avvocato Italian · revision 37918

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=c. 1260–1261, Brunetto Latini|origins=la vōx}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /av.voˈka.to/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''avvocato''' ''m'' (plural avvocati, feminine avvocatessa or avvocata)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|la|advocātus|t=one called in to help; legal counsel]], the past participle of [[m|la|advocō|t=to call to one's aid; to call into court]], from [[m|la|ad-]] and [[m|la|vocō|t=to call]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary) The LEI finds it hard to say whether the Italian word is a popular or a learned development.^(LEI|1, 951)^(DELI 1999) Since the name of the profession is learned in Gallo-Romance and the northern Italian forms point the same way, it treats the modern word as a Latinism, while the Old Florentine form [[m|roa-oit|avoghado]] and the Bregaglia valley form [[lmo|vogado|t=guardian]] show the popular sound changes.^(LEI|1, 951)^(DELI 1999) The GDLI and Wiktionary call it a learned word.^(GDLI|1, 908)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ The word is found in all the Romance languages except Romanian: [[fr|avoué]] (with the learned [[fr|avocat]]), [[pro|avogat]], [[es|abogado]] and [[pt|advogado]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(REW 1935)^(DEI) In Romansh and the conservative Alpine dialects it means “guardian”, and even the head of a village community.^(DEI)^(REW 1935) The Latin verb [[m|la|vocō]] is derived from the stem of [[la|vōx|t=voice]], which goes back to [[ine-pro|*wṓkʷs]].^(de Vaan 2008)

+

+ Nocentini notes that under the Roman Republic an advocate was a legal expert whom a party called on for advice during a trial, and that only under the Empire did he become the one who pleaded the case, as today.^(Nocentini 2010) The feminine [[la-ecc|advocāta]] belongs to the language of the Church: the “Salve Regina” calls the Virgin “advocata nostra”, and, from there [[avvocata]] entered use.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The Latin form ''avocato'', in the dative, appears in a Medieval Latin document of 885.^(DELI 1999) The first Italian record in the TLIO is Brunetto Latini's ''Rettorica'' (Florence, about 1260–1261): “neuno possa buono advocato essere né perfetto se non favella secondo l'arte di rettorica” (no one can be a good or perfect advocate unless he speaks according to the art of rhetoric).^(TLIO)^(GDLI|1, 908) DELI's first date is Bono Giamboni (before 1292), for one who assists a party in a lawsuit.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Old Italian forms include Florentine ''avoghado'' (1279–1280) and ''avogado'' and Venetian ''avocato'' (1287).^(LEI|1, 951)^(TLIO) Besides the lawyer, the word named an office (the ''avvocato della chiesa'', a prince or lord bound to defend a church's rights), a defender in general, and in religious language one who intercedes for sinners before God.^(TLIO)^(Prati 1951|91) Dante calls Orosius “quello avvocato de' tempi cristiani” (that advocate of Christian times).^(GDLI|1, 908) Venice had a magistrate called ''avogadore'', from Latin ''advocator''.^(Prati 1951|91)^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ''Avvocatessa'' “woman lawyer” is recorded before 1767, ''avvocatura'' “the legal profession” in 1771, replacing the older ''avvocazione'', and ''avvocatesco'' “lawyerly” in 1854.^(DELI 1999) ''Avvocato del diavolo'', the official who raised objections in canonization trials and then anyone who argues the other side on purpose, is recorded before 1852.^(Nocentini 2010)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011) Colloquial phrases such as ''parlare come un avvocato'' “to have the gift of the gab” show the lawyer's reputation for fluency and cunning.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 885 – Medieval Latin ''avocato'' appears in a document.^(DELI 1999)

+ * c. 1260–1261 – Brunetto Latini uses ''advocato'' in the ''Rettorica''.^(TLIO)

+ * 1279–1280 – Old Florentine ''avoghado'' is recorded.^(LEI|1, 951)

+ * Before 1292 – Bono Giamboni uses ''avvocato'' for a lawyer.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1306 – Iacopone da Todi calls the Virgin ''avvocata''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1767 – ''Avvocatessa'' is recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1771 – ''Avvocatura'' is recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1852 – ''Avvocato del diavolo'' is recorded.^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A [[m|en|lawyer]], a graduate in law registered with the bar who assists and defends a party in court: ''Prima di rispondere ha chiamato il suo avvocato.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(figurative)'' A defender, [[m|en|advocate]] or [[m|en|intercessor]], someone who takes up the cause of another person or an idea: ''Si è fatta avvocato dei diritti degli animali.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''avvocato del diavolo'': (Catholic Church) the promoter of the faith, who raises every objection in a canonization trial, (figurative) someone who argues the opposite view on purpose.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # ''avvocato d'ufficio'': a court-appointed defence lawyer.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[avvocatura]]

+ * [[avvocata]]

+ * [[avvocatessa]]

+ * [[avvocatesco]]

+ * [[avvocatino]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[voce]]

+ * [[vocare]]

+ * [[la|advocātus]]

+ * [[fr|avocat]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ The feminine is ''avvocata'' or ''avvocatessa'', but the masculine is often used of women too;^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Wiktionary) Sabatini–Coletti calls ''avvocatessa'' rare and ironic or disparaging.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Wiktionary) The abbreviation is ''avv.''^(GRADIT 2003)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}