forza Italian · revision 37622

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=late 12th century, Proverbia que dicuntur|origins=la fortis}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈfɔr.t͡sa/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''forza''' ''f'' (plural forze)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old forms include ''força'', ''forsa'' and ''forcia''.^(TLIO) The form ''forsa'' was also literary and dialectal.^(GDLI)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|la-lat|fortia|t=strength]], the neuter plural of [[la|fortis|t=strong]], “the strong things”, understood as a feminine singular.^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Wiktionary) The Late Latin word is first found in Commodian, in the 3rd century.^(DEI|1695)^(Körting 1907)^(GDLI) Wiktionary traces it to phrases such as ⟨fortia facta⟩ “brave deeds”.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ The same word is [[fr|force]], [[oc|forsa]], [[es|fuerza]] and [[pt|força]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(REW 1935) It was borrowed into Insular Celtic and German.^(DEI|1695) Italian passed it on to the Arabic of Syria and Palestine,^(DEI|1695) and to [[sq|forcë]], [[ro|forță]] and [[sh|forca]].^(Wiktionary)

+

+ The adjective had an Old Latin form ⟨forctus⟩, and its origin is uncertain: de Vaan weighs a link with [[m|la|farciō|t=to stuff]] and one with a root meaning “to make firm”.^(de Vaan 2008)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The TLIO's first record is in the ''Proverbia que dicuntur'', a Venetian poem of the late 12th century.^(TLIO) DELI's earliest dates are from Bono Giamboni, before 1292, for physical strength, moral energy and a body of soldiers.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In Old Italian ''forza'' could also mean dominion, jurisdiction and rape.^(DEI|1695) The forces of nature appear in Arrigo Simintendi (before 1333).^(DELI 1999) Physics later gave it its sense of a cause that changes the motion of a body.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+

+ Modern phrases include ''per forza'' “necessarily, unwillingly”, ''a forza di'' “by dint of”, ''bella forza!'' (ironic: “big deal!”) and ''forze armate'' “armed forces”;^(GRADIT 2003)^(Treccani 2011)^(Nocentini 2010) ''bassa forza'' for the rank and file is recorded from 1886.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Treccani 2011)^(Nocentini 2010) As an interjection, ''forza!'' urges someone on.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Late 12th century – The Venetian ''Proverbia que dicuntur'' use the word.^(TLIO)

+ * 13th century – ''Forzato'' and ''rinforzare'' are first recorded.^(Nocentini 2010)

+ * Before 1292 – Bono Giamboni uses ''forza'' for strength and for troops.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1333 – Arrigo Simintendi uses it for the forces of nature.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1886 – ''Bassa forza'' “rank and file” is recorded.^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # Physical [[m|en|strength]]: ''Gli manca la forza per sollevare la valigia.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # Moral strength, [[m|en|courage]]: ''forza d'animo''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # Violence, coercion: ''Lo hanno fatto entrare con la forza.''^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # ''(physics)'' [[m|en|force]], a cause that changes a body's state of rest or motion.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # Power, effectiveness: ''la forza dell'abitudine''.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+ # ''(often in the plural)'' Armed troops: ''le forze armate'', ''le forze dell'ordine''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+

+ ===Interjection===

+ # Come on!, keep going!: ''Forza, ragazzi, manca poco!''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[forzare]]

+ * [[forzato]]

+ * [[forzatura]]

+ * [[forziere]]

+ * [[forzoso]]

+ * [[forzuto]]

+ * [[rafforzare]]

+ * [[rafforzamento]]

+ * [[rinforzare]]

+ * [[rinforzo]]

+ * [[sforzare]]

+ * [[sforzo]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[forte]]

+ * [[forzamento]]

+ * [[fortezza]]

+ * [[la|fortis]]

+ * [[fr|force]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Per forza'' means both “necessarily” and “against one's will”;^(Treccani 2011)^(GRADIT 2003) ''a forza di'' means “by dint of”.^(Treccani 2011)^(GRADIT 2003)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}