Etymologically
Log in

riguardo

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 21 October 2026 at 20:02. This address is a permanent link to this version.
Changes in this edit History

Pronunciation

  • /riˈɡwar.do/[1]

Forms

riguardo m (plural riguardi)[1]

Etymology

It is a noun formed from the verb riguardare “to look at again; to concern”, which is from Italian ri- + guardare.[2][3][4][1] The GDLI compares French regard.[5] The verb guardare is a medieval Germanic loan, from Proto-Germanic *wardōn (“to watch; to guard”), the source also of Old High German wartēn and Old English weardian; the same Germanic verb gave French garder and Spanish guardar.[3][6]

Earliest recorded meaning

Nocentini and Devoto–Oli date the noun to the first half of the 13th century, and GRADIT to before 1250.[3][7][4] Its first sense was “look, glance”: a poem by Giacomo da Lentini or Guido delle Colonne speaks of “li riguardi de li occhi ridenti” (the glances of the laughing eyes).[5] DELI dates “care, caution” to Guido Guinizelli (before 1276).[2]

Semantic evolution

Dante still used riguardo for a glance, “Questi onde a me ritorna il tuo riguardo” (this one, from whom your gaze returns to me), and also for “esteem, regard”; in the Inferno the strait where Hercules set li suoi riguardi means the boundary marks he placed.[2][4][5] The sense “care for one's health” is recorded in the 15th century.[2]

The sense “relation, connection” is recorded in 1855, when Ugolini called it irregular; it lives on in al riguardo “on this point” and the prepositional phrases riguardo a and nei riguardi di.[2][4][8] The obsolete senses “interest on a loan” and “reason, motive” have gone out of use.[8][4]

Timeline

  • Before 1250 – The word is used for a glance.[4][5]
  • Before 1276 – Guido Guinizelli uses it for “care, caution”.[2]
  • Before 1321 – Dante uses it for “esteem, regard”.[2]
  • 15th century – The sense “care for one's health” is recorded.[2]
  • 1855 – Ugolini records the sense “relation” and calls it irregular.[2]

Meanings

Noun

  1. care, caution in handling or using something: Maneggia quella lampada con riguardo.[4][7][9][8]
  2. Care for one's health: Dopo l'operazione deve avere riguardo di sé.[4][7][8]
  3. respect, consideration, courtesy toward someone: Lo hanno trattato con ogni riguardo, di riguardo, important, deserving respect: un ospite di riguardo.[4][7][9][10]
  4. Scruple, restraint: senza tanti riguardi, bluntly, without ceremony.[4][7][10]
  5. Relation, connection: al riguardo, a questo riguardo, on this point.[4][7][8]

Preposition

  1. riguardo a: about, regarding, as for: Riguardo al prezzo, ne parliamo domani.[8][4]

Word family

  • riguardoso

Usage notes

Nei riguardi di means “toward, with regard to”.[4][11] In bookbinding riguardo is a variant of risguardo, the endpaper.[9][8]

References

  1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i 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 m De Mauro, Tullio (ed.) (2003), Grande dizionario italiano dell'uso, CD-ROM version 2.0, Torino: UTET
  5. ^ 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. 16, 345
  6. ^ Meyer-Lübke, Wilhelm (1935), Romanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., Heidelberg: Winter
  7. ^ 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
  8. ^ a b c d e f g Zingarelli, Nicola (2009), Lo Zingarelli 2010: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Bologna: Zanichelli
  9. ^ a b c Sabatini, Francesco; Coletti, Vittorio; Manfredini, Manuela (2026), Dizionario italiano Sabatini Coletti, digital ed., Milano: Sansoni / Rizzoli Larousse
  10. ^ a b Vocabolario della lingua italiana Treccani (2011), Roma: Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana
  11. ^ Gabrielli, Aldo (2020), Grande dizionario italiano, digital ed., Milano: Hoepli