contratto Italian · revision 38535

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=1233–1243, Mattasalà di Spinello (Siena)|origins=la trahō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /konˈtrat.to/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''contratto''' ''m'' (plural contratti)^(Wiktionary)

+ The adjective and past participle of [[contrarre]] is '''contratto''' (feminine ''contratta'', plural ''contratti'', ''contratte'').^(Wiktionary) Old forms include [[roa-oit|contracto]], [[roa-oit|contrato]] and the southern [[roa-oit|cuntractu]].^(TLIO)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The noun is [[bor|la|contractus|t=a drawing together; an agreement]], a noun of the fourth declension formed from [[m|la|contrahō|t=to draw together; to conclude (a bargain)]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary) DEI calls it a learned word, and Körting a half-learned one found across the Romance languages.^(DEI|1082)^(Körting 1907) The same Latin noun gave [[fr|contrat]] (14th century), [[es|contrato]] and [[pt|contrato]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(DEI|1082)^(Körting 1907)

+

+ The adjective is the past participle of [[contrarre]], from the Latin participle [[m|la|contractus|t=drawn together]].^(DEI|1082)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011) In Old French that participle survived as [[fro|contrait|t=paralysed]], and it is [[pro|contrach]], [[es|contrecho]] and [[pt|contreito]] with the sense “crippled”.^(REW 1935)^(DEI|1082) The Latin verb is [[m|la|con-]] with [[m|la|trahō|t=to drag, pull]], whose further origin is unclear.^(Wiktionary)^(de Vaan 2008)

+

+ The bridge sense came through [[en|contract]].^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ DELI's first record of the noun is the Sienese ''Mattasalà di Spinello'' (1233–1243), in the legal sense of an agreement between two or more people that creates, changes or ends a legal relationship over property.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003) The TLIO's first text is the Cremonese poet Ugo di Perso, of the first half of the 13th century.^(TLIO)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Old Italian already used the word for the written deed as well as the agreement, and had fixed phrases for usurious and emphyteutic contracts and for the tax levied on contracts.^(TLIO) Giovanni Villani writes of carrying out ''i contratti della pace'', the terms of a peace treaty.^(Gabrielli 2020) The adjective, “agreed, stipulated”, is recorded in Villani (before 1348), and “acquired, caught” (''infermità contratta'') in Guicciardini (before 1540).^(DELI 1999)^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861)

+

+ Modern Italian has a large set of legal and labour terms: the ''contratto collettivo'' fixed between unions and employers, the ''contratto a termine'' for a fixed period, and many others.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Treccani 2011)^(Zingarelli 2010) The ''contratto sociale'' of political philosophy translates Rousseau's ''Contrat social'' (1762).^(Treccani 2011)^(Gabrielli 2020) Turkish took the word from Italian as [[tr|kontrato]].^(DEI|1082)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1233–1243 – The Sienese ''Mattasalà di Spinello'' has ''contratto'' “agreement”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 14th century – ''Contrattare'' and ''contrattamento'' are recorded.^(DEI|1082)^(Nocentini 2010)

+ * Before 1348 – Giovanni Villani uses the adjective “agreed”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1540 – Guicciardini uses ''contratto'' “acquired (of an illness)”.^(DELI 1999)^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861)

+ * 16th century – ''Contrattazione'' is recorded.^(Nocentini 2010)

+ * 1762 – Rousseau's ''Contrat social'' gives Italian ''contratto sociale''.^(Treccani 2011)

+ * Before 1869 – ''Contrattuale'' is recorded.^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # ''(law)'' A [[m|en|contract]]: an agreement between two or more parties that creates, changes or ends a legal relationship, and the document containing it: ''Prima di firmare il contratto d'affitto, leggi bene ogni clausola.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Wiktionary)

+ # An agreement, a [[m|en|pact]], ''contratto collettivo'', a collective labour agreement.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Treccani 2011)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+ # ''(bridge)'' The number of tricks a player or pair undertakes to win.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+

+ ===Adjective===

+ # [[m|en|contracted]], tense, drawn: ''Aveva le mascelle contratte per la rabbia.''^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Treccani 2011)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(linguistics)'' Of a vowel or word form, resulting from [[contrazione]].^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[contrattare]]

+ * [[contrattazione]]

+ * [[contrattuale]]

+ * [[contrattista]]

+ * [[precontratto]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[contrarre]]

+ * [[contrattile]]

+ * [[contrattura]]

+ * [[contrazione]]

+ * [[la|contractus]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}