comune Italian · revision 38341

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=12th century, Proverbia que dicuntur|origins=la commūnis}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /koˈmu.ne/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''comune''' ''m or f'' by sense (plural comuni, superlative comunissimo)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old forms include [[roa-oit|commune]], [[roa-oit|comuno]] and [[roa-oit|comone]].^(TLIO)^(DEI|1041)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|la|commūnis|t=shared, common; public]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary)^(LEI|16, 110) DELI regards the whole family as learned, while the LEI, which finds the Latin word continued in every Romance language except Romanian, treats it as inherited: [[fur|comùn]], [[rm|cumün]], [[fr|commun]], [[ca|comú]], [[es|común]] and [[pt|comum]].^(DELI 1999)^(LEI|16, 110)^(Nocentini 2010) Sabatini–Coletti explain the single ⟨m⟩ by the loss of any feeling that the word was a compound.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026) The noun, “municipality”, is the neuter [[la-med|commūne]], used in Medieval Latin for the common good and then for the commonwealth.^(Nocentini 2010)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ The Latin adjective goes back to an older [[m|la|commoinis]] and [[itc-pro|*kommoinis]].^(Wiktionary)^(DEI|1041) It is made of [[m|la|com-|t=with]] and [[m|la|mūnis|t=fulfilling one's duty]], from [[m|la|mūnus|t=office, duty]], so that it first meant “sharing a duty with others”, the opposite of [[m|la|immūnis|t=free of duties]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(DELI 1999)^(Devoto–Oli 2026) De Vaan derives the noun from [[ine-pro|*h₂moi-no-|t=exchange]] and compares [[osc|múíníkú|t=common]], [[sga|móin|t=treasure]] and [[lt|mainas|t=exchange]]; the same compound appears in [[got|𐌲𐌰𐌼𐌰𐌹𐌽𐍃|tr=gamains|t=common]] and [[de|gemein]].^(de Vaan 2008)^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The TLIO's first record is in the ''Proverbia que dicuntur'', a Venetian poem of the late 12th century.^(TLIO) DELI dates the sense “usual, widespread” from the 12th century, in Gerardo Patecchio, and “belonging to several people” from 1282, in Restoro d'Arezzo.^(DELI 1999) The noun is first found in a Veronese document of 1214, and in 1219 in the ''Breve di Montieri'' for the medieval self-governing city.^(TLIO)^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In Old Italian ''comune'' could also mean “impartial” and “affable, easy to approach”.^(DEI|1041)^(Wiktionary) ''Luogo comune'' renders [[la|locus commūnis]], itself a translation of the Greek ''tópos koinós''.^(DEI|1041) As a noun ''il comune'' named what is ordinary or average (before 1566, Annibal Caro), and the generality of people.^(DELI 1999)^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861)

+

+ The medieval commune gave the noun its political sense, which later passed to the modern municipality, its offices and its town hall.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(GDLI) The feminine ''la Comune'' is the revolutionary government of Paris, a borrowing of [[fr|Commune]] recorded in 1871;^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GDLI|3, 443) DELI holds that the political sense as a whole came by way of French, which explains the feminine.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GDLI|3, 443) In the theatre ''la comune'' was the door of the stage set leading to the supposed entrance of the flat (1892–1893, Pirandello), from ''porta comune''.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ Derivatives include ''comunale'' (1233–1243), ''comunanza'' (13th century), ''comunella'', a private agreement (1544, Annibal Caro), and ''comunardo'', a member of the Paris Commune (1872, Carducci).^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Late 12th century – ''Comune'' is used in the Venetian ''Proverbia que dicuntur''.^(TLIO)

+ * 1214 – The noun appears in a Veronese document.^(TLIO)

+ * 1219 – The ''Breve di Montieri'' uses it for the medieval commune.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1282 – Restoro d'Arezzo uses it for what belongs to several people.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1544 – ''Comunella'' is recorded, in Annibal Caro.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1871 – ''La Comune'' is used of the Paris Commune.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)

+ * 1872 – Carducci uses ''comunardo''.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Shared by or belonging to two or more people or things; [[m|en|common]], [[m|en|mutual]]: ''Abbiamo scoperto di avere un amico comune.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Concerning a whole community; [[m|en|public]], as in ''il bene comune'' (the common good).^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # Usual, widespread, generally accepted: ''È un errore molto comune tra gli studenti.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # Ordinary, average, ''(derogatory)'' mediocre, unrefined: ''un vino comune''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # ''(grammar)'' In ''nome comune'', a common noun, and ''genere comune'', the gender of nouns that are masculine or feminine according to the person meant.^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+ # ''(archaic)'' Impartial; affable.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # (masculine) A [[m|en|municipality]], the local authority of a town and its territory, headed by a mayor: ''Il comune ha chiuso la piscina per lavori.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Wiktionary)

+ # (masculine) The town hall, the municipal offices: ''Domani devo andare in comune per il passaporto.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+ # (masculine, history) The [[m|en|commune]], the self-governing city of medieval Italy.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Wiktionary)

+ # (masculine, singular) What is ordinary; the majority, the generality.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary)

+ # (feminine, history) ''la Comune'': the revolutionary government of Paris, especially that of 1871.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GDLI)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[comunale]]

+ * [[comunanza]]

+ * [[comunella]]

+ * [[comunardo]]

+ * [[accomunare]]

+ * [[comunemente]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[comunicare]]

+ * [[comunione]]

+ * [[comunità]]

+ * [[comunismo]]

+ * [[comunista]]

+ * [[immune]]

+ * [[la|commūnis]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Di comune accordo'' means “by mutual agreement”, and ''fare causa comune con qualcuno'' “to make common cause with someone”.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010) The ''Camera dei Comuni'' is the British House of Commons.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(GRADIT 2003)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}