alzare Italian · revision 38361

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=early 13th century, Ritmo cassinese|origins=la altus}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /alˈt͡sa.re/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''alzare''' (first-person singular present àlzo, first-person singular past historic alzài, past participle alzàto, auxiliary (transitive) avére or (intransitive archaic) èssere)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|la-vul|*altiō|alt=*altiāre|t=to raise]], formed from [[la|altus|t=high]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary) The LEI derives the verb firmly from the comparative adverb [[m|la|altius|t=higher]], as GDLI and DEI also do,^(LEI|2, 332)^(DELI 1999)^(GDLI)^(DEI|149) and DEI notes that it is documented in Medieval Latin.^(DEI|149)

+

+ The verb is found across the Romance languages: [[fr|hausser]], [[oc|ausar]], [[ca|alçar]], [[es|alzar]], [[pt|alçar]], [[ro|înălța]] and [[fur|alzâ]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(LEI|2, 332)^(REW 1935)

+

+ Latin “altus” continues [[itc-pro|*altos]];^(Wiktionary)^(de Vaan 2008) Wiktionary traces it to [[ine-pro|*h₂eltós]], a verbal adjective of [[ine-pro|*h₂el-|t=to grow, nourish]], so that it is the same as the participle of [[la|alō|t=to feed]].^(Wiktionary)^(de Vaan 2008) De Vaan finds the meanings hard to connect and leaves the PIE form with a query.^(de Vaan 2008)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The TLIO's first record is the Ritmo cassinese, from the early 13th century.^(TLIO) DELI dates the sense “to lift up” to Bono Giamboni, before 1294, and the LEI to 1292.^(DELI 1999)^(LEI|2, 332) Dante has the thief Vanni Fucci raise his hands in an obscene gesture at God: ''le mani alzò con ambedue le fiche''.^(GDLI)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Old Italian already used ''alzare'' for raising the eyes or the head, for birds rising into flight, for heavenly bodies climbing the sky, for raising buildings and for cutting a deck of cards.^(TLIO) Old forms included ''alçare'', ''aizare'' in Rome and ''auzari'' in Sicily.^(LEI|2, 332)

+

+ Many derivatives date from the modern period: ''alzata'' (before 1537, Biringuccio), ''alzato'' “elevation of a building” (1564), ''alzata d'ingegno'' “a sly idea” (1863), ''alzata di scudi'' “a show of hostility” (1875) and ''alzabandiera'' (1942).^(DELI 1999) Voting ''per alzata e seduta'', with those in favour standing, is recorded in the minutes of the Venetian provisional municipality in 1797.^(DELI 1999) In slang the verb means “to steal” and colloquially “to earn”, and in volleyball it means to set the ball.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Prati 1951|45)

+

+ In part of Calabria, where Greek was spoken into the Middle Ages, ''azata'' “Shrove Tuesday” is a calque on a Greek word meaning “raising”.^(LEI|2, 332)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Early 13th century – The Ritmo cassinese has the first record.^(TLIO)

+ * 1292 – Bono Giamboni uses ''alzare'' “to lift up”.^(LEI|2, 332)^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1537 – ''Alzata'' appears in Biringuccio.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1797 – Venetian minutes record voting ''per alzata e seduta''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1855 – ''Alzo'', the rear sight of a gun, is recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1942 – ''Alzabandiera'' is recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # ''(transitive)'' To [[m|en|raise]], [[m|en|lift]]: ''Ha alzato la valigia sul portapacchi.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # To hoist (a flag, sails), or to turn upwards: ''alzare lo sguardo dal libro''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # To raise (the voice, a cry); to turn up, increase (volume, prices, a rate): ''Il governo ha alzato le tasse.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # To build, erect; to make higher: ''alzare il muro di recinzione di un metro''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(volleyball)'' To set the ball for a teammate to spike.^(GRADIT 2003)

+ # ''(card games)'' To [[m|en|cut]] the deck.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # ''(hunting)'' To flush birds into flight.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(colloquial)'' To earn, ''(slang)'' to steal.^(GRADIT 2003)

+ # ''(pronominal, alzarsi)'' To stand up; to get up from bed; to rise: ''Domani mi alzo alle sei.''^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[alzabandiera]]

+ * [[alzabile]]

+ * [[innalzare]]

+ * [[rialzare]]

+ * [[alzata]]

+ * [[alzo]]

+ * [[sopralzo]]

+ * [[innalzamento]]

+ * [[rialzato]]

+ * [[rialzo]]

+ * [[rialzista]]

+ * [[alzacristallo]]

+ * [[alzamento]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[alto]]

+ * [[la|altus]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ Fixed phrases include ''alzare il gomito'' (to drink too much), ''alzare i tacchi'' (to take to one's heels), ''alzare le mani'' (to surrender, or to hit someone) and ''non alzare un dito'' (not to lift a finger).^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}