aereo Italian · revision 38061

+ {{homograph|1|of the air, aerial}}

+

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

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /aˈɛ.re.o/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''aereo''' (feminine aerea, masculine plural aerei, feminine plural aeree)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old Italian forms include ''aereu'', ''aiereo'' and ''aierei'';^(TLIO) older and literary Italian also had ''aerio'', used by Aretino, Menzini and Manzoni.^(LEI|1, 1112)^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The adjective is a learned word, [[bor|la|āerius|t=of the air, airy]], from [[grc|ἀέριος|tr=aérios|t=high in the air]], a derivative of [[m|grc|ἀήρ|tr=aḗr|t=air]].^(LEI|1, 1112)^(TLIO)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary) Nocentini, Devoto–Oli and Treccani give the Latin as the variant [[m|la|āereus|alt=aĕrĕus]], formed on [[m|la|āēr|t=air]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011)^(Prati 1951|24) DEI explains the spelling with ⟨e⟩ in some manuscripts as a confusion with the Latin adjective [[m|la|aereus|t=of bronze]], from [[m|la|aes|t=bronze]].^(DEI|67)^(OLD 2012)

+

+ According to the LEI, the Latin word lived on with popular sound changes only in Old Lombard [[m|lmo|ayreo]], which was also influenced by [[m|lmo|ayro|t=air]].^(LEI|1, 1112) Italian, [[pro|aerea]] (about 1350), [[es|aéreo]] (1589) and [[pt|aéreo]] have the learned form.^(LEI|1, 1112)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The first record is in Restoro d'Arezzo, an Aretine author, in 1282, in the sense “made of air; belonging to the air, the sky or the atmosphere”.^(TLIO)^(Zingarelli 2010) Nocentini, GRADIT and Sabatini–Coletti date the adjective to the 14th century.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Old Italian used the word for what is made of air or lives in the air, and by extension for what is light and thin like air.^(TLIO) The LEI dates the sense “formed of air” from Zanobi da Strada (1364), the sense “light, ethereal” from Anguillara (1561) and “rising high in the air; open, airy” from Tasso (1581); Galileo used it for empty, groundless talk before 1642.^(LEI|1, 1112) Leonardo's ''prospettiva aerea'', the painter's perspective that shows distance through the gradation of colours, is recorded before 1519.^(LEI|1, 1112) Tasso's dove passes “per l'aeree strade”, along the paths of the air.^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861)

+

+ In the 20th century the adjective took on its commonest modern use, for aviation: D'Annunzio has it in 1938 for air navigation, and phrases such as ''linea aerea'', ''compagnia aerea'' and ''posta aerea'' belong to this sense.^(LEI|1, 1112)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Gabrielli 2020) Botany calls roots and branches that grow above the ground ''aerei'', and anatomy calls the upper respiratory passages ''vie aeree''.^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1282 – Restoro d'Arezzo uses ''aereo'' for what belongs to the air.^(TLIO)

+ * 1364 – Zanobi da Strada has it for spirits formed of air.^(LEI|1, 1112)

+ * Before 1519 – Leonardo writes of ''prospettiva aerea''.^(LEI|1, 1112)

+ * 1561 – Anguillara uses it in the sense “light, ethereal”.^(LEI|1, 1112)

+ * 1581 – Tasso uses it for what rises high in the air.^(LEI|1, 1112)

+ * Before 1642 – Galileo applies it to groundless talk.^(LEI|1, 1112)

+ * 1938 – D'Annunzio uses it for air navigation.^(LEI|1, 1112)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Of [[m|en|air]], made of air: ''gli spazi aerei sopra la città''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # ''(figurative)'' Light and delicate, [[m|en|ethereal]]: ''Ballava con passi aerei.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # ''(figurative)'' Without foundation, [[m|en|insubstantial]]: ''progetti aerei che non si realizzano mai''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # Situated or carried in the air, [[m|en|overhead]]: ''Il tram prende la corrente da una linea aerea.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # ''(literary)'' Rising high into the air, [[m|en|lofty]]; open and airy.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # Relating to aviation or done by aircraft: ''Hanno spedito il pacco per posta aerea.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(botany)'' Of a part of a plant: growing above the ground, as aerial roots.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # ''(anatomy)'' Of the upper respiratory tract: ''vie aeree''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # ''(painting)'' Of [[prospettiva|alt=perspective]]: rendering distance through gradations of colour and light.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # ''(radio)'' An outdoor [[m|en|aerial]] or antenna.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[antiaereo]]

+ * [[contraereo]]

+ * [[subaereo]]

+

+ {{homograph|2|aeroplane}}

+

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=clipping|attested=1918}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /aˈɛ.re.o/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''aereo''' ''m'' (plural aerei)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The noun is a shortening of [[aeroplano]], made on the model of the adjective.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003) DEI takes it instead as a shortening of [[aeromobile]].^(DEI|67)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ DELI's first record is Panzini's dictionary of 1918, with the sense “aeroplane”.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The short form soon became the ordinary word for any powered aircraft, and ''aeroplano'' the more formal one.^(Treccani 2011)^(Gabrielli 2020) Compounds name the kinds of aircraft, such as ''aereo da caccia'' (fighter), ''aereo cisterna'' (tanker aircraft) and ''aereo spia'' (spy plane).^(GRADIT 2003)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1918 – Panzini's dictionary records ''aereo'' “aeroplane”.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # An [[m|en|aeroplane]], airplane, or any powered aircraft: ''Il nostro aereo è partito con due ore di ritardo.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Treccani 2011)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[aria]]

+ * [[aeroplano]]

+ * [[la|āer|alt=āēr]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ The TLIO records a separate Old Italian adjective ''aereo'' “of bronze”, from [[la|aereus]], in Ciampolo di Meo Ugurgieri before 1340.^(TLIO) Common phrases with the noun are ''in aereo'' (by plane) and ''prendere l'aereo'' (to take the plane).^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}