polizia Italian · revision 37714

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing, semantic loan|attested=1363, Italian version of Marsilius of Padua|origins=grc πόλις}}

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+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /po.litˈt͡si.a/^(Wiktionary)

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+ ==Forms==

+ '''polizia''' ''f'' (plural polizie)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is a learned word, [[bor|la-lat|polītīa|t=political organization, constitution, government]], recorded in the 4th century in Ambrose.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(DEI|3002)^(Devoto–Oli 2026) The Latin word is [[der|grc|πολιτεία|tr=politeía|t=citizenship, government, constitution]], from [[m|grc|πολίτης|tr=polítēs|t=citizen]], from [[m|grc|πόλις|tr=pólis|t=city]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

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+ The modern sense, the public force that keeps order, is a calque on [[fr|police]], which has had that meaning since 1606.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010) The French Revolution made the word universal, and Napoleon's conquests spread it through the languages of Europe.^(Nocentini 2010)^(Prati 1951|792)^(DEI|3002) [[en|policy]] and [[de|Polizei]] also go back to the French.^(DEI|3002)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ DELI's first record is in 1363, in the Italian version of Marsilius of Padua, for the system by which a city is well governed.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003) Tommaseo quotes Burchiello, in the 15th century, on a magistrate who with his ''polizia'' “so orders his country and its government” that the enemy is beaten without a fight.^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861)

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+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The sense “laws and regulations for the safety of citizens” appears in Francesco Mario Pagano, before 1799, and in 1797 the word names the body of officers itself.^(DELI 1999) In 1799 Carlo Porta cursed the ''polizia'' that kept him running all night for a passport.^(DELI 1999) In 1871 Tommaseo noted that the Greek word was common in the cities but unknown to most of the nation, and that Tuscany had said ''buon governo'' and Piedmont ''questura''.^(DELI 1999)

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+ ''Poliziotto'' “policeman” was a popular neologism in Venice in 1829 and is found in Giuseppe Rovani in 1843;^(DELI 1999) ''poliziesco'' dates from 1871, and ''romanzo poliziesco'' “detective novel” from 1917–1927.^(DELI 1999) ''Donna-poliziotto'' (1911) is a calque on English ''policewoman''.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1363 – The Italian Marsilius of Padua uses ''polizia'' for good government.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1797 – The word names a body of police officers.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1829 – Venetian ''polizioto'' “policeman” is recorded by Boerio.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1871 – ''Poliziesco'' is recorded by Tommaseo.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1911 – ''Donna-poliziotto'' “policewoman” appears.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # The activity of the state that keeps public order and protects citizens by watching over, preventing and repressing crime.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # The [[m|en|police]], the force that carries out this activity: ''Hanno chiamato la polizia.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # ''(colloquial)'' A police station; a police car.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # ''(archaic)'' A form of government, a [[m|en|polity]].^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[poliziesco]]

+ * [[poliziotto]]

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+ ==Related words==

+ * [[questura]]

+ * [[politico]]

+ * [[pulizia]]

+ * [[fr|police]]

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+ ==Usage notes==

+ GRADIT lists an obsolete second ''polizia'' (from 1513) meaning “cleanliness” and “refinement of manners”, a variant of the same word influenced by ''polito'' and ''polire''; in this sense the standard form is ''pulizia''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(TLIO)^(Körting 1907) Fixed expressions include ''stato di polizia'' “police state”.^(Treccani 2011)^(Zingarelli 2010)

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+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}