ricerca Italian · revision 38032

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=before 1470, Luigi Pulci|origins=la-lat circō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /riˈt͡ʃer.ka/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''ricerca''' ''f'' (plural ricerche)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[af|it|ricercare|-a]], a deverbal noun of the verb meaning “to look for again; to search carefully”.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary)^(Devoto 1968) [[ricercare|alt=Ricercare]] is formed with the intensive prefix [[m|it|ri-]] from [[cercare]],^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010) which continues [[la-lat|circō|alt=circāre|t=to go round, encircle]], from [[m|la|circa|t=around]] according to DELI,^(DELI 1999) or from [[m|la|circum|t=round about]], from [[m|la|circus|t=circle]], according to Nocentini.^(Nocentini 2010) DELI quotes Migliorini and Tilander on the change from “go round” to “look for”: it began in hunting, where the dog was made to circle ever more widely to pick up the scent, and a letter-carrier's inscription of the 2nd or 3rd century already says that he went round the whole region on foot and caught a hare with his dogs.^(DELI 1999)^(LEI|14, 505)

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+ [[ricerca di mercato|alt=Ricerca di mercato]] is a translation of [[en|market research]] (1926).^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ An Old Perugian ''recercha'' appears in the city statutes of 1342, for going in person to check that a place exists.^(LEI|14, 505) DELI's first Italian record, the act of searching for something, is in Luigi Pulci before 1470, and the ''Ciriffo Calvaneo'' tells of a band that turned back after making a search: ''Poi dièr la volta, fatto una ricerca''.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)^(GDLI|16, 63)^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The intellectual sense, a systematic inquiry meant to increase or test what is known in a discipline, is recorded before 1758 in Antonio Cocchi, and the phrase ''campo di ricerche'' “field of research” in a Tuscan journal of 1755.^(DELI 1999) Tommaseo still distinguishes the search for a person, the search for a thing and studies of the mind, and advises ''richieste'' rather than ''ricerche'' for commercial demand.^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861)

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+ The 20th century added the phrases of science and economics: ''ricerca di mercato'' (1959, as the name of a university course), ''ricerca operativa'' “operational research” (1965), and ''ricerca pura'' and ''ricerca applicata'' “pure and applied research” (1973).^(DELI 1999) In schools a ''ricerca'' is also a project in which pupils collect and arrange material on a set topic.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010) In computing, a ''motore di ricerca'' is a search engine.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1342 – Old Perugian ''recercha'' in the city statutes.^(LEI|14, 505)

+ * Before 1470 – Luigi Pulci uses ''ricerca'' “search”.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)

+ * 1755 – ''Campo di ricerche'' in a Tuscan journal.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1758 – Antonio Cocchi uses it for systematic scholarly inquiry.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1926 – English ''market research'', the model of ''ricerca di mercato''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1959 – ''Ricerca di mercato'' as the title of a university course in marketing.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1965 – ''Ricerca operativa'' is recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1973 – ''Ricerca pura'' and ''ricerca applicata'' enter the Zingarelli dictionary.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # The act of looking for someone or something; a [[m|en|search]], hunt: ''Le ricerche dei dispersi sono continuate per tutta la notte.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Systematic study carried out with scientific methods to extend or deepen knowledge; [[m|en|research]]: ''Ha dedicato dieci anni alla ricerca sulle malattie rare.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A piece of research, or the paper that sets out its results: ''Ha pubblicato una ricerca sul dialetto della sua valle.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # A school project in which pupils gather material on a topic: ''Per domani devo finire una ricerca sugli antichi Romani.''^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Wiktionary)

+ # The research of a country, field or period as a whole: ''La ricerca italiana ha bisogno di più fondi.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

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+ ==Word family==

+ * [[ricercapersone]]

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+ ==Related words==

+ * [[cercare]]

+ * [[ricercare]]

+ * [[ricercatezza]]

+ * [[ricercato]]

+ * [[ricercatore]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ In older and literary music, ''ricerca'' also meant a prelude or improvisation on a theme, from ''ricercare'' in the sense “to try the strings of an instrument”.^(GDLI|16, 64)^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861) Common phrases are ''essere alla ricerca di'' “to be looking for” and ''dottorato di ricerca'', the research doctorate.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Gabrielli 2020)

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+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}