giustizia Italian · revision 38504

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=c. 1274|origins=la iūs}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /d͡ʒusˈtit.t͡sja/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''giustizia''' ''f'' (plural giustizie)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old Italian also had [[m|roa-oit|iustizia]], [[roa-oit|justizia]] and [[roa-oit|giustisia]].^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861)^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is a learned word, [[bor|la|iūstitia|t=justice]], from [[m|la|iūstus|t=just]] with the suffix [[m|la|-itia]];^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(DEI|1825)^(Wiktionary)^(OLD 2012) “iustus” means “according to law”, from [[m|la|iūs|t=law, right]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(DEI|1825)^(Wiktionary)^(OLD 2012) The GDLI calls it semi-learned.^(GDLI) Its doublet is [[giustezza]], and the Latin word was taken in the same way into [[fr|justice]], [[es|justicia]] and [[pt|justiça]].^(Wiktionary)^(DEI|1825)^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ De Vaan explains Latin “iūs” “law” as an old neuter s-stem, with “iūstus” formed from it, and traces it to a Proto-Indo-European word for “vital force, eternity”, [[ine-pro|*h₂óyu]], which also gave [[sa|आयुस्|tr=ā́yus|t=life, lifespan]].^(de Vaan 2008)

+

+ DELI notes that, unlike the noun, its derivatives were formed in Romance: [[giustiziare]] translates [[fro|justicier]] (12th century) and took both its 13th-century senses, “judge” and “executioner”, from it.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ GRADIT dates the word to about 1274;^(GRADIT 2003)^(DELI 1999) DELI's first record is Brunetto Latini (before 1294), for the virtue that judges rightly and gives each person what is due, one of the four cardinal virtues.^(GRADIT 2003)^(DELI 1999) Guittone d'Arezzo (before 1294) has ''giustisia'' for the right ordering of social relations under the law.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Dante (1313–1319) uses ''giustizia'' for the social order and for the act by which justice is done, and has the line ''Giustizia mosse il mio alto fattore'' “Justice moved my high Maker”.^(DELI 1999)^(Treccani 2011) In Giovanni Villani's chronicle (before 1348) the word means the judicial authority and also the penalty and its execution.^(DELI 1999) From this last sense come ''giustiziare'' “to execute” (before 1292, Bono Giamboni), ''giustiziere'' “executioner” (before 1292) and ''giustiziato'' (before 1311, Giordano da Pisa); Cielo d'Alcamo (before 1250) already has ''justizieri'' in the sense “judges”, and Medieval Latin ''iustitiarius'' is recorded at Bari in 1155.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ Modern Italian uses the word for the moral value, for the courts (''Ministero della Giustizia'') and for the police and judiciary as a whole, as in ''assicurare qualcuno alla giustizia'' “to bring someone to justice”;^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Nocentini 2010) ''giustizia sociale'' is social justice, and ''giustizialismo'' (1952) is borrowed from Spanish ''justicialismo''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Before 1250 – Cielo d'Alcamo uses ''justizieri'' for judges.^(DELI 1999)

+ * About 1274 – ''Giustizia'' is first recorded.^(GRADIT 2003)

+ * Before 1292 – Bono Giamboni has ''giustiziare'' and ''giustiziere''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1294 – Brunetto Latini uses it for the cardinal virtue.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1313–1319 – Dante uses it for the act by which justice is done.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1348 – Giovanni Villani uses it for the judicial authority and for punishment.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1952 – ''Giustizialismo'' is borrowed from Spanish.^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # [[m|en|justice]], the principle of recognizing and respecting each person's rights and judging merits and faults fairly: ''Si è sempre battuto per la giustizia.'', ''giustizia sociale'', social justice.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # ''(theology)'' One of the four [[m|en|cardinal virtue|alt=cardinal virtues]].^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # The fairness of an act or decision: ''Nessuno dubitava della giustizia di quella sentenza.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+ # The power to apply the law and its exercise: ''amministrare la giustizia'', ''giustizia civile, penale''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # The judicial authority and those who carry out its decisions: ''È ricercato dalla giustizia di due paesi.'', ''Ministero della Giustizia''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # The concrete doing of justice: ''chiedere giustizia'', ''farsi giustizia da sé'', to take the law into one's own hands.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+ # ''(dated)'' A sentence of punishment, and its execution.^(GRADIT 2003)^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[giustiziare]]

+ * [[giustiziere]]

+ * [[giustiziato]]

+ * [[giustizialismo]]

+ * [[giustiziale]]

+ * [[ingiustizia]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[giusto]]

+ * [[giustezza]]

+ * [[la|iustitia]]

+ * [[fr|justice]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Collaboratore di giustizia'' is the official term for an informer who turns state's evidence, popularly a ''pentito''.^(Treccani 2011)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}