ala Italian · revision 38717

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=last quarter of the 12th century, Proverbia que dicuntur|origins=la āla}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈa.la/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''ala''' ''f'' (plural ali or (archaic or poetic) ale)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old forms include [[roa-oit|alia]] and [[roa-oit|ale]], with the plurals ''ale'' and ''alie''.^(TLIO)^(Treccani 2011)^(DEI|103)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|la|āla|t=wing; armpit]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(LEI|1, 1392) The Latin word is continued in every Romance language except Romanian: [[fr|aile]], [[oc|ala]], [[ca|ala]], [[es|ala]], [[pt|ala]], [[rm|ala]], [[fur|ale]] and [[sc|ala]].^(LEI|1, 1392)^(Nocentini 2010)^(DEI|103) The sense “armpit” lives on only in the edge areas, in Friulian and in Sicily, Calabria and Salento.^(LEI|1, 1392) The plural in ⟨-i⟩ beside older ⟨-e⟩ follows the pattern of [[ape]], plural ⟨api⟩.^(LEI|1, 1392)

+

+ The Latin noun goes back to an earlier [[m|la|*axla]], whose diminutive is [[m|la|axilla|t=armpit]], the source of [[ascella]]; its first sense was the joint of the shoulder.^(Nocentini 2010)^(Devoto 1968)^(DEI|103)^(Wiktionary) It belongs with [[m|la|axis|t=axle]] and with [[de|Achsel|t=armpit, shoulder]], from [[ine-pro|*h₂eḱs-|t=axis]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(Devoto 1968)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The TLIO's first record is in the Venetian ''Proverbia que dicuntur'' of the late 12th century.^(TLIO)^(Devoto–Oli 2026) DELI's first is Stefano Protonotaro, of the Sicilian school, in the mid-13th century, and Ristoro d'Arezzo in 1282, for the organ that lets birds, bats and some insects fly: Ristoro describes “a spirit with wings” turning a wheel.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)^(GDLI|1, 279)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Figurative senses came early: “favour, protection” before 1294, in Guittone d'Arezzo, and “impulse, longing” in Dante.^(DELI 1999) The flank of an army is in Giovanni Villani (before 1348), the side wing of a building in Matteo Villani (before 1363), the brim of a hat in Castelli (before 1644), and a row of people lining a route from 1618, with ''fare ala'' in 1642.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ The wing of an aeroplane is recorded in 1919, and in 1931 Panzini noted ''ala'' as an emphatic word for aircraft in general, a use of the Fascist years.^(DELI 1999) In politics and in sport ''ala'' renders English ''wing'' (1879 and 1898).^(DELI 1999)^(Devoto–Oli 2026) DELI reports Crevatin's view that ''parole alate'' “winged words” is a mistaken calque of Homer's ''épea pteróenta'', which in fact meant “words that hit the mark”.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Last quarter of the 12th century – ''Ala'' appears in the ''Proverbia que dicuntur''.^(TLIO)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+ * Mid-13th century – Stefano Protonotaro uses the word.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1294 – Guittone d'Arezzo uses it for “protection”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1348 – Giovanni Villani uses it for the flank of an army.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1363 – Matteo Villani uses it for the wing of a building.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1879 – ''Ala'' is used for a political wing, after English ''wing''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1898 – The sporting sense “winger” is recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1919 – ''Ala'' is recorded for the wing of an aeroplane.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A [[m|en|wing]] of a bird, insect or bat, or of an angel or other winged being: ''Il gabbiano spiegò le ali e si alzò sul mare.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(cooking)'' The wing of a chicken or other fowl as a cut.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # ''(figurative)'' Protection: ''sotto l'ala di qualcuno'', under someone's protection.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # ''(aeronautics)'' The wing of an aircraft.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # A side part of something, symmetrical to another: the wing of a building, the flank of an army.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+ # Each of two rows of people or things facing each other: ''Gli atleti sfilarono tra due ali di tifosi.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+ # The sail of a windmill; the [[m|en|brim]] of a hat.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+ # ''(sport)'' A [[m|en|winger]], an attacking player on the side of the field.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(DELI 1999)

+ # ''(politics)'' A wing or faction of a party.^(DELI 1999)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+ # ''(anatomy, botany)'' A wing-shaped part or outgrowth: ''ala del naso''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[alato]]

+ * [[aleggiare]]

+ * [[aletta]]

+ * [[alettone]]

+ * [[aliante]]

+ * [[aliare]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[ascella]]

+ * [[asse]]

+ * [[la|ala]]

+ * [[fr|aile]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ The plural is ''ali'';^(Wiktionary)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011) ''ale'' is archaic or poetic.^(Wiktionary)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011) Fixed phrases include ''tarpare le ali'' (to clip someone's wings), ''avere le ali ai piedi'' (to run very fast) and ''in un batter d'ali'' (in a flash).^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011)^(Devoto–Oli 2026) Two minor words have the same spelling: ''ala'' “hauling rope” in nautical use, from [[alare]] “to haul” (1829), and an old ''ala'' “English ale”, from [[en|ale]], in Sanudo.^(GRADIT 2003)^(DEI|104)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}