azione Italian · revision 38417

+ {{homograph|1|action}}

+

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=first half of the 13th century, Ranieri volgarizzato (Viterbo)|origins=la agō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /atˈt͡sjo.ne/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''azione''' ''f'' (plural azioni)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old forms include [[roa-oit|accione]], [[roa-oit|açione]], [[roa-oit|atione]], [[roa-oit|actione]] and [[roa-oit|assione]].^(TLIO)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The action is a learned word, [[bor|la|actio|t=a doing; legal action]], from the supine of [[m|la|agō|t=to do, drive]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary)^(OLD 2012) The LEI notes that the Latin word was taken over as a legal term in every Romance language: [[fr|action]], [[ca|acció]], [[es|acción]], [[pt|acção]] and [[ro|acțiune]].^(LEI|1, 473) In Italian, [[reazione]] arose when [[reagire]] was laid over this word, and it was used as early as the 14th century.^(LEI|1, 473)

+

+ A popular outcome may survive in the Chiana valley dialect [[it|azzo]] “grimace; behaviour”.^(REW 1935)^(Körting 1907) Pieri thought that [[lazzo]] “jest” came from ''l'azzo'', a word brought in by the comedy of the 16th century.^(REW 1935)^(Körting 1907)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The TLIO's first record is the ''Ranieri volgarizzato'', a translation in the dialect of Viterbo from the first half of the 13th century.^(TLIO) DELI's first date, for “an act done by a person”, is in Brunetto Latini, before 1294.^(DELI 1999) In Old Italian the word meant the exercise of a power to produce effects, a single deed done of one's own will, and, in law, a suit brought in court.^(TLIO)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Old Italian also used ''azione'' for an affair or piece of business, for a speech before a court, and in ''azione di grazie'' “thanksgiving”.^(TLIO)^(DEI|386) The sense “subject or plot of a literary or dramatic work” is in Torquato Tasso in 1576;^(DELI 1999) the LEI separates from the general sense the military and sporting senses and the literary and theatrical ones.^(LEI|1, 473) DEI also records the philosophical use, Aristotle's category of acting set against being acted on, and the law of dynamics that sets action against reaction.^(DEI|386)

+

+ The verb ''azionare'' “to set in motion, operate” is modelled on French ''actionner''; in 1905 Panzini called it a common word among technicians that no dictionary recorded.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010) Today ''azione'' also names associations and parties, as in ''Azione Cattolica'' and the ''Partito d'Azione''.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * First half of the 13th century – ''Azione'' appears in the ''Ranieri volgarizzato'' of Viterbo.^(TLIO)

+ * Before 1294 – Brunetto Latini uses it for an act done by a person.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1306 – GRADIT's date of first record.^(GRADIT 2003)

+ * 14th century – ''Azione'' is used for a business affair.^(DEI|386)

+ * 1576 – Torquato Tasso uses it for the plot of a poem or play.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1905 – Panzini records ''azionare'' as a technicians' word.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1950 – ''Interazione'' is formed on the model of French ''interaction''.^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # [[m|en|action]], acting, doing, as opposed to thought: ''È arrivato il momento di passare all'azione.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # A single act or [[m|en|deed]], especially as judged morally: ''fare una buona azione''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # The working or effect of a force, agent or substance: ''un farmaco ad azione rapida''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # Activity, movement, functioning: ''mettere in azione una pompa''.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # ''(military)'' An operation, a tactical move.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # ''(law)'' A [[m|en|lawsuit]], the right to bring a claim before a court: ''azione civile''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(TLIO)

+ # The plot, the course of events in a novel, play or film, ''film d'azione'', an action film.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+ # ''(sport)'' A phase of play, a move.^(Treccani 2011)^(LEI|1, 473)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[azionare]]

+ * [[inazione]]

+ * [[interazione]]

+ * [[retroazione]]

+

+ {{homograph|2|share}}

+

+ {{infobox|confidence=probable|formation=borrowing|attested=1673, Lorenzo Magalotti|origins=la agō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /atˈt͡sjo.ne/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''azione''' ''f'' (plural azioni)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The share is [[bor|fr|action]], which had this sense from 1669, with its derivatives [[m|fr|actionnaire]] (1675) and [[m|fr|actioniste]] (1730).^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary) How the French word came to mean a share is not clear.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003) DELI suggests that it comes from the legal sense, since the holder of a share could take legal action over the company's funds, and finds borrowing from [[nl|aktie]] chronologically difficult.^(DELI 1999) DEI, on the contrary, holds that the sense is of Dutch origin and came through French, where Colbert used it in 1690.^(DEI|386) Nocentini explains it through French [[m|fr|actif|t=assets]], so that the word first meant a part of the assets.^(Nocentini 2010) The same French word gave [[es|acción]] in this sense.^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The first record is in Lorenzo Magalotti in 1673, for a part of the capital of a trading company.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003) In 1750 Ferdinando Galiani still glossed the word: “shares, or as we say ''carati''”.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ ''Azione'' replaced the older Italian ''carato'' in this sense.^(DELI 1999)^(DEI|386) The holder was first an ''azionario'' (1671, in a report of Venetian ambassadors), then an ''azionista'' (''attionista'' in Gregorio Leti in 1690, ''azionista'' in 1757), and ''azionario'' became an adjective, “of shares”, recorded in 1798.^(DELI 1999) From the stock exchange comes the figurative use of ''le sue azioni'' for someone's standing or credit, which can rise or fall.^(GRADIT 2003)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1669 – French ''action'' is recorded in the sense “share”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1673 – Lorenzo Magalotti uses Italian ''azione'' “share”.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)

+ * 1690 – Gregorio Leti uses ''attionista''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1750 – Ferdinando Galiani glosses ''azioni'' as ''carati''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1798 – The adjective ''azionario'' appears in the acts of the Cisalpine Republic.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # ''(finance)'' A [[m|en|share]] of the capital of a company.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # The [[m|en|certificate]] that represents it and makes its holder a partner: ''comprare azioni di una banca''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+ # ''(figurative, plural)'' Someone's standing, credit: ''Dopo quella vittoria le sue azioni sono in rialzo.''^(GRADIT 2003)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[azionista]]

+ * [[azionario]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[agire]]

+ * [[atto]]

+ * [[azionamento]]

+ * [[reazione]]

+ * [[la|actio]]

+ * [[fr|action]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ In Switzerland ''azione'' also means a special offer in a shop, a sense taken from German ''Aktion''.^(Wiktionary) The phrase ''società per azioni'' (abbreviated ''S.p.A.'') is a joint-stock company.^(GRADIT 2003)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}