versione

Forms

versione f (plural versioni)^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Medieval Latin versiō, a noun of action from versus, the past participle of vertō (“to turn; to translate”).^[2][3][1][4] In Medieval Latin it meant the spoiling of wine poured off and an inheritance, but classical compounds such as conversiō and eversiō already contain it.^[2] Nocentini calls it New Latin, formed on the model of conversiō.^[5] The same word is French version and Spanish versión.^[5]

The more recent senses were taken from French version, which passed from “translation” (1596) to “a way of telling an event” (1787).^[2][6] DEI records the sense “account” from 1877, with French and English (1788) parallels, and the obstetric sense from 1932;^[7][6] Devoto–Oli take the medical sense from English.^[7][6]

Earliest recorded meaning

DELI's first record is Anton Maria Salvini, before 1729, with the sense “translation into another language”;^[2][8] Salvini writes of a new Greek version of the Bible and of a French version.^[2][8] The Zingarelli dates the word to 1584.^[9] Tommaseo–Bellini give an older, obsolete sense “revolution, rotation” from Giovanni Villani, who blames an event on the versione of Mars and Saturn.^[8][9]

Semantic evolution

The sense “account, way of telling an event” is recorded in the Milanese press in 1800.^[2] In the 17th and 18th centuries versione was used for translations of the Bible, the Koran and Homer, and Tommaseo distinguished it from traduzione: a versione follows the original word by word, a translation renders its sense.^[10][8] In Italian schools a versione is still the exercise of translating from Latin or Greek.^[3][1]

The 20th century added the industrial sense, the set of changes that give a product a different look or features (1942), and the product itself (1961).^[2] Film-making uses it for a film made or dubbed for a different audience, and computing for a numbered release of a program.^[3][6][11]

Timeline

• 14th century – Giovanni Villani uses versione for the revolution of planets.^[8]
• Before 1729 – Salvini uses versione for a translation.^[2][8]
• 1800 – The Milanese press uses it for an account of events.^[2]
• 1877 – Fanfani and Arlia record the sense “way of telling a fact”.^[7]
• 1932 – The obstetric sense is recorded.^[7]
• 1942 – Panzini records the sense “modified model of a product”.^[2]
• 1961 – Versione names the modified product itself.^[2]

Meanings

Noun

1. A translation from one language into another, especially as a school exercise: Domani abbiamo una versione di greco.^[3][6][9]
2. A particular way of telling or interpreting an event: I due testimoni hanno dato versioni diverse della lite.^[3][6][12]
3. An adaptation of a work in another form or medium: la versione teatrale di un romanzo.^[3][13][9]
4. (cinema) A version of a film made for another audience; a dubbed version: la versione italiana del film.^[3][6][14]
5. A variant of a product with modified features; the product itself: la versione sportiva di un'utilitaria.^[3][13][9]
6. (computing) A numbered release of a program.^[11][13]
7. (medicine) Turning of the fetus in the womb.^[3][14][7]

Word family

• retroversione

Related words

• verso
• conversione
• Latin verto
• French version

Usage notes

In Italian schools versione is the usual word for a translation exercise from Latin or Greek: versione dal latino.^[3][6][1]

References

1. ^ a b c d e 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 d e f g h i j De Mauro, Tullio (ed.) (2003), Grande dizionario italiano dell'uso, CD-ROM version 2.0, Torino: UTET
4. ^ Devoto, Giacomo (1968), Avviamento alla etimologia italiana: dizionario etimologico, 2nd ed., Firenze: Le Monnier
5. ^ a b Nocentini, Alberto; Parenti, Alessandro (2010), l'Etimologico: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Firenze: Le Monnier
6. ^ a b c d e f g h Devoto, Giacomo; Oli, Gian Carlo; Serianni, Luca; Trifone, Maurizio (2026), Nuovo Devoto–Oli: il vocabolario dell'italiano contemporaneo, digital ed., Milano: Le Monnier
7. ^ a b c d e Battisti, Carlo; Alessio, Giovanni (1950–1957), Dizionario etimologico italiano, 5 vols., Firenze: Barbèra (reprint 1975), p. 4032
8. ^ a b c d e f Tommaseo, Niccolò; Bellini, Bernardo (1861–1879), Dizionario della lingua italiana, 4 vols., Torino: UTET
9. ^ a b c d e Zingarelli, Nicola (2009), Lo Zingarelli 2010: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Bologna: Zanichelli
10. ^ Battaglia, Salvatore; Bàrberi Squarotti, Giorgio (1961–2002), Grande dizionario della lingua italiana, 21 vols., Torino: UTET; digital ed. Accademia della Crusca
11. ^ a b Wikizionario (Italian Wiktionary), it.wiktionary.org
12. ^ Vocabolario della lingua italiana Treccani (2011), Roma: Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana
13. ^ a b c Sabatini, Francesco; Coletti, Vittorio; Manfredini, Manuela (2026), Dizionario italiano Sabatini Coletti, digital ed., Milano: Sansoni / Rizzoli Larousse
14. ^ a b Gabrielli, Aldo (2020), Grande dizionario italiano, digital ed., Milano: Hoepli