differenza Italian · revision 38334

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=late 12th century, Proverbia que dicuntur|origins=la ferō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /dif.feˈrɛn.t͡sa/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''differenza''' ''f'' (plural differenze)^(Wiktionary)

+ The old form ''differenzia'' was common; the TLIO also records ''diferensa'', ''diferenza'' and ''deferenza''.^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861)^(Gabrielli 2020)^(TLIO)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is a learned word, [[bor|la|differentia|t=difference]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(DEI|1296)^(LEI) The Latin noun is formed on [[m|la|differēns|t=different]], the present participle of [[m|la|differō|t=to carry apart; to differ]], which joins [[m|la|dis-|t=apart]] and [[m|la|ferō|t=to carry]].^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Treccani 2011)^(OLD 2012) Cicero used it to render [[grc|διαφορά|tr=diaphorá]], built the same way.^(DEI|1296)^(Devoto 1968|140)

+

+ The word belongs with [[differire]] and [[differente]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003) The same Latin noun gave [[fr|différence]], recorded in the 12th century, and [[es|diferencia]].^(DEI|1296)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The TLIO's first record is the Venetian ''Proverbia que dicuntur super natura feminarum'' of the late 12th century.^(TLIO) DELI dates the word to Guittone d'Arezzo, before 1294, in the sense of what distinguishes two or more people or things.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010) Guittone writes ''molto è gran diferensa'' between the knights of the world and his own.^(GDLI|4, 387)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In Dante's ''Convivio'' the senses perceive ''la differenza de le cose'' by their colours.^(GDLI|4, 387) The TLIO records Old Italian ''a differenza di'' “unlike”, ''senza differenza'' “in the same way” and ''fare differenza'', as well as the sense “dispute, quarrel”.^(TLIO) DEI dates the legal sense “controversy” to the 14th century; today it is literary.^(DEI|1296)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+

+ In logic, after Aristotle, the ''differenza specifica'' is the quality that sets a species apart within its genus.^(Treccani 2011)^(Devoto–Oli 2026) The arithmetical sense, the result of a subtraction, is in Galileo in 1606.^(DELI 1999) Maria Gaetana Agnesi used ''differenziale'' in mathematics in 1748.^(DEI|1296) The recent ''fare la differenza'' “to be the decisive factor” is a calque of English [[m|en|make the difference]].^(Treccani 2011)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Late 12th century – The Venetian ''Proverbia que dicuntur'' have the word.^(TLIO)

+ * Before 1294 – Guittone d'Arezzo uses ''diferensa''.^(DELI 1999)^(GDLI|4, 387)

+ * 14th century – The sense “dispute” is recorded.^(DEI|1296)

+ * 1606 – Galileo uses it for the result of a subtraction.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1748 – Maria Gaetana Agnesi uses ''differenziale''.^(DEI|1296)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # [[m|en|difference]], the fact of being different; what makes two or more people or things unlike: ''Tra i due fratelli c'è una differenza di cinque anni.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(mathematics)'' The result of a [[m|en|subtraction]]: ''La differenza tra nove e quattro è cinque.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(science)'' The gap between the values of a quantity: ''differenza di potenziale''.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(GRADIT 2003)

+ # The sum still needed to complete a payment; in accounting, a balance or shortfall.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(literary)'' A dispute, [[m|en|quarrel]].^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(philosophy)'' In ''differenza specifica'', the quality that distinguishes a species within its genus.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[differenziale]]

+ * [[differenziare]]

+ * [[indifferenza]]

+ * [[differenziazione]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[differire]]

+ * [[differente]]

+ * [[la|differentia]]

+ * [[fr|différence]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ Common phrases are ''a differenza di'' “unlike”, ''non fa differenza'' “it makes no difference”, ''fare differenze'' “to treat people unequally”, ''fare la differenza'' “to be decisive” and, in football, ''differenza reti'' “goal difference”.^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}