specie Italian · revision 38035

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=before 1292, Bono Giamboni|origins=la speciō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈspɛ.t͡ʃe/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''specie''' ''f'' (invariable)^(Wiktionary)

+ The old form is ''spezie''.^(DELI 1999)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is a learned word, [[bor|la|speciēs|t=sight; outward appearance; kind]], from [[m|la|speciō|t=to look at]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary) The Latin philosophers chose the word to render [[grc|εἶδος|tr=eîdos]], so that the Aristotelian pair it formed with [[m|grc|γένος|tr=génos]] became a Latin pair with [[m|la|genus]], the source of [[genere]] and of this word in biology.^(Nocentini 2010) The same learned word is [[fr|espèce]] and [[es|especie]].^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ The Latin word also meant “goods, wares”, and in that sense it gave [[fr|épice]] “spice” and Italian [[spezie]], a doublet.^(REW 1935)^(Wiktionary) [[speciazione|alt=Speciazione]] is a calque on [[en|speciation]], a term of evolutionary biology.^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The first record is in Bono Giamboni's ''Vizi e Virtudi'', before 1292, with the sense “image, appearance”.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003) Guittone d'Arezzo, before 1294, has ''spezie'' for a group of things set apart from others of the same kind, and Brunetto Latini for “sort, kind”.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Dante has ''l'umana spezie'' for mankind, before 1321, and Fra Giordano uses ''spezie'' in the same way.^(DELI 1999) The theological phrase ''specie eucaristiche'' names the bread and wine of the Eucharist.^(GRADIT 2003) The adverbial use “especially” is first recorded by Tommaseo–Bellini in 1873.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ In modern use the word names a kind or sort in general, and in biology the basic unit of classification, a group of individuals that can interbreed and have fertile offspring.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Nocentini 2010)^(Wikizionario) Chemistry uses ''specie chimica'' for any chemical entity.^(Wikizionario)^(GRADIT 2003)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Before 1292 – Bono Giamboni uses ''specie'' “appearance”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1294 – Guittone d'Arezzo uses ''spezie'' for a group of things.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1321 – Dante writes ''l'umana spezie'' “mankind”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1873 – The adverb “especially” is recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1960 – ''Speciazione'' is recorded.^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A [[m|en|kind]], sort or type: ''Che specie di musica ascolti la sera?''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''una specie di'': something like, a kind of, said when a precise word is lacking or with contempt: ''Abitava in una specie di capanna.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+ # ''(biology)'' A [[m|en|species]], the basic unit of classification of living things: ''una specie in via di estinzione''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary)^(Wikizionario)

+ # ''(chemistry)'' A chemical species.^(Wikizionario)^(GRADIT 2003)

+

+ ===Adverb===

+ # [[m|en|especially]], particularly: ''Fa freddo, specie la sera.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary)^(Wikizionario)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[sottospecie]]

+ * [[speciazione]]

+ * [[specificare]]

+ * [[specifico]]

+ * [[specificazione]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[cronospecie]]

+ * [[speciale]]

+ * [[specioso]]

+ * [[spezie]]

+ * [[la|species]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ The noun is invariable: ''una specie'', ''molte specie''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary) ''In specie'' and ''nella specie'' mean “in particular”.^(GRADIT 2003)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}