dolore Italian · revision 38091

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=early 13th century, Uguccione da Lodi (Cremonese)|origins=ine-pro *delh₁-}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /doˈlo.re/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''dolore''' ''m'' (plural dolori)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old Italian also used the word as a feminine, and had a plural [[roa-oit|dolora]].^(TLIO)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(GDLI) Old forms include [[roa-oit|dolor]], [[roa-oit|dolure]] and southern [[roa-oit|duluri]].^(TLIO)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|la|dolor|t=pain, grief]] (accusative “dolōrem”), from [[m|la|doleō|t=to hurt, feel pain]] and the suffix [[m|la|-or]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary)^(Devoto 1968) DELI classes it as a learned word, while Nocentini and DEI treat it as continued throughout Romance.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(DEI|1376)

+

+ The same word is [[fr|douleur]], [[oc|dolor]], [[ca|dolor]], [[es|dolor]], [[pt|dor]] and [[sc|dolore]], and Old Romanian had [[m|ro|duroare]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(REW 1935) It was borrowed as [[cy|dolur]].^(REW 1935)^(DEI|1376) The DÉRom reconstructs a Proto-Romance masculine noun, but most of the Romance outcomes, such as French “douleur”, point to a feminine.^(DÉRom)

+

+ The Latin verb comes from [[itc-pro|*doleō|t=to hurt]], probably from [[ine-pro|*delh₁-|t=to cut]], so that the first sense would have been “to divide, cut to pieces”.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The TLIO's first record is the ''Libro'' of Uguccione da Lodi, a Cremonese poem of the early 13th century.^(TLIO) DELI dates the sense “unhappiness, grief” to Guittone d'Arezzo (before 1294) and the sense “bodily pain” to Iacopone da Todi (before 1306); GRADIT and Nocentini date the word to about 1274.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ From the start the word covered both bodily pain and grief, and also the person or thing that causes it.^(TLIO)^(DELI 1999) In Old Italian it was also the public mourning for a death.^(TLIO) Francesca's words in Dante's ''Inferno'', “Nessun maggior dolore / che ricordarsi del tempo felice / ne la miseria” (there is no greater sorrow than to remember happy times in misery), are among the best-known lines in Italian.^(Zingarelli 2010) Leopardi wrote that all is mystery “fuor che il nostro dolor” (except our pain).^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+

+ In the dialects the word has declined, and ''male'' has replaced it for physical pain.^(DEI|1376) In Catholic usage the ''atto di dolore'' is the prayer of contrition, and the ''sette dolori'' are the seven sorrows of the Virgin.^(Treccani 2011)^(Zingarelli 2010) The phrase ''dolore mondiale'' translates [[de|Weltschmerz]].^(DEI|1376) Colloquially ''son dolori!'' warns that trouble is coming.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Early 13th century – Uguccione da Lodi uses ''dolore''.^(TLIO)

+ * Before 1266 – Folco di Calabria uses ''doloroso'' “full of grief”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * c. 1274 – GRADIT's date of first record.^(GRADIT 2003)

+ * Before 1294 – Guittone d'Arezzo uses it for grief.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1306 – Iacopone uses it for bodily pain.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1671 – Francesco Redi uses ''dolorifico''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1918 – ''Dolorante'' is recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1965 – ''Indolore'' “painless” is recorded.^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # [[m|en|pain]], ache, a feeling of physical suffering: ''Ho un dolore alla schiena da due giorni.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(plural, colloquial)'' Aches and pains of old age or rheumatism; labour pains: ''Le sono cominciati i dolori.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+ # ''(medicine)'' The sensation that warns of harm to the body: ''terapia del dolore''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # [[m|en|grief]], sorrow, deep unhappiness: ''Non si è mai ripreso dal dolore per la morte del figlio.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Treccani 2011)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A person or thing that causes grief: ''Quel ragazzo è il dolore della famiglia.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # ''(religion)'' Contrition, sorrow for one's sins: ''atto di dolore''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # ''(colloquial, plural)'' Trouble: ''Se lo scopre tuo padre, sono dolori!''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[addolorare]]

+ * [[dolorare]]

+ * [[dolorante]]

+ * [[dolorifico]]

+ * [[doloroso]]

+ * [[dolorosità]]

+ * [[indolore]]

+ * [[antidolore]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[dolere]]

+ * [[duolo]]

+ * [[la|dolor]]

+ * [[fr|douleur]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Letto di dolore'' is the bed of a long, serious illness.^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011) The literary [[duolo]] has the same sense, but comes from a different Latin noun.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Prati 1951)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}