regalo Italian · revision 38400

+ {{infobox|confidence=probable|formation=borrowing|attested=before 1543, Agnolo Firenzuola|origins=fr régaler}}

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+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /reˈɡa.lo/^(Wiktionary)

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+ ==Forms==

+ '''regalo''' ''m'' (plural regali)^(Wiktionary)

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+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|es|regalo]], the noun of [[m|es|regalar|t=to give presents; to entertain]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Prati 1951|829) The Spanish origin is shown by the late appearance of the family, from the 16th century, and by contemporaries: Francesco Panigarola, who died in 1594, mocked the gentleman who has spent four days in Spain and filled their speech with the verb, and Alessandro Tassoni called it a word of current use taken from Spanish.^(DELI 1999)^(Prati 1951|829) The noun first appears in Italian before the verb [[regalare]] (1598).^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)

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+ The origin of the Spanish word is disputed.^(DELI 1999)^(Zingarelli 2010) DELI, Nocentini and GRADIT follow the view that [[m|es|regalar]] is old and of French origin: Nocentini derives it from [[fr|régaler|t=to offer a feast]], from [[m|fr|galer|t=to make merry]] with [[m|fr|re-]], the family of [[gala]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003) DELI adds that Zaccaria may have confused the Spanish verb meaning “to give gifts” with its homonym meaning “to live merrily”.^(DELI 1999) Others, from DEI to Zingarelli, Gabrielli and Devoto, derive the Spanish word from [[la|rēgālis|t=royal]], from [[m|la|rēx|t=king]], as a gift due to the king.^(DEI|3222)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Gabrielli 2020)^(Devoto 1968) Wiktionary allows [[fr|régal]] beside the Spanish word.^(Wiktionary)

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+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The first record is Agnolo Firenzuola, before 1543, in the sense “what is given as a present”.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)^(DIFIT) In his ''Discorsi degli animali'' a man who has nothing left must still serve “a' regali della corte” (for the presents of the court).^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861)

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+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In the 16th and 17th centuries the word also meant pomp and splendour, and kind treatment, senses now obsolete.^(DEI|3222)^(Prati 1951|829)^(Zingarelli 2010) It still felt new to Michelangelo Buonarroti the Younger, who wrote that the academicians could not bear to hear new words such as “regali, viglietti, stipi, gabinetti, bauli”.^(DELI 1999)^(GDLI) Tommaseo still noted that it was not an old word in Italy.^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861)

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+ Phrases such as ''fare un regalo'' (1872) and ''dare in regalo'' (1891) appear in the dictionaries of the 19th century, with the figurative sense of something pleasing, often ironical (''bel regalo!'').^(DELI 1999)^(Zingarelli 2010) Later it came to mean, by hyperbole, anything sold very cheaply, and it is used after a noun as an invariable adjective, as in ''confezione regalo''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026) English borrowed ''regalo'' (from Italian, Spanish or Portuguese) in 1622, for a choice gift of food or drink or an elegant entertainment; it is now rare.^(DIFIT)

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+ ==Timeline==

+ * Before 1543 – Agnolo Firenzuola uses ''regalo''.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)

+ * 1570 – Spanish ''regalo'' is first recorded.^(GRADIT 2003)

+ * 1598 – The verb ''regalare'' appears in John Florio's dictionary.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)

+ * 1622 – English ''regalo'' is first recorded.^(DIFIT)

+ * 1872 – Tommaseo records ''fare un regalo'' and the sense “something pleasing”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1891 – Petrocchi records ''dare in regalo''.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A [[m|en|gift]], a [[m|en|present]]: something given as a sign of affection, friendship or thanks: ''Per la laurea le hanno fatto un regalo bellissimo.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(figurative)'' A great pleasure or favour; also ironical, of something unwelcome: ''Il tuo arrivo è stato un regalo inatteso.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(hyperbolic)'' Something sold so cheaply that it seems given away: ''A quel prezzo la bicicletta è un regalo.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # ''(law)'' ''regalo d'uso'': a customary gift, which in law is not a donation.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # ''(obsolete)'' Pomp, splendour.^(Zingarelli 2010)

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+ ===Adjective===

+ # (invariable, after a noun) Suitable as a gift, or very cheap: ''pacco regalo'', ''prezzo regalo''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[regalino]]

+ * [[regaletto]]

+ * [[regalone]]

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+ ==Related words==

+ * [[regalare]]

+ * [[gala]]

+ * [[es|regalo]]

+ * [[fr|régal]]

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+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Regalo'' is the general word;^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026) ''presente'' is less common and suggests a small gift, and ''dono'' and ''omaggio'' are its synonyms.^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026) ''Regalo'' is also the first person singular present of ''regalare''.^(Wiktionary)

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+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}