poliziotto Italian · revision 38021

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=1829, Boerio (Venetian polizioto)|origins=grc πολιτεία}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /po.litˈt͡sjɔt.to/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''poliziotto''' ''m'' (plural poliziotti, feminine poliziotta)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is formed [[af|it|polizia|-otto]],.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010) [[polizia|alt=Polizia]] is a learned word from [[la|polītīa|t=political organization, government]], from [[grc|πολιτεία|tr=politeía|t=government of the city]], and owes its modern sense “police force” to a calque on [[fr|police]], which spread in the European languages after the French Revolution and the Napoleonic conquests.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ The phrase “donna poliziotto” “policewoman” is a calque on [[m|en|policewoman|alt=police-woman]] (1853).^(DELI 1999) Tommaseo heard something contemptuous in the very sound of the word.^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The first record is Venetian: Boerio's dialect dictionary of 1829 lists ''polizioto'' as a neologism of the common people for the officers and soldiers of the police.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003) DELI's first Italian record is in Giuseppe Rovani in 1843, and Sabatini–Coletti dates the word to before 1848.^(DELI 1999)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In the 19th century the word was popular and somewhat disparaging, as distinct from the official names of the force: Tommaseo glosses it as a man of the lower police and adds that magistrates, courtiers and scholars can also have something of the ''poliziotto''.^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861) Garibaldi listed ''poliziotti'' beside spies and priests among the tools of reaction, and Carducci wrote of ''poliziotti travestiti'', police in disguise.^(GDLI|13, 773)

+

+ Today it is the ordinary, non-technical word for an officer of the state police.^(Treccani 2011)^(Devoto–Oli 2026) From the start it also had a figurative use for anyone who behaves in an authoritarian, prying way towards subordinates, and for a ruler who governs by repression.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Treccani 2011) Placed after a noun it works as an invariable adjective, as in ''cane poliziotto'', a police dog, and ''donna poliziotto''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1829 – Boerio's Venetian dictionary records ''polizioto''.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)

+ * 1843 – Giuseppe Rovani uses ''poliziotto''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1853 – English ''police-woman'' is recorded, the model of ''donna poliziotto''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1861–1879 – Tommaseo–Bellini enters the word as familiar and disparaging.^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A [[m|en|policeman]] or policewoman, an officer of the [[polizia|alt=police]]: ''Due poliziotti fermarono l'auto al posto di blocco.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''poliziotto privato'': a private [[m|en|detective]].^(GRADIT 2003)^(Treccani 2011)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+ # ''(figurative, derogatory)'' A person who keeps an oppressive watch on others or treats subordinates in a [[m|en|bullying]] way: ''In ufficio fa il poliziotto con tutti.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(uncommon)'' A ruler who governs by repressive methods.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Treccani 2011)

+

+ ===Adjective===

+ # ''(invariable, after a noun)'' Belonging to or trained for the police: ''cane poliziotto'' “police dog”, ''donna poliziotto'' “policewoman”.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[poliziotta]]

+ * [[poliziottesco]]

+ * [[superpoliziotto]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[polizia]]

+ * [[fr|police]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}