posizione Italian · revision 38022

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=1282, Restoro d'Arezzo|origins=la pōnō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /po.zitˈt͡sjo.ne/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''posizione''' ''f'' (plural posizioni)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is a learned word, [[bor|la|positio|t=placing; situation, position]], formed from [[m|la|positus|t=placed]], the past participle of [[m|la|pōnō|t=to put, place]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026) The Latin noun appears in the imperial period as a translation of [[grc|θέσις|tr=thésis]].^(DEI|3034)^(GDLI) DELI and DEI see the word as coming through [[fr|position]], which has the sense “place where a thing is” from 1265, “posture of the body” from 1668 and “social and economic condition” from about 1772.^(DELI 1999)^(DEI|3034) The same Latin word is [[es|posición]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(Körting 1907)

+

+ [[m|la|pōnō|alt=Pōnō]] is from Proto-Italic [[m|itc-pro|*pozinō]], a compound of [[m|itc-pro|*po|t=off, away]] and [[m|itc-pro|*sinō|t=to put in place]].^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The first record is in Restoro d'Arezzo's ''Composizione del mondo'' (1282), for the place in which something is set, in his description of the eighth sphere with its circles, figures and stars, their ''posizione e sito''.^(DELI 1999)^(TLIO)^(GDLI) Old Italian also used it for an idea put forward, a supposition, and for a written statement.^(TLIO)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The posture of the body is recorded before 1600 in Lomazzo, and the military position, a place defended or to be taken, at the end of the 18th century: the purist Grassi accepted it only where the precise military sense was needed and preferred ''positura'' otherwise.^(DELI 1999) The sense “social and economic condition” (1798) was condemned in 1831 by Lissoni, who said nobody had ever used it so, and the bureaucratic “file, state of a case” (1812) was attacked by Ugolini.^(DELI 1999) The figurative “stance, attitude of mind” is in Mazzini, before 1872.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ Today the word is also used for a place in a ranking or a race (''la prima posizione''), for the position of a sound in a word, and in phrases such as ''prendere posizione'' “to take a stand”, ''luci di posizione'' “sidelights” and ''guerra di posizione'' “trench warfare”.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1282 – Restoro d'Arezzo uses ''posizione''.^(DELI 1999)^(TLIO)

+ * Before 1600 – Posture of the body, in Lomazzo.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1786 – The military sense, in D'Antonj.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1798 – “Social and economic condition”, in Marescalchi.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1845 – The verb ''posizionare''.^(Nocentini 2010)

+ * Before 1872 – “Attitude of mind”, in Mazzini.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # The place where someone or something is, especially in relation to other things: ''La casa è in una posizione tranquilla, lontana dalla strada.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(military)'' A place held or to be taken by troops: ''Il reparto ha abbandonato la posizione.''.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # A place in a ranking, a list or a race: ''È risalito in terza posizione.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+ # The way something is placed; arrangement: ''posizione orizzontale'', ''verticale''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+ # The [[m|en|posture]] of the body or of a limb: ''Cambia posizione, così ti fa male la schiena.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+ # ''(figurative)'' A situation or condition, especially one's social or professional [[m|en|standing]]: ''Si è fatto una buona posizione in banca.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(figurative)'' An opinion or [[m|en|stance]] on a question: ''prendere posizione''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # ''(linguistics)'' The place of a sound or element within a word or sentence.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[posizionare]]

+ * [[posizionamento]]

+ * [[posizionale]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[porre]]

+ * [[posto]]

+ * [[positura]]

+ * [[la|positio]]

+ * [[fr|position]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}