spia Italian · revision 38776

+ {{infobox|confidence=disputed|formation=borrowing|attested=1269, San Gimignano texts|origins=ine-pro *speḱ-}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈspi.a/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''spia''' ''f'' (plural spie, pejorative spiaccia)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|got|*spaiha|t=spy]] or a Frankish word, [[frk|*spehōn|t=to spy]], through [[fro|espie]]: DELI sets out both views.^(DELI 1999) Gamillscheg and Corominas derive the Romance words from Gothic, Wartburg from Frankish, since the Gothic forms are only reconstructed while Frankish has the support of [[goh|speha|t=exploration]].^(DELI 1999) Arrigo Castellani argued that the feminine ending in a points to Gothic.^(DELI 1999) Nocentini, Devoto–Oli, Prati and GDLI take the noun from Germanic, Nocentini citing the Old High German noun and [[m|goh|speho|t=scout]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Prati 1951|938)^(GDLI) DEI and GRADIT instead treat it as a noun formed from [[spiare]], which comes from the same Germanic verb.^(DEI|3589)^(GRADIT 2003)

+

+ The same word is [[fro|espie]], [[pro|espia]] and [[ca|espia]], whence [[es|espía]] and [[pt|espia]];^(REW 1935)^(Wiktionary) the word is found in every Romance language except Romanian.^(DELI 1999) The Germanic verb, [[gem-pro|*spehōną|t=to look, to watch]], belongs with [[la|speciō|t=to look]] to [[ine-pro|*speḱ-|t=to look]].^(Wiktionary)^(de Vaan 2008)^(Devoto 1968)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ ''Spia'' appears in the Medieval Latin of Vicenza in 1264 and in Italian in 1269, in documents from San Gimignano, for someone who secretly gathers information to report it, for pay or out of malice.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In the old language a ''spia'' was above all someone sent to watch the enemy in war, as in Giovanni Villani, and also an informer, as in Dante.^(Prati 1951|938) The augmentative ''spione'' is recorded in Medieval Latin at Costozza in 1290 and in Italian in the mid-14th century;^(DELI 1999) French borrowed it as ''espion'', and ''spionaggio'' “espionage” came back from French ''espionnage'' in 1833.^(REW 1935)^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010) In 1848 Ugolini still noted that the word was new, born of modern customs, where the old writers had called spies only those who watched the enemy.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ The figurative sense “sign, symptom” is in Tommaso Campanella (before 1639).^(DELI 1999) From the idea of watching unseen came the hole at the top of a barrel to see when it is nearly full (1873), the peephole in a door (1891), with its diminutive ''spioncino'', and in 1960 the small lamp that shows that a device is working.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010) Placed after a noun, ''spia'' describes things used for spying: ''aereo spia'', ''satellite spia''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1264 – Medieval Latin ''spia'' is recorded at Vicenza.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1269 – Italian ''spia'' appears in documents from San Gimignano.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)

+ * 1290 – Medieval Latin ''spiones'' is recorded at Costozza.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1639 – Campanella uses ''spia'' for “sign, symptom”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1833 – ''Spionaggio'' is recorded in the Milanese press.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1891 – Petrocchi records ''spia'' for a peephole in a door.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1960 – ''Spia'' is recorded for a warning light.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A [[m|en|spy]], an agent who gathers secret information for a foreign state.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # An industrial spy, who steals a firm's secrets for its competitors.^(GRADIT 2003)

+ # An [[m|en|informer]], a telltale who reports on others: ''fare la spia'', to tell tales: ''Non fare la spia con la maestra!''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(figurative)'' A sign, [[m|en|symptom]], revealing clue: ''Quella tosse continua è una spia di qualcosa di più serio.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A warning light or [[m|en|indicator]] on a car or device: ''Si è accesa la spia della benzina.''^(Wiktionary)^(DELI 1999)

+ # A [[m|en|peephole]] in a door or wall.^(DELI 1999)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[spione]]

+ * [[spioncino]]

+ * [[spionaggio]]

+ * [[controspionaggio]]

+ * [[spionistico]]

+ * [[superspia]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[spiare]]

+ * [[spiata]]

+ * [[fr|espion]]

+ * [[en|spy]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}