foto Italian · revision 37836

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=clipping|attested=1931|origins=grc φῶς, grc γράφω}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈfɔ.to/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''foto''' ''f'' (invariable)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is a clipping of [[fotografia|t=photograph; photography]], first recorded in 1931 with the stress on the final syllable.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Wiktionary) GRADIT compares the French clipping [[m|fr|photo]] (1878), and the GDLI compares the English [[m|en|photo]] (1870).^(GRADIT 2003)^(GDLI|6, 256) Alfredo Panzini, quoted in the GDLI, called it an abbreviation in the French manner and noted that it caught on after heavy taxes were laid on shop signs, which were charged by the letter.^(GDLI|6, 256)

+

+ The full noun, recorded in Italian from 1840, follows the French [[m|fr|photographie]] and the English [[m|en|photography]], a term coined in 1839 by John Herschel from [[grc|φῶς|tr=phôs|t=light]] and [[m|grc|-γραφία|tr=-graphía]], from [[m|grc|γράφω|tr=gráphō|t=to write]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ GRADIT and Sabatini–Coletti date the word to 1931, when it was still stressed ''fotò''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026) The GDLI's first witness is Panzini's note on the word, which glosses it as a short form of ''fotografia''.^(GDLI|6, 256)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The GDLI labels ''foto'' a neologism and quotes it from Cicognani, Govoni and Pavese, as in “Guardai qualche foto” (I looked at a few photos).^(GDLI|6, 256) Today it is the everyday word for a photograph, while ''fotografia'' also names the technique and the art.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+

+ It forms set phrases such as ''foto ricordo'', a souvenir picture taken on a special occasion, ''foto di gruppo'' and ''foto segnaletica'', a police photograph of a wanted person.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010) Zingarelli also notes a figurative ''foto di gruppo'', an overall picture of a group or generation.^(Zingarelli 2010) As the first element of compounds, ''foto-'' means “photograph” or “photographic process”, as in ''fotoincisione'' and ''fotolitografia''.^(Treccani 2011)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1839 – John Herschel coins English ''photography'', which French takes over as ''photographie''.^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)

+ * 1840 – ''Fotografia'' is first recorded in Italian.^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)

+ * 1870 – English ''photo'' is recorded.^(GDLI|6, 256)

+ * 1878 – French ''photo'' is recorded.^(GRADIT 2003)

+ * 1931 – Italian ''foto'' is first recorded, in the form ''fotò''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A [[m|en|photograph]], photo, snapshot: ''Ti mando le foto della gita stasera.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''foto tessera'': a passport-size [[m|en|photo]] for identity documents (also written ''fototessera'').^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # ''foto segnaletica'': a police [[m|en|mugshot]] of a wanted person.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[fotina]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[fotografia]]

+ * [[fotografare]]

+ * [[fotografo]]

+ * [[fototessera]]

+ * [[fr|photo]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Foto'' is feminine and does not change in the plural: ''una foto, due foto''.^(Wiktionary)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(GRADIT 2003) The diminutive is ''fotina''.^(Zingarelli 2010)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}