prigione Italian · revision 37874

+ {{infobox|confidence=probable|formation=borrowing|attested=early 13th century, Ritmo lucchese|origins=la prehendō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /priˈd͡ʒo.ne/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''prigione''' ''f'' (plural prigioni)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old forms include [[roa-oit|pregione]], [[roa-oit|priscione]], [[roa-oit|prescione]] and [[roa-oit|presone]].^(GDLI|14, 333)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|fro|prison]], recorded in French from 1080, from [[la|prehēnsiō|t=a seizing, arrest]], from [[m|la|prehendō|t=to seize, grasp]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026) Nocentini derives the Latin noun from the contracted [[m|la|prēnsō|alt=prēnsāre|t=to grasp]], an intensive verb of the same family, and lists [[oc|preiso]], [[ca|presó]], [[es|prisión]] and [[pt|prisão]].^(Nocentini 2010) Meyer-Lübke gives the Latin word the meaning “prison” already, with Old French and Old Occitan also using it for “prisoner”.^(REW 1935) Zingarelli and Gabrielli derive the Italian word straight from Latin, and Wiktionary gives the French route as possible only; the learned doublet is [[prensione]].^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Gabrielli 2020)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ De Vaan traces the Latin verb to a Proto-Italic present with a prefix meaning “before” and to [[ine-pro|*gʰend-|alt=*gʰ-n(e)-d-|t=to grab]], the source also of [[grc|χανδάνω|tr=khandánō|t=to hold, contain]].^(de Vaan 2008)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The first record is the ''Ritmo lucchese'' of the early 13th century, in the form ''prescione'';^(DELI 1999) ''prigione'' itself appears in 13th-century Florentine texts.^(DELI 1999) The sense from the start is “place where prisoners are held”.^(DELI 1999) Sabatini–Coletti date a form ''prisone'' to the 12th century.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ From the 13th century the same word also meant “prisoner”, a use by metonymy that is now literary: Manzoni's soldiers “si danno prigioni” (surrender as prisoners), and Michelangelo's unfinished slaves for the tomb of Julius II are known as the ''Prigioni''.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Treccani 2011) The derivative ''prigioniero'' is recorded at Venice in 1312 and ''prigioniero di guerra'' in 1801.^(DELI 1999) DELI dates ''prigionia'' to before 1342, Nocentini to the late 12th century.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ Figurative senses followed: a dark, cramped room (1630) and any place where one feels shut in and oppressed (1891).^(DELI 1999) Poets used it for the bondage of love, as in Petrarch's “mi ricondusse a la prigione antica” (led me back to the old prison).^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026) In the 1970s the Red Brigades called the place where they held a kidnapped person the ''prigione del popolo''.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(GRADIT 2003)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Early 13th century – The ''Ritmo lucchese'' has ''prescione''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 13th century – ''Prigione'' appears in Florentine texts.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1312 – ''Pressoneri'' (prisoners) is recorded at Venice.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1342 – ''Prigionia'' (imprisonment) appears in Domenico Cavalca.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1630 – ''Prigione'' is used for a dark, cramped room.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1801 – ''Prigioniero di guerra'' is recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1891 – Petrocchi records the sense “oppressive place”.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A [[m|en|prison]], jail: ''È stato mandato in prigione.''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # [[m|en|imprisonment]], a prison sentence: ''Gli hanno dato otto anni di prigione.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+ # ''(military)'' Confinement as a disciplinary punishment.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+ # ''(figurative)'' An oppressive or cramped place: ''Quell'ufficio è una prigione.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # ''(games)'' The place where captured players wait, or the square where one loses turns in board games.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[prigioniero]]

+ * [[prigionia]]

+ * [[imprigionare]]

+ * [[sprigionare]]

+ * [[imprigionamento]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[prendere]]

+ * [[prensione]]

+ * [[fr|prison]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ The masculine ''prigione'' “prisoner” is archaic or literary;^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Treccani 2011) GRADIT and Sabatini–Coletti give it a numbered entry of its own, derived from the feminine noun.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Treccani 2011) ''Prigione dorata'', a gilded cage, is a comfortable place without freedom.^(Treccani 2011)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}