colpo Italian · revision 37901

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=before 1294, Brunetto Latini|origins=grc κόλαφος}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈkol.po/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''colpo''' ''m'' (plural colpi)^(Wiktionary)

+ Medieval spellings include [[roa-oit|cholpo]], [[roa-oit|corpo]] and [[roa-oit|culpo]].^(TLIO)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|la-lat|colpus|t=blow]], the form found in the Salic Law (6th century), a contraction of [[la|colaphus|t=punch, slap]], which is [[bor|grc|κόλαφος|tr=kólaphos|t=slap, cuff]], a Greek word of uncertain origin.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(DEI|1021)^(Wiktionary) DEI notes a variant with an inner ⟨o⟩ in manuscripts of Quintilian and in Petronius's [[m|la|percolopō|t=to slap hard]].^(DEI|1021) Devoto explains the contracted form as an old popular borrowing, with the Greek ⟨ph⟩ written as a plain ⟨p⟩ and the inner vowel lost, while the classical form kept both.^(Devoto 1968) The LEI suggests from the Salic Law context, where a slave is to receive a number of blows, that the contracted form belonged to the speech of slaves, as opposed to classical [[m|la|ictus|t=blow]], which the Reichenau Glosses explain by it.^(LEI|15, 622)

+

+ The word is found in Italian, French, Occitan and Catalan and beyond: [[fr|coup]], [[oc|colp]], [[ca|colp|t=time, occasion]], [[es|golpe]], [[pt|golpe]], [[sc|kolpu]], [[rm|culp]] and [[dlm|kwálp]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(REW 1935)^(LEI|15, 622)^(DEI|1021) In the 19th century Tommaseo preferred a Germanic source such as [[goh|kolbo|t=club]], but Diez objected that Romance would not have broken up the initial cluster of such a word.^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861|1, 1509)^(Zaccaria 1901)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ DELI's first record is Brunetto Latini (before 1294), in the sense “knock, push, violent blow”: “Sovente traea / gran colpi di saette” (often he shot great volleys of arrows).^(DELI 1999)^(GDLI|3, 323) The TLIO's earliest text is the Cremonese Ugo di Perso, from the first half of the 13th century.^(TLIO)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Already in Old Italian the word was used of an attack or duel, of the wound or scar left by a blow, of a violent shock to the feelings, and of a sudden stroke of fortune or nature.^(TLIO) Dante has the sense “strong and sudden emotion” and the ''colpo di vento'', “gust of wind”.^(DELI 1999)^(Prati 1951|311) The sense “report of a gun” is recorded before 1530, “undertaking, not always a lawful one” before 1543 in Firenzuola, and “sudden fit or stroke” in 1808.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ DELI notes that most phrases with ''colpo'' are calques of French: ''a colpo sicuro'' (''à coup sûr''), ''colpo di fulmine'', ''colpo di grazia'', ''colpo di mano'', ''colpo di stato'', ''colpo di sole'', ''colpo di testa'', ''colpo d'occhio'' and ''senza colpo ferire''.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GDLI|3, 323) ''Colpo di spugna'', a wiping clean of the slate, is recorded in 1932.^(Nocentini 2010) The verb ''colpire'' “to strike”, from the 13th century, is typically Italian, and the Old French ''colpir'' is a borrowing from Italian.^(DELI 1999)^(LEI|15, 622) Turkish borrowed the noun as ''kolpa''.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 6th century – Latin ''colpus'' appears in the Salic Law.^(Nocentini 2010)^(LEI|15, 622)

+ * Early 13th century – ''Colpo'' appears in Ugo di Perso.^(TLIO)

+ * Before 1294 – Brunetto Latini uses it for a blow.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)

+ * Before 1321 – Dante uses it for a sudden strong emotion.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1530 – The sense “report, detonation” is recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 18th century – ''Colpo di grazia'', ''colpo di mano'' and ''colpo di stato'' are taken from French.^(Nocentini 2010)

+ * 1808 – The sense “stroke, sudden fit” is recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1932 – ''Colpo di spugna'' is recorded.^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A [[m|en|blow]], knock or hit: ''Ha rotto il lucchetto con un colpo di martello.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A [[m|en|shot]] from a firearm; a round of ammunition: ''Il fucile aveva ancora due colpi.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Gabrielli 2020)^(Wiktionary)

+ # The noise of a blow or shot, a bang: ''Abbiamo sentito un colpo alla porta.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # A quick movement of a tool or control: ''un colpo di spazzola'', ''un colpo di freno''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(sport)'' A punch in boxing, a shot or stroke in ball games: ''colpo di testa'', a header.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # A sudden painful event, a [[m|en|shock]]: ''La notizia è stata un brutto colpo per tutti.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # A criminal job, a [[m|en|heist]]; also a clever or lucky move: ''bel colpo!''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(medicine, colloquial)'' A stroke or sudden fit: ''colpo apoplettico''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(DELI 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[colpire]]

+ * [[contraccolpo]]

+ * [[colpetto]]

+ * [[colpaccio]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[la|colaphus]]

+ * [[fr|coup]]

+ * [[es|golpe]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Di colpo'' means “suddenly”, and ''far colpo'' “to make an impression”.^(DEI|1021)^(Wiktionary) DEI lists a minor word ''colpo'', a stone cut round rather than flat, recorded at Venice in 1233, probably from Greek ''kólpos'' “bosom, bay”.^(DEI|1022)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}