Word family

  • reazionario
  • controreazione
  • retroreazione
  • reazionismo

Usage notes

Motore a reazione and aereo a reazione are the jet engine and the jet plane.[4][10] An old literary form is riazione.[3][11]

References

  1. ^ a b c 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 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 De Mauro, Tullio (ed.) (2003), Grande dizionario italiano dell'uso, CD-ROM version 2.0, Torino: UTET
  5. ^ Vocabolario della lingua italiana Treccani (2011), Roma: Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana
  6. ^ a b c Battisti, Carlo; Alessio, Giovanni (1950–1957), Dizionario etimologico italiano, 5 vols., Firenze: Barbèra (reprint 1975), p. 3216
  7. ^ a b Battaglia, Salvatore; Bàrberi Squarotti, Giorgio (1961–2002), Grande dizionario della lingua italiana, 21 vols., Torino: UTET; digital ed. Accademia della Crusca, p. 15, 619
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Cortelazzo, Manlio; Zolli, Paolo (1999), Dizionario etimologico della lingua italiana, 2nd ed. by Manlio Cortelazzo and Michele A. Cortelazzo, Bologna: Zanichelli
  9. ^ Tommaseo, Niccolò; Bellini, Bernardo (1861–1879), Dizionario della lingua italiana, 4 vols., Torino: UTET
  10. ^ a b c d Zingarelli, Nicola (2009), Lo Zingarelli 2010: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Bologna: Zanichelli
  11. ^ a b c d e f Sabatini, Francesco; Coletti, Vittorio; Manfredini, Manuela (2026), Dizionario italiano Sabatini Coletti, digital ed., Milano: Sansoni / Rizzoli Larousse