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richiamo

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Etymology and origin of the Italian word richiamo

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
1200s late 13th century, Novellino More words from the 12th century
Ultimate origin
Latin clāmō
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin clāmō
French clamer
Italian chiamare
Italian richiamare
Italian richiamo
Romanian chema
Spanish llamar
From the same root
Italian chiamata ← clāmō
Latin acclāmō ← clāmō
Latin clāmitō ← clāmō
Latin clāmor ← clāmō
Latin conclāmō ← clāmō
Latin dēclāmō ← clāmō
Latin exclāmō ← clāmō
Latin inclāmō ← clāmō
Latin proclāmō ← clāmō
Latin reclāmō ← clāmō
Romanian chemare ← chema

Pronunciation

  • /riˈkja.mo/[1]

Forms

richiamo m (plural richiami)[1]

Etymology

It is a deverbal noun from Italian richiamare.[2][3][4][1] Richiamare means “to call again”, with the prefix ri-, and DELI compares reclamare.[2][3] Its base chiamare is inherited from Latin clāmō (“to shout, call”).[2][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

DELI's first record is the Novellino of the late 13th century, where richiamo means a complaint or claim for justice, like modern reclamo.[2] Before 1580 V. Borghini still explained that one who had been wronged richiamava to a magistrate or lord, and called richiamo a word of the courts.[2]

Semantic evolution

Dante uses richiamo for an act of calling back (1313–1319) and for an allurement (1300–1313).[2] GRADIT gives 1219 as its first date, for the sign that refers to a note, which DEI dates to 1474 in printing and DELI to Galileo, before 1642.[4][5][2]

The decoy bird used to draw others to the nets is recorded in 1827.[2] The modern administrative senses, the recall of an ambassador or of troops and richiamo alle armi, the recall of soldiers on leave, belong to the same idea of calling back.[6][7] Il richiamo della foresta is the Italian title of J. London's novel of 1903 and means a longing for a freer life.[8] In medicine richiamo is a booster dose of a vaccine.[4][9]

Timeline

  • Late 13th century – The Novellino uses richiamo for a complaint.[2]
  • 1300–1313 – Dante uses it for an allurement.[2]
  • 1313–1319 – Dante uses it for a calling back.[2]
  • 1474 – Richiamo is recorded in printing for a reference mark.[5]
  • 1827 – It is recorded for a decoy bird.[2]
  • 1891 – It is recorded for a sign or gesture that calls someone.[2]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A recall to service or to a former place: richiamo alle armi, il richiamo del console.[4][7][6]
  2. A call to behave in a certain way, and so a reprimand: un richiamo formale.[4][7][6]
  3. A request for the return of something.[4]
  4. (medicine) A booster: a further dose of a vaccine to strengthen immunity.[4][9][6]
  5. A sound, gesture or signal by which one calls someone: sentire un richiamo lontano.[4][7][10]
  6. An attraction or lure: il richiamo del mare, and a means of advertising.[4][11][7]
  7. A reference or allusion in a text.[4][11]
  8. (hunting) A decoy, a live or stuffed bird or a device used to attract game: uccello da richiamo.[4][11]
  9. (typography) A mark such as an asterisk or number referring to a note, or a proofreader's correction mark.[4][11]

Word family

  • richiamista

Usage notes

Richiamo in the sense “complaint” is obsolete, replaced by reclamo.[6][1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m 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 Nocentini, Alberto; Parenti, Alessandro (2010), l'Etimologico: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Firenze: Le Monnier
  4. ^ 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
  5. ^ a b Battisti, Carlo; Alessio, Giovanni (1950–1957), Dizionario etimologico italiano, 5 vols., Firenze: Barbèra (reprint 1975), p. 3248
  6. ^ 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)
  7. ^ a b c d e Sabatini, Francesco; Coletti, Vittorio; Manfredini, Manuela (2026), Dizionario italiano Sabatini Coletti, digital ed., Milano: Sansoni / Rizzoli Larousse
  8. ^ Vocabolario della lingua italiana Treccani (2011), Roma: Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana
  9. ^ a b Devoto, Giacomo; Oli, Gian Carlo; Serianni, Luca; Trifone, Maurizio (2026), Nuovo Devoto–Oli: il vocabolario dell'italiano contemporaneo, digital ed., Milano: Le Monnier
  10. ^ Gabrielli, Aldo (2020), Grande dizionario italiano, digital ed., Milano: Hoepli
  11. ^ a b c d Zingarelli, Nicola (2009), Lo Zingarelli 2010: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Bologna: Zanichelli
Cite this entry

“Richiamo.” Etymologically, 14 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/it/richiamo. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.

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