militare Italian · revision 38477

+ {{homograph|1|to serve as a soldier}}

+

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=before 1375, Boccaccio|origins=la mīles}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /mi.liˈta.re/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''militare''' (first-person singular present mìlito, first-person singular past historic militài, past participle militàto, auxiliary avére)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The verb is [[bor|la|mīlitō|t=to serve as a soldier]], a learned word, from [[m|la|mīles|t=soldier]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(DEI|2459) DEI compares [[fr|militer]] (13th century), and notes that the phrase “milita in suo favore” matches French “cela milite en sa faveur”.^(DEI|2459)

+

+ The origin of “mīles” is unclear.^(DELI 1999)^(de Vaan 2008) The ancients linked it with [[la|mīlle|t=thousand]], as Varro did; de Vaan thinks it tempting to explain it as “one who goes with the thousand”, with the element “-it-” “who goes” of [[m|la|pedes|t=foot soldier]] and [[m|la|eques|t=horseman]].^(DELI 1999)^(de Vaan 2008)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ DELI's first record is in Boccaccio, before 1375, in the sense “to be enrolled in the militia, to serve as a soldier”.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The present participle [[militante]] is older than the verb in the record: Dante has ''chiesa militante'' (before 1321), the Church of the faithful still in the world, and Giovanni Villani uses the participle before 1348.^(DELI 1999) Buti (before 1406) explains ''milizia'' by the verb: “Ogni esercizio si può chiamare milizia, perché militare è esercitarsi” (“any exercise can be called service, because to serve is to exercise oneself”).^(DELI 1999)

+

+ The figurative senses “to be of support” (1549) and “to take an active part in a cause” (Mazzini, before 1872) followed;^(DELI 1999) ''militante'' as a noun for an active party member is in Gramsci (1921–1922), and [[militanza]] in 1973.^(DELI 1999) In sports language a player ''milita'' in the team he plays for.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Before 1321 – Dante uses ''chiesa militante''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1375 – Boccaccio uses ''militare'' “to serve as a soldier”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1549 – The sense “to be of support” is recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1872 – Mazzini uses it for taking an active part.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1921–1922 – Gramsci uses ''militante'' as a noun.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1973 – ''Militanza'' is recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To serve as a soldier in an army or a corps: ''Suo nonno aveva militato in marina durante la guerra.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # To be an active member of a party, a movement or an organisation; to work for an idea.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(sports)'' To play for a team.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+ # Of reasons or facts, to tell for or against something: ''Troppe prove militano contro la sua versione dei fatti.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[militante]]

+ * [[militanza]]

+

+ {{homograph|2|military; soldier}}

+

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=c. 1336, Boccaccio|origins=la mīles}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /mi.liˈta.re/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''militare''' (plural ''militari''), adjective; noun ''m'' and ''f''^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The adjective is [[bor|la|mīlitāris|t=of soldiers, military]], formed from [[m|la|mīles|t=soldier]] with the suffix [[m|la|-āris]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary) It is a learned word in all the Romance languages: [[fr|militaire]], [[es|militar]], [[pt|militar]] and [[ro|militar]].^(Körting 1907)^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The adjective is first recorded in Boccaccio, about 1336, for what concerns the militia, soldiers and the armed forces.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The adverb [[militarmente]] appears in a 14th-century translation of Livy.^(DELI 1999) The noun ''militare'' “serviceman” is recorded in 1693 in Magalotti; it was still felt as recent, and objected to, in 1848.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ [[militarismo]] (1861, Cattaneo), [[militarizzare]] (1853) and [[militarizzazione]] (1877) reproduce French ''militarisme'', ''militariser'' and ''militarisation'', and the purists condemned them.^(DELI 1999) Later formations are [[militaresco]] (1891), [[militesente]] (1918), “exempt from military service”, and [[militassolto]] (1969), “having done one's military service”, one of the short forms of classified advertisements.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010) ''Fare il militare'' is to do one's military service.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1336 – Boccaccio uses the adjective.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 14th century – ''Militarmente'' is recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1693 – The noun “serviceman” is recorded in Magalotti.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1853 – ''Militarizzare'' is recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1861 – Cattaneo uses ''militarismo''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1918 – ''Militesente'' is recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1969 – ''Militassolto'' is recorded.^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # [[m|en|military]]: of the armed forces and those who serve in them: ''Il governo ha aumentato le spese militari.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # Reserved for the armed forces: ''Qui non si può entrare: è una zona militare.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+ # Typical of soldiers: ''Cammina con un passo militare.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # A member of the armed forces, a [[m|en|serviceman]], as opposed to a civilian.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # A private or a non-commissioned soldier.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[militarmente]]

+ * [[militarismo]]

+ * [[militarista]]

+ * [[militaristico]]

+ * [[militaresco]]

+ * [[militarizzare]]

+ * [[militarizzazione]]

+ * [[smilitarizzare]]

+ * [[demilitarizzare]]

+ * [[militesente]]

+ * [[militassolto]]

+ * [[paramilitare]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[milite]]

+ * [[milizia]]

+ * [[la|mīles]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}