dio Italian · revision 37536

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=1174–1180, Pisan inscription|origins=ine-pro *deywós}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈdi.o/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''dio''' ''m'' (plural dei or (archaic or dialectal) dii, feminine dea, feminine plural dee)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old forms include [[roa-oit|deo]], [[roa-oit|deu]] and [[roa-oit|die]], and the plural ''dii''.^(TLIO)^(Prati 1951|379)

+ The form ''iddio'' (Old Italian ''idio'', ''iddeo'') comes from ''di Dio'' with Tuscan doubling, divided as ''d'Iddio''.^(Nocentini 2010)^(Prati 1951|379)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|la|deus|t=god]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary) The Italian form is explained by the reduction of a triphthong, as in [[mio]] and [[io]].^(DEI|1310) The word is panromance: [[fr|dieu]], [[oc|dieu]], [[ca|déu]], [[es|dios]], [[pt|deus]], [[sc|deus]] and [[ro|zeu]] (now [[m|ro|dumnezeu]]).^(Nocentini 2010)^(REW 1935) The DÉRom reconstructs it from the accusative, and explains the forms in ⟨-s⟩ of the western languages as later remakes on the Latin of the liturgy.^(DÉRom)

+

+ The Latin noun goes back to [[m|la|deivos]], found in the Duenos inscription, and [[itc-pro|*deiwos]], from [[ine-pro|*deywós|t=god, heavenly one]], a derivative of [[ine-pro|*dyew-|t=sky, day]].^(Wiktionary)^(de Vaan 2008) DELI and Gabrielli note that it was once an adjective meaning “bright”.^(DELI 1999)^(Gabrielli 2020) Related words are [[sa|देव|tr=devá|t=god]], [[lt|diẽvas]], [[sga|día]] and [[goh|Zīo]], the name of a war god.^(Nocentini 2010)^(de Vaan 2008) The same root gives [[m|la|diēs|t=day]] and [[m|la|Iuppiter]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(de Vaan 2008) De Vaan explains how a sound change split the Latin paradigm, leaving the noun for “god” beside [[m|la|dīvus|t=godlike]], the source of learned [[divo]] and [[divino]].^(de Vaan 2008)^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The TLIO's first record is a Pisan inscription of 1174–1180.^(TLIO) DELI first finds the form ''Deu'' in the ''Ritmo cassinese'' at the end of the 12th century and ''Dio'' in the Breve di Montieri of 1219, in the sense of the supreme being worshipped in a religion.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The figurative sense “a person of exceptional gifts” is already in Guido Faba (''deo'', before 1243) and in anonymous 13th-century songs.^(DELI 1999) The TLIO separates the God of the monotheistic religions, the gods of the pagans (used absolutely only in the plural) and a person worshipped for some quality.^(TLIO)

+

+ The word appears in a great many exclamations, oaths and euphemisms, from ''Dio mio!'' to ''grazie a Dio'' and the old ''madiò'' “but by God”; the LEI groups the Italian forms as ''dio'', ''deo'', ''iddio'', ''iddeo'', ''addio'' and ''adeo''.^(REW 1935)^(LEI|20, 21) The greeting ''addio'' comes from ''a Dio'' with “I commend you” understood.^(Nocentini 2010) French ''prie-Dieu'' gave Italian ''pregadio'', a kneeler.^(LEI|20, 21)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1174–1180 – A Pisan inscription has the word.^(TLIO)

+ * Late 12th century – The form ''Deu'' in the ''Ritmo cassinese''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1219 – ''Dio'' in the Breve di Montieri.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1243 – Guido Faba uses ''deo'' for an exceptional person.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Second half of the 13th century – ''Addio'' is recorded.^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # ''(usually capitalized)'' [[m|en|god|alt=God]], the supreme being of the monotheistic religions, especially the Christian God: ''credere in Dio''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # A god, a [[m|en|deity]] of a polytheistic religion: ''Marte, il dio della guerra''.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # ''(figurative)'' An object of worship, an idol: ''per lui il successo è un dio''.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(colloquial)'' Someone who excels at something: ''in cucina è un dio'', ''balla da dio''.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Wiktionary)

+ # In exclamations of surprise, fear or impatience: ''Dio, che spavento!'', ''Dio mio!''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[addio]]

+ * [[dea]]

+ * [[iddio]]

+ * [[semidio]]

+ * [[indiare]]

+ * [[vivaddio]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[divo]]

+ * [[divino]]

+ * [[la|deus]]

+ * [[fr|dieu]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ The plural is ''dei'' (literary ''dii'', ''iddii''), with the article ''gli'': ''gli dei'', from an old ''gl'iddei''; the singular takes ''il''.^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011) After a vowel the initial ''d'' is doubled in standard pronunciation.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Treccani 2011) Common phrases include ''grazie a Dio'', ''come Dio comanda'' (properly) and ''ben di Dio'' (abundance).^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+

+ A separate literary adjective ''dio'', feminine ''dia'' “divine, shining”, is learned, from Latin ''dīus'';^(DEI|1310)^(GDLI)^(GRADIT 2003) Dante uses it in “io udi' nella luce più dia” (''Paradiso'' 14).^(DEI|1310)^(GDLI)^(GRADIT 2003)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}