stato Italian · revision 37504

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=1219|origins=la stō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈsta.to/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''stato''' ''m'' (plural stati)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old forms include ''stado'', ''staio'', ''stao'' and ''statu''.^(GDLI) In the political sense it is often written ''Stato''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|la|status|t=standing, position, condition]], a noun formed from [[m|la|stō|t=to stand]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(DELI 1999)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(GRADIT 2003) DEI and Prati call it a learned word, while Wiktionary treats it as inherited.^(DEI|3621)^(Prati 1951|948)^(Wiktionary) The Latin noun goes back to [[ine-pro|*stéh₂tus]].^(Wiktionary)^(OLD 2012)

+

+ The political sense goes back to Latin phrases such as ⟨status civitatis⟩ and ⟨status rei publicae⟩, “the condition of the commonwealth”: DELI follows Goelzer, who finds the new sense from Tertullian on, and Nocentini and GRADIT explain it the same way.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003) The same Latin noun is [[fro|estat]] in the 12th century, [[fr|état]] and [[es|estado]], and through [[la-med|status]] it gave [[en|state]] and [[de|Staat]].^(DEI|3621)^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ GRADIT dates the first record to 1219, in the sense of a person's condition or position in society.^(GRADIT 2003) DELI's earliest sense is “economic and social condition”, in the ''Novellino'' at the end of the 13th century.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Dante, before 1321, uses ''stato'' both for a way of being and, according to DEI, for a form of government.^(DELI 1999)^(DEI|3621) Migliorini, quoted by DELI, explains that in politics the word still meant “regime” in the 14th century; from the late 15th century it came more and more to mean the territory over which a lordship was held, and Machiavelli did much to fix this sense, which became common across Europe in the 16th century.^(DELI 1999) DEI finds “country ruled by a government” in Martelli in the 16th century.^(DEI|3621)

+

+ The sense “standing still” is in Bembo before 1547, the chemical sense ''stato naturale'' in Lorenzo Magalotti in 1666, and “state of health” in the Milanese press of 1812.^(DELI 1999) DELI notes French models for ''affare di stato'', ''capo dello stato'' and ''stato civile'', and Zingarelli calls ''stato dell'arte'' a calque of English ''state of the art''.^(DELI 1999)^(Zingarelli 2010) Derivatives followed the political sense: ''statista'' in Florio's dictionary of 1611, ''statistica'' in 1812 and ''statale'' in 1883.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1219 – First record of ''stato'' for a person's condition.^(GRADIT 2003)

+ * Late 13th century – The ''Novellino'' uses it for economic and social condition.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1321 – Dante uses it for a way of being and for a polity.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1527 – Machiavelli uses it for the territory of a state.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1611 – ''Statista'' is recorded in Florio.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1666 – Magalotti uses ''stato'' in chemistry.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1812 – ''Statistica'' and ''stato'' “state of health” are recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1883 – ''Statale'' is first recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # [[m|en|condition]], [[m|en|state]], the way a thing or person is at a given time: ''la casa era in pessimo stato''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # A physical or mental condition: ''era in stato di shock''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+ # A person's position in society, in the family or under the law; [[m|en|rank]]: ''stato civile'', ''stato di famiglia''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # ''(physics, chemistry)'' The form in which a substance is found: ''stato solido'', ''liquido'', ''gassoso''.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # ''(often capitalized)'' The state as a political body exercising sovereignty over a territory, and its administration: ''i dipendenti dello Stato''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Wiktionary)

+ # The territory of a state; a member state of a [[m|en|federation]]: ''gli Stati Uniti''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(grammar)'' Being at rest, as opposed to motion: ''complemento di stato in luogo''.^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[statale]]

+ * [[statalismo]]

+ * [[statalizzare]]

+ * [[statista]]

+ * [[statistica]]

+ * [[statistico]]

+ * [[statuale]]

+ * [[statolatria]]

+ * [[statino]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[stare]]

+ * [[stazione]]

+ * [[statuto]]

+ * [[la|status]]

+ * [[fr|état]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Stato'' is also the past participle of [[stare]], which serves as the past participle of [[essere]] in compound tenses: ''sono stato'', ''è stata''.^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011)^(GRADIT 2003) The euphemism ''in stato interessante'' means “pregnant”.^(Gabrielli 2020)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}