corso Italian · revision 38137

+ {{homograph|1|course}}

+

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=c. 1250, Venetian Pamphilus|origins=la currō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈkor.so/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''corso''' ''m'' (plural corsi)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The noun “course” is [[inh|la|cursus|t=a running; course, direction]], the action noun of [[m|la|currō|t=to run]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary)^(DEI|1125) The word is found throughout Romance: [[fr|cours]], [[oc|cos]], [[ca|cos]], [[es|coso]], [[pt|cosso]], [[sc|cussu|t=diarrhoea]] and [[ro|curs]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(REW 1935)

+

+ DEI notes that the link with [[correre]] kept the group ⟨rs⟩ from becoming ⟨ss⟩, which happened in Logudorese.^(DEI|1125)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The TLIO's first record is the Venetian version of ''Pamphilus'', about 1250, and its oldest senses are “running” and a horse's gallop.^(TLIO) DELI's first record is Bonagiunta Orbicciani, before 1257, with the sense “the steady flow of water”.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Bono Giamboni, before 1292, used ''corso'' for a voyage by sea and for the motion of the stars, and the 13th-century chronicle of Malispini for the current value of coins.^(DELI 1999) In 1310–1312 Dino Compagni used it for a wide, busy street, originally the street where the horse races were run, and Dante for the unfolding of events in time.^(DELI 1999)^(TLIO) Old Italian ''fare corso'' also meant to plunder, especially at sea, the source of the corsairs' trade.^(TLIO)

+

+ The academic senses came later: a cycle of lessons in Tasso before 1595, a treatise on a subject in Vallisneri before 1730, and a year of study in Pascoli in 1893.^(DELI 1999) In Vico's philosophy ''corsi e ricorsi'' are the alternating cycles of civilization and barbarism in history.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+

+ English ''Corso'', the main street of an Italian city and especially that of Rome, is recorded from about 1635, French ''le Corso'' from 1807, and German ''Korso'' for a procession of vehicles from the 19th century.^(DIFIT)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1250 – The Venetian ''Pamphilus'' has the first record.^(TLIO)

+ * Before 1257 – Bonagiunta Orbicciani uses ''corso'' for a flow of water.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1292 – Bono Giamboni uses it for a sea voyage and for the motion of the stars.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1310–1312 – Dino Compagni uses it for a city street.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1321 – Dante uses it for the course of events in time.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1595 – Tasso uses it for a course of lessons.^(DELI 1999)

+ * c. 1635 – English ''Corso'' is recorded.^(DIFIT)

+ * 1716 – Salvini uses it for a procession through the streets.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1893 – Pascoli uses it for a year of study.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # The flow of a river or stream; its [[percorso|alt=course]]: ''Dopo la piena il corso del torrente è cambiato.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Wiktionary)

+ # The real or apparent motion of a [[astro|alt=heavenly body]].^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # The progress or unfolding of something in time: ''nel corso dei secoli'', ''in corso'', in progress.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # A [[m|en|course]] of lessons; a textbook for it: ''Si è iscritta a un corso serale di tedesco.''^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A year of a degree programme or school; a class.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(DELI 1999)

+ # A main street of a town, an [[m|en|avenue]]: ''Abbiamo passeggiato lungo il corso fino al duomo.''^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A procession or parade through the streets: ''corso mascherato''.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # ''(economics)'' The legal circulation of a currency, ''(finance)'' the market price of securities or currencies.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(nautical)'' A sea voyage, in ''capitano di lungo corso'', a master mariner.^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[corsista]]

+ * [[corsia]]

+ * [[corsivo]]

+ * [[corsiero]]

+ * [[corsaro]]

+

+ {{homograph|2|Corsican}}

+

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|attested=before 1321, Dante|origins=la Corsica}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈkɔr.so/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''corso''' (feminine corsa, masculine plural corsi, feminine plural corse)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The adjective “Corsican” is [[der|la|Corsus|t=of Corsica]], the ethnic adjective of [[m|la|Corsica]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary) Compare [[fr|corse]] and [[es|corso]].^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The first record is Dante's ''Purgatorio'', where the moon sets “tra Sardi e Corsi” (between the Sardinians and the Corsicans).^(DELI 1999)^(TLIO)^(GDLI|3, 854)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Already in Old Italian ''corso'' was also a wine from Corsica, and the word named a grape variety in Soderini in the 16th century and a kind of fig.^(TLIO)^(DEI|1125) Redi's ''Ditirambo'' praises “un sorso di buon Corso” (a sip of good Corsican).^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861) With a capital, ''il Corso'' is Napoleon.^(GRADIT 2003)^(GDLI|3, 854) The noun also names the Romance language of the island.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Before 1321 – Dante uses ''Corsi'' “the Corsicans”.^(DELI 1999)^(TLIO)

+ * 15th century – Sercambi uses ''corso'' for the wine of Corsica.^(DEI|1125)

+ * 16th century – ''Corsesca'', a kind of lance, is recorded.^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # [[m|en|Corsican]], of Corsica: ''I paesi corsi dell'interno sono quasi tutti in montagna.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # A Corsican, a native or inhabitant of Corsica.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''il Corso'', Napoleon Bonaparte.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+ # The Corsican language.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A grape variety of Corsica and the wine made from it.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[corsesca]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[correre]]

+ * [[corsa]]

+ * [[cursore]]

+ * [[discorso]]

+ * [[incorso]]

+ * [[ricorso]]

+ * [[scorso]]

+ * [[soccorso]]

+ * [[la|cursus]]

+ * [[fr|cours]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ The two words differ in pronunciation: ''córso'' “course” has a close vowel and ''còrso'' “Corsican” an open one.^(Wiktionary)^(Devoto–Oli 2026) ''Corso'' is also the past participle of [[correre]].^(GRADIT 2003)^(Treccani 2011) DEI records a 20th-century ''corso'' in petrography, a stratified limestone of the Lombard Prealps and Friuli.^(DEI|1125)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}