lavorare Italian · revision 37583

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=13th century, Della caducità della vita umana|origins=la labor}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /la.voˈra.re/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''lavorare''' (first-person singular present lavóro, first-person singular past historic lavorài, past participle lavoràto, auxiliary avére)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old forms include ''laborare'' and ''lagorare''.^(GDLI|8, 853) Many northern dialects have forms without /v/: [[vec|laorar]], [[lmo|laurà]], [[egl|laurar]] and [[pms|lauré]].^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|la|labōrō|t=to toil, labour; to till]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary) The Latin verb is formed on [[m|la|labor|t=toil, work]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(de Vaan 2008)^(Wiktionary) In the western Romance languages the inherited verb mostly means “to plough”: [[oc|labrar]], [[ca|llaurar]], [[es|labrar]], [[pt|lavrar]] and [[sc|laorare]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(REW 1935) [[fr|labourer]] is a learned form according to Nocentini and was taken from Occitan according to Meyer-Lübke.^(Nocentini 2010)^(REW 1935) The DEI describes the verb as a word of the western Romance area that competed with the continuations of [[m|la|operor|t=to work]].^(DEI)

+

+ The origin of the Latin noun is uncertain.^(de Vaan 2008)^(Wiktionary) It is often linked with [[m|la|labō|t=to totter]], through a shift from “sinking under a load” to “burden” and “work”, a connection de Vaan finds unconvincing;^(de Vaan 2008)^(Wiktionary)^(Devoto 1968|255) Devoto relates it to [[m|la|lābor|t=to slip, fall]].^(de Vaan 2008)^(Wiktionary)^(Devoto 1968|255)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The first records are in the 13th century: in a Venetian contract of 1288, and in the Veronese poem ''Della caducità della vita umana'', where the gravedigger says ''Deo... que fa sta zento?'' while he ''a la fossa lavora'' (“works at the grave”).^(DELI 1999)^(GDLI|8, 853) The sense is to spend one's strength in a trade or task.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The intransitive verb took on further senses: of animals that toil (before 1519, Leonardo), of machines and bodily organs that function (before 1537, Biringuccio), and of shops and offices that do business (1869, Tommaseo); Tommaseo also records “to act behind the scenes”.^(DELI 1999) As a transitive verb it meant “to work a material into shape” in Domenico Cavalca (before 1342) and “to make, execute” in Boccaccio.^(DELI 1999) Working the land, ''lavorare la terra'', is close to the sense of the western Romance words for ploughing.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ Many figurative phrases are built on it: ''lavorare di gomiti'' (to elbow one's way), ''lavorare di fantasia'' (to daydream) and ''lavorare per la gloria'' (to work for nothing).^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Devoto–Oli 2026) Derivatives include ''lavoratore'' “worker”, from Late Latin ''laborator'', and ''lavorazione'', both of the 13th century, and ''lavorante'' of the 14th.^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 13th century – ''Lavorare'' is in ''Della caducità della vita umana''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1288 – It appears in a Venetian contract.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1342 – Domenico Cavalca uses it transitively, “to work a material”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1519 – Leonardo uses it of animals at work.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1537 – Biringuccio uses it of machines that function.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1869 – Tommaseo records “to do business” of shops and offices.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # ''(intransitive)'' To [[m|en|work]], spend one's energies on an activity: ''ha lavorato tutta la notte alla tesi''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(intransitive)'' To have a job, practise a trade: ''lavora in un ospedale'', ''lavorare come cuoco''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # ''(intransitive)'' Of animals, to toil for people.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(intransitive)'' Of machines, plants or organs, to [[m|en|function]], run.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(intransitive)'' Of a shop or office, to do business, have customers.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(transitive)'' To work, shape or process a material: ''lavorare il marmo''.^(DELI 1999)^(Wiktionary)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # ''(transitive)'' To [[m|en|knead]] dough.^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(transitive)'' To [[m|en|cultivate]], till: ''lavorare la terra''.^(Wiktionary)^(GRADIT 2003)

+ # ''(transitive, rare)'' To work on someone, win them over.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[lavorante]]

+ * [[lavorativo]]

+ * [[lavorato]]

+ * [[lavoratore]]

+ * [[lavorazione]]

+ * [[lavorio]]

+ * [[lavoricchiare]]

+ * [[lavorabile]]

+ * [[rilavorare]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[lavoro]]

+ * [[laborioso]]

+ * [[la|labor]]

+ * [[en|labour]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}