teoria Italian · revision 38718

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=1584, Giordano Bruno|origins=grc θεωρία}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /te.oˈri.a/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''teoria''' ''f'' (plural teorie)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is a learned word, [[bor|la-lat|theōria|t=contemplation, speculation]], from [[grc|θεωρία|tr=theōría]], a word that meant both an embassy to a religious festival and, through the shared sense “contemplation” found in Plato, “speculation, theory” in Hellenistic Greek.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003) The Greek noun comes from [[m|grc|θεωρέω|tr=theōréō|t=to look at, observe; to attend as an envoy]], from [[m|grc|θεωρός|tr=theōrós|t=spectator; envoy]];^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011)^(DELI 1999)^(GDLI|20, 912) DELI and GDLI think it is perhaps a compound of [[m|grc|θέα|tr=théa|t=sight, spectacle]] and [[m|grc|ὁράω|tr=horáō|t=to see]], but not with certainty.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011)^(DELI 1999)^(GDLI|20, 912) Late Latin, in Jerome, took only the speculative senses.^(DELI 1999)^(DEI|3755) The same word is [[fr|théorie]] and [[es|teoría]].^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ The sense “procession, long file” has been put down to the French word, used so from 1907, but DELI argues that the Italian dates point rather to a direct literary borrowing from Greek.^(DELI 1999)^(Prati 1951|987)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ DEI dates ''teoria'' to the 14th century, in a translation of Saint Jerome.^(DEI|3755) Zingarelli dates it to 1584, and GDLI quotes Giordano Bruno on forming “teoria più accomodata e giusta” (“a more fitting and correct theory”) of the earth's place in the universe.^(Zingarelli 2010)^(GDLI|20, 912) DELI's first dates are before 1642, in Galileo, for the precepts that guide a practice, and before 1698, in Francesco Redi, for the systematic statement of the principles of a science.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ For a long time the purists preferred the older ''teorica'': in 1831 Lissoni advised good writers to use it rather than ''teoria''.^(DELI 1999)^(Prati 1951|986) The historical sense, a delegation sent by a Greek city to festivals and games, is recorded in 1829, in Marchi.^(DELI 1999)^(DEI|3755)

+

+ From this the aesthetes of the late 19th century made ''teoria'' a literary word for a procession or a long line of people or things: Guerrini wrote in 1878 of “una bianca teoria di vergini” (“a white procession of maidens”), and D'Annunzio and Carducci followed.^(DELI 1999) In everyday use the word also means an opinion, a personal way of seeing things.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 14th century – DEI dates ''teoria'' to a translation of Saint Jerome.^(DEI|3755)

+ * 1584 – Giordano Bruno uses the word.^(Zingarelli 2010)^(GDLI|20, 912)

+ * Before 1642 – Galileo uses it for the precepts that guide a practice.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)

+ * Before 1698 – Redi uses it for the principles of a science.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1829 – Marchi records the historical sense “Greek sacred embassy”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1878 – Guerrini uses ''teoria'' for “procession”.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A [[m|en|theory]], the systematic statement of the principles of a branch of knowledge; a set of hypotheses that explains phenomena: ''la teoria dell'evoluzione''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # The rules and principles on which a practical activity rests: ''Prima della lezione in piscina c'è un'ora di teoria.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # Abstract thought as opposed to [[m|en|practice]], ''in teoria'', in principle: ''In teoria il treno arriva alle otto.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # A way of thinking, a personal view: ''Mio nonno ha strane teorie sul tempo.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(history)'' In ancient Greece, an official delegation sent by a city to religious festivals or games.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(literary)'' A long line, a [[m|en|procession]]: ''una teoria di lumi lungo il fiume''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[teorico]]

+ * [[teoricamente]]

+ * [[teorizzare]]

+ * [[teorizzazione]]

+ * [[teoretico]]

+ * [[teoretica]]

+ * [[teoricità]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[teorema]]

+ * [[teorica]]

+ * [[grc|θεωρία|tr=theōría]]

+ * [[fr|théorie]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}