informazione Italian · revision 37912

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=1304–1308, Dante|origins=la fōrma}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /in.for.matˈt͡sjo.ne/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''informazione''' ''f'' (plural informazioni)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|la|īnfōrmātiō|t=formation of an idea, notion]], from [[m|la|īnfōrmō|t=to give shape to; to form an idea of]], from [[m|la|in-]] and [[m|la|fōrma|t=shape]].^(GRADIT 2003)^(Gabrielli 2020)^(GDLI)^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary) Devoto–Oli and Sabatini–Coletti treat it as an Italian derivative of [[informare]], already found in Latin, and Treccani as formed on the verb after the Latin model.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Treccani 2011) In Latin the noun meant a notion or idea and, in late times, instruction or education.^(Treccani 2011)^(Wiktionary) [[fr|information]] is recorded in the 15th century.^(GDLI)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The first record is in Dante's ''Convivio'' (1304–1308), in the scholastic sense of giving a being its form: the earth is disposed differently in early spring “a ricevere in sé la informazione de l'erbe e de li fiori” (to receive within itself the forming of grasses and flowers).^(DELI 1999)^(GDLI)^(GRADIT 2003)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The sense “report, news” is recorded about 1430, in Buonaccorso Pitti, and Giovanni Villani already uses the word for what serves to inform someone.^(DELI 1999)^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861) The old form ''informagione'' is also found.^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861)^(GDLI) The philosophical sense of giving form is now obsolete.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Treccani 2011)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+

+ In the 20th century the word acquired technical senses: in computing, a notion that can be expressed as data (1957), in biology ''informazione genetica'', in mathematics ''teoria dell'informazione''.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010) It also came to name the whole sector of the news media, as in ''libertà d'informazione''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Treccani 2011) In law, ''informazione di garanzia'', the notice sent to a person under investigation, is recorded in 1987 and was later replaced by ''avviso di garanzia''.^(GDLI)^(Treccani 2011)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1304–1308 – Dante uses ''informazione'' in the ''Convivio''.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)

+ * c. 1430 – Buonaccorso Pitti uses the word for news or a report.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 15th century – French ''information'' is recorded.^(GDLI)

+ * 1957 – The computing sense is recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1987 – ''Informazione di garanzia'' appears in the press.^(GDLI)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A piece of [[m|en|information]], news or data that lets one know something: ''All'ufficio mi hanno dato un'informazione sbagliata sugli orari.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Wiktionary)

+ # The act of informing or being informed; the [[m|en|news]] media as a sector: ''libertà d'informazione''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # ''(computing)'' Data processed or stored by a computer; a message sent in a code from a transmitter to a receiver.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Treccani 2011)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+ # ''(biology)'' ''informazione genetica'': the hereditary information carried by the genes.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # ''(obsolete)'' The giving of form, formation.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Treccani 2011)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[controinformazione]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[informare]]

+ * [[forma]]

+ * [[formazione]]

+ * [[la|īnfōrmātiō]]

+ * [[fr|information]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Ufficio informazioni'' is an information desk.^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Devoto–Oli 2026) Unlike English ''information'', the word is countable: ''un'informazione'', ''molte informazioni''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}