difesa Italian · revision 38545

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=1231–1250, Cielo d'Alcamo|origins=la dēfendō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /diˈfe.za/, /diˈfe.sa/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''difesa''' ''f'' (plural difese)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|la-lat|dēfēnsa|t=defence]], a word Tertullian uses in place of classical [[la|dēfēnsiō]].^(DEI|1295)^(GDLI)^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010) The Late Latin noun was formed on [[m|la|dēfēnsus]], the past participle of [[m|la|dēfendō|t=to ward off, defend]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Wiktionary) The LEI counts “difesa” as the popular continuation of the Latin word, beside learned Old Italian forms with ⟨ns⟩ such as [[roa-oit|difensa]], while GDLI calls it a learned word.^(LEI|19, 695)^(GDLI)^(TLIO)

+

+ Medieval Latin “defensa” (11th–13th century) also meant land closed to grazing or cutting, and in this sense the word lives on as Old Italian and dialect “difesa” “reserved pasture”, [[ca|devesa]], [[es|dehesa]], [[pt|defesa]] and [[fro|defois]].^(DEI|1295)^(REW 1935)^(Körting 1907)^(LEI|19, 695)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The TLIO's first record is in Cielo d'Alcamo's ''Contrasto'' (1231–1250), a Sicilian poem in a Tuscan copy;^(TLIO)^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003) DELI dates the word to Dante, 1293–1294.^(TLIO)^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003) The Old Italian senses are protection from harm, armed resistance against an attack, the support of a cause against accusers, and also a decree forbidding something.^(TLIO)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The legal sense, the arguments put forward in court for the accused, is recorded from Firenzuola (1518–1525), and Tommaseo's dictionary (1869) uses ''la difesa'' for the defence lawyer.^(DELI 1999) The military sense, the means and forces for protecting a country, goes back to Guicciardini (before 1540); the plural ''difese'' for fortifications is already in Tuscan of the mid-13th century.^(DELI 1999)^(LEI|19, 695) In sport Pellico used ''difesa'' for defensive play in 1819, and, from 1927 it names the defenders of a football team.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ Set phrases include ''legittima difesa'' “self-defence” in law, ''difesa personale'', ''prendere le difese di qualcuno'' “to take someone's side”, ''ministero della Difesa'', and the proverb ''la miglior difesa è l'attacco''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010) The plural ''difese'' also names the body's defences against disease.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1231–1250 – ''Difesa'' appears in Cielo d'Alcamo's ''Contrasto''.^(TLIO)

+ * Mid-13th century – Tuscan ''defese'' names fortifications.^(LEI|19, 695)

+ * 1293–1294 – Dante uses the word.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)

+ * 1518–1525 – Firenzuola uses it for a defence in court.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1540 – Guicciardini uses it for military defence.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1819 – Silvio Pellico uses it in sport.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1869 – Tommaseo's dictionary records ''la difesa'' for the defence counsel.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1927 – It is first recorded for the defenders of a football team.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # [[m|en|defence]], [[m|en|protection]]: the act or result of defending or defending oneself: ''Si è battuta a lungo in difesa dei diritti degli inquilini.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # Something or someone that protects: ''Il cappotto è una buona difesa contro il vento.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # ''(military)'' The positions and means used against an enemy attack.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026) In the plural, [[m|en|fortification|alt=fortifications]].^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # ''(law)'' The case argued in court for the accused, and the [[m|en|counsel]] who argues it: ''La parola passa ora alla difesa.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(sport)'' Defensive play, and the defenders of a team as a group.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # ''(chess)'' An opening system adopted by Black.^(GRADIT 2003)

+ # In the plural, the body's defences against disease.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[autodifesa]]

+ * [[controdifesa]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[difendere]]

+ * [[difensore]]

+ * [[difensivo]]

+ * [[la|dēfendō]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Legittima difesa'' is the legal term for self-defence, and ''eccesso di difesa'' its excess.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}