scopo Italian · revision 38190

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=1562–1563, Giovan Battista Gelli|origins=ine-pro *speḱ-}}

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+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈskɔ.po/^(Wiktionary)

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+ ==Forms==

+ '''scopo''' ''m'' (plural scopi)^(Wiktionary)

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+ ==Etymology==

+ It is a learned word, [[bor|la-lat|scopus|alt=scŏpus|t=target; aim]], recorded in Suetonius.^(DELI 1999)^(DEI)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Wiktionary) Nocentini instead calls it a modern loan straight from Greek.^(Nocentini 2010) The Latin word is [[bor|grc|σκοπός|tr=skopós|t=mark, aim; watcher]], from the root of [[m|grc|σκέπτομαι|tr=sképtomai|t=to look at]], which also gives [[scettico]] and [[episcopo]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Wiktionary) The Greek verb continues [[ine-pro|*speḱ-|t=to observe]] with the consonants transposed, and [[la|speciō|t=to look]] is related.^(Wiktionary)^(Etymonline)

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+ It is a learned word everywhere: [[es|escopo]] and [[pt|escopo]].^(Körting 1907) The English word [[m|en|scope]], recorded from the 1530s, comes from the Italian word.^(Etymonline)^(DIFIT)

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+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ DELI's first record is in Giovan Battista Gelli, 1562–1563, for the end or intention that a whole course of action aims at.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)

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+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Serdonati, in the 16th century, wrote that living by noble thoughts is ''lo scopo e 'l fine degli animi veramente nobili'' (“the aim and end of truly noble souls”).^(GDLI)^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861) The concrete sense “target” is in Galileo, who wrote of shots aimed ''allo scopo orientale'' (“at the eastern target”).^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861)^(DEI) Surveyors used the word for the piece of paper fixed to the top of the staffs when levelling, and later for the sliding board, painted in squares, on a levelling staff.^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861)^(DEI)^(Treccani 2011)

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+ In artillery ''falso scopo'' is a point aimed at in indirect fire, and figuratively a decoy aim that hides the real one.^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Gabrielli 2020) English borrowed the word early: ''scope'' meant an artist's design or a speaker's intent in 1536, an aim about 1535, and a target in 1562.^(DIFIT)^(Etymonline)

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+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1535 – English ''scope'' is recorded for “aim, purpose”.^(DIFIT)

+ * 1536 – English ''scope'' is used for an artist's design.^(DIFIT)

+ * 1562–1563 – Giovan Battista Gelli uses ''scopo'' for “aim”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 17th century – Galileo uses ''scopo'' for a target.^(DEI)

+ * Before 1840 – ''Scopo'' is recorded as the name of a bird genus.^(GRADIT 2003)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # An [[m|en|aim]], purpose or intention: ''Sono venuto con lo scopo di chiarire la situazione.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # The person or thing one lives or works for: ''Quella bambina era diventata lo scopo della sua vita.''^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Treccani 2011)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+ # ''(surveying)'' The sliding target, painted in squares, on a levelling [[m|en|staff]].^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # ''(archaic)'' A [[m|en|target]], now only in ''falso scopo''.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

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+ ==Word family==

+ * [[falsoscopo]]

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+ ==Related words==

+ * [[scettico]]

+ * [[episcopo]]

+ * [[grc|σκοπός|tr=skopós]]

+ * [[en|scope]]

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+ ==Usage notes==

+ Common phrases are ''allo scopo di'' (in order to), ''a scopo di lucro'' (for profit), ''a che scopo?'' (what for?) and ''senza scopo'' (aimless).^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011)^(Zingarelli 2010) In grammar the ''complemento di scopo'' is the adverbial of purpose.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

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+ A separate technical ''scopo'', from New Latin ''Scopus'' (Greek “watcher”), is the genus of the hamerkop, an African bird.^(GRADIT 2003)^(GDLI)

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+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}