moglie Italian · revision 37688

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=late 12th century, Ritmo di Sant'Alessio, in the form molge|origins=la mulier}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈmoʎ.ʎe/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''moglie''' ''f'' (plural mogli, relational adjective (literary) mogliesco, diminutive-endearing mogliettina)^(Wiktionary)

+ The oldest form is [[roa-oit|molge]].^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)

+ Old and dialect forms from the Latin accusative include [[roa-oit|mogliera]] and [[roa-oit|mogliere]].^(REW 1935)^(Körting 1907)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old Italian also had ''moglia''.^(Gabrielli 2020)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|la|mulier|t=woman]], continuing the nominative, as do a few other names of persons such as [[uomo]], [[ladro]] and [[sarto]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary) The other Romance languages, and the Italian dialects of the south, continue the accusative ⟨mulierem⟩: [[fro|moillier]], [[oc|molher]], [[ca|muller]], [[es|mujer]], [[sc|muzere]] and [[ro|muiere]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(DELI 1999)^(REW 1935) The word almost entirely replaced [[m|la|uxor|t=wife]] in the Romance languages.^(REW 1935)

+

+ The origin of the Latin noun is unknown.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003) The derivative [[m|la|muliebris]] shows that it was once an s-stem, ⟨*mulies⟩.^(de Vaan 2008)^(Devoto 1968|285) The ancient link with [[m|la|mollis|t=soft]], already in Isidore, is usually seen as a folk etymology, but Nocentini thinks it may be right if the root is taken in its simple form, as in [[grc|ἀμαλός|tr=amalós|t=tender]], with the sense “young”: the word would first have meant a girl of marriageable age.^(Nocentini 2010)^(Wiktionary) De Vaan reviews the explanations as a comparative of the same adjective or of [[m|la|melior|t=better]] (“the better one, the chief wife”) and finds both difficult.^(de Vaan 2008) Wiktionary also mentions a link with [[m|la|mulgeō|t=to milk]].^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The first record is the form ''molge'' in the ''Ritmo di Sant'Alessio'', at the end of the 12th century, already for a wife.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010) The form ''moglie'' appears in Brunetto Latini, who died in 1294.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In Latin ''mulier'' was a woman in general, and the wife as a legal partner was ''uxor''; in Italian the word took over the sense “wife”, while ''donna'' became the word for a woman.^(Treccani 2011)^(GRADIT 2003)^(REW 1935) The verb ''ammogliare'' “to give a wife to” is recorded in the second half of the 13th century.^(Nocentini 2010) DELI points to a 1955 exchange in the journal ''Le lingue del mondo'' on the stylistic and social contrast between ''moglie'' and ''(mia) signora''.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ Proverbs and sayings with the word include ''volere la botte piena e la moglie ubriaca'' “to have one's cake and eat it”, ''moglie e buoi dei paesi tuoi'' “choose a wife and oxen from your own village”, ''tra moglie e marito non mettere il dito'' “don't meddle between husband and wife” and ''essere come la moglie di Cesare'', of someone who must be above suspicion.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Gabrielli 2020)^(Treccani 2011) Tommaseo–Bellini collected many more, such as “La buona moglie fa il buon marito” (a good wife makes a good husband).^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Late 12th century – ''Molge'' “wife” appears in the ''Ritmo di Sant'Alessio''.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)

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

+ * Before 1294 – Brunetto Latini uses the form ''moglie''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1955 – A debate on ''moglie'' and ''signora'' appears in ''Le lingue del mondo''.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # [[m|en|wife]], a married woman in relation to her husband: ''Sua moglie insegna matematica al liceo.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+ # ''(humorous)'' The female of a pair of animals.^(GRADIT 2003)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[ammogliare]]

+ * [[mogliettina]]

+ * [[mogliesco]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[marito]]

+ * [[donna]]

+ * [[muliebre]]

+ * [[la|mulier]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ Phrases include ''prendere moglie'' “to marry (of a man)”, ''chiedere in moglie'' “to ask in marriage” and ''essere marito e moglie'' “to be married”.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Devoto–Oli 2026) ''Moglie morganatica'' is the wife of a morganatic marriage.^(GRADIT 2003)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}