Etymologically
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tecnico

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Pronunciation

  • /ˈtɛk.ni.ko/[1]

Forms

tecnico (feminine tecnica, masculine plural tecnici, feminine plural tecniche)[1]

Etymology

It is a learned word, borrowed from Latin technicus (“master of an art”), from Ancient Greek τεχνικός (tekhnikós, “skilled, of an art”), derived from τέχνη (tékhnē, “art, craft”).[2][3][4][5] Nocentini traces the Greek noun to the same root as τέκτων (téktōn, “carpenter, builder”).[3] The word is shared by the European languages: French technique is recorded from 1721.[3][4]

The Latin adjective belonged to the learned language, together with a few late compounds openly taken from Greek, and modern coiners took it up for new words, sometimes going back to Greek, as for tecnologia, sometimes combining the prefix tecno- with other elements.[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

DELI's first record is the naturalist Giovanni Targioni Tozzetti (1751–1754), with the sense “relating to an art or discipline and its practice”;[2][4] GRADIT dates it 1754.[2][4] In 1785 Melchiorre Cesarotti wished that i termini tecnici be left to the learned.[2]

Semantic evolution

In the 19th century purists did not always accept the word, especially in termine tecnico (1812), but Gherardini praised it as so pithy that thanks were due to whoever brought it into Italian.[2] Prati notes an older sense, “artificial”, in Algarotti, and the scuole tecniche, schools for trades and professions founded in Milan in 1839.[6][7]

The noun, “a person with practical skill in a field”, is recorded from 1895, and tecnica “technique” from 1891.[2] In sport il tecnico is the coach of a team, and commissario tecnico the manager of the national football team.[8][9] In politics un governo di tecnici is a government of experts rather than politicians.[8]

Timeline

  • 1721 – French technique is recorded.[4]
  • 1751–1754 – Targioni Tozzetti uses the adjective.[2]
  • 1785 – Cesarotti writes of termini tecnici.[2]
  • 1839 – The scuole tecniche are founded in Milan.[6]
  • 1891 – Tecnica “technique” is recorded.[2]
  • 1895 – The noun “technician” is recorded.[2]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Relating to the practical side of an art, science or discipline; technical: Ha delle buone conoscenze tecniche ma poca esperienza.[4][10][8]
  2. Proper to a particular science or activity: linguaggio tecnico, termine tecnico.[4][10][11]
  3. Of sportswear and equipment, made with advanced materials for a specific use.[4][11]

Noun

  1. A technician or expert with practical knowledge of a field; someone who carries out the plans of others: Domani passa il tecnico a riparare la caldaia.[4][8][11]
  2. (sports) The coach of a team.[8][12]

Word family

  • tecnica
  • tecnicamente
  • tecnicismo
  • tecnicizzare
  • tecnigrafo

References

  1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ 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
  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 De Mauro, Tullio (ed.) (2003), Grande dizionario italiano dell'uso, CD-ROM version 2.0, Torino: UTET
  5. ^ Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  6. ^ a b Prati, Angelico (1951), Vocabolario etimologico italiano, Milano: Garzanti, p. 981
  7. ^ Tommaseo, Niccolò; Bellini, Bernardo (1861–1879), Dizionario della lingua italiana, 4 vols., Torino: UTET
  8. ^ a b c d e Sabatini, Francesco; Coletti, Vittorio; Manfredini, Manuela (2026), Dizionario italiano Sabatini Coletti, digital ed., Milano: Sansoni / Rizzoli Larousse
  9. ^ Vocabolario della lingua italiana Treccani (2011), Roma: Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana
  10. ^ 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
  11. ^ a b c Zingarelli, Nicola (2009), Lo Zingarelli 2010: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Bologna: Zanichelli
  12. ^ Wikizionario (Italian Wiktionary), it.wiktionary.org