università Italian · revision 38519

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=c. 1304|origins=la universus}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /u.ni.ver.siˈta/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''università''' ''f'' (invariable)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old Italian also had [[m|roa-oit|universitade]] and [[roa-oit|universitate]].^(Gabrielli 2020)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|la|ūniversitās|t=the whole, totality]], a learned word.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(GDLI)^(Wiktionary) The Latin noun is formed from [[m|la|ūniversus|t=whole, entire]], literally “turned into one”, from [[m|la|ūnus|t=one]] and [[m|la|versus|t=turned]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(Wiktionary)^(OLD 2012)

+

+ Late Latin used the word for a body or corporation of people, and Medieval Latin for the guild of masters and students that became the university.^(GDLI)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Wiktionary) The word is learned in every Romance language: [[fr|université]], [[es|universidad]], [[pt|universidade]].^(Körting 1907)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Zingarelli dates the word to about 1304;^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Prati 1951) Francesco da Barberino uses ''universitade'' for the whole people of a city or state.^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Prati 1951) GRADIT's date is before 1320.^(GRADIT 2003)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In Old Italian the word meant totality, the whole of people or things: Cavalca speaks of “the ''università'' of creatures”, and Boccaccio of nearly the whole ''università'' of men.^(GDLI)^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861) A Prato statute of 1347 uses it for a guild of shoemakers, and about 1350 the Italian Crescenzi speaks of the ''università'' of the scholars of Bologna, the first record of the sense “university”.^(DELI 1999)^(Prati 1951)

+

+ Medieval guilds, such as the ''università dei mercanti'', are now a historical sense, and the ''università agraria'' was an association for the common use of land.^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011) The ''università popolare'', for spreading higher learning among working people, appears in 1900.^(DELI 1999) ''Universitario'' is the adjective.^(Wiktionary)^(Prati 1951)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1304 – Zingarelli's date for the word.^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ * Before 1320 – GRADIT's date.^(GRADIT 2003)

+ * 1347 – A Prato statute uses it for a guild.^(DELI 1999)

+ * c. 1350 – The Italian Crescenzi uses it for a university.^(DELI 1999)^(Prati 1951)

+ * 1900 – ''Università popolare'' is recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A [[m|en|university]], an institution of higher education and research divided into faculties and departments, which grants degrees: ''Si è iscritta all'università di Padova.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # The building or buildings of a university: ''Ci vediamo davanti all'università.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+ # ''(history)'' In the Middle Ages, a [[m|en|guild]] or corporation: ''l'università dei tintori''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(obsolete)'' Totality, the whole of people or things.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[universitario]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[universale]]

+ * [[universalismo]]

+ * [[universo]]

+ * [[scuola]]

+ * [[ateneo]]

+ * [[la|universitas]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Università'' is invariable: ''le università''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary) ''Università della terza età'' is a programme of courses for older people.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}