sopravvivenza

Forms

sopravvivenza f (plural sopravvivenze)^[1]

Etymology

It is from Italian sopravvivere + -enza.^[2][3][4][5] The GDLI derives it from the present participle sopravvivente.^[6] The verb is from Late Latin supravīvere, made of suprā (“above”) and vīvō (“to live”) and replacing the earlier supervīvō.^[4][5] The sense of survival training is a calque of the English word survival.^[7][8][6]

Earliest recorded meaning

Rezasco records the word in Tuscan edicts of 1595 for the right to succeed to an office as soon as it falls vacant.^[4] The sense “the state of one who survives” is dated before 1644, in Guido Bentivoglio, though Tommaseo does not give the passage.^[4][2] Zingarelli dates the word to 1634.^[9]

Semantic evolution

Tommaseo still gives the right of succession to an office as the first sense, with examples from Francesco Redi and Bentivoglio's abusi della sopravvivenza, and then the sense of going on living, from Giovan Battista Fagiuoli.^[10] The general sense, staying alive after others have died or after a disaster, is now the main one.^[2][11]

Later senses include the persistence of a custom that has outlived its time, a dull existence without interests, and the statistical tavola di sopravvivenza, a life table.^[2][12] The military and sporting sense, training to live in harsh conditions with few means, follows English survival.^[8][6]

Timeline

• 1595 – Tuscan edicts use the word for the right of succession to an office.^[4]
• 1634 – Zingarelli's date for the word.^[9]
• Before 1644 – Guido Bentivoglio uses it.^[4][2]

Meanings

Noun

1. survival: staying alive, especially after others have died or after a disaster: la sopravvivenza dei naufraghi.^[2][12][9]
2. The survival of a species: la sopravvivenza delle api.^[2][3]
3. A life without energy or interests, mere existence.^[2]
4. The persistence of something belonging to a past time: la sopravvivenza di antichi riti.^[2][12][9]
5. (military, sport) Training to live in difficult conditions with limited means: corso di sopravvivenza.^[2][12][7]

Related words

• sopravvivere
• sopravvissuto
• vivere

Usage notes

A certificato di sopravvivenza certifies that a person is still alive on a given date.^[9][11] In statistics probabilità di sopravvivenza is the probability that a person of a given age will live a given number of years.^[12][9]

References

1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j De Mauro, Tullio (ed.) (2003), Grande dizionario italiano dell'uso, CD-ROM version 2.0, Torino: UTET
3. ^ a b Sabatini, Francesco; Coletti, Vittorio; Manfredini, Manuela (2026), Dizionario italiano Sabatini Coletti, digital ed., Milano: Sansoni / Rizzoli Larousse
4. ^ 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
5. ^ a b Nocentini, Alberto; Parenti, Alessandro (2010), l'Etimologico: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Firenze: Le Monnier
6. ^ a b c Battaglia, Salvatore; Bàrberi Squarotti, Giorgio (1961–2002), Grande dizionario della lingua italiana, 21 vols., Torino: UTET; digital ed. Accademia della Crusca
7. ^ a b Vocabolario della lingua italiana Treccani (2011), Roma: Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana
8. ^ a b Duro, Aldo (ed.) (1986–1994), Vocabolario della lingua italiana, Roma: Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana; online ed. treccani.it/vocabolario (2008 copy)
9. ^ a b c d e f Zingarelli, Nicola (2009), Lo Zingarelli 2010: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Bologna: Zanichelli
10. ^ Tommaseo, Niccolò; Bellini, Bernardo (1861–1879), Dizionario della lingua italiana, 4 vols., Torino: UTET
11. ^ a b Gabrielli, Aldo (2020), Grande dizionario italiano, digital ed., Milano: Hoepli
12. ^ 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