sposa Italian · revision 38801

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=late 12th century, Ritmo di Sant'Alessio|origins=la spondeō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈspɔ.za/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''sposa''' ''f'' (plural spose, masculine sposo)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old Italian forms include [[m|roa-oit|sponsa]], [[m|roa-oit|isposa]], [[m|roa-oit|spoxa]] and [[m|roa-oit|spusa]].^(TLIO)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|la|spōnsa|t=woman promised in marriage, fiancée]], the feminine of [[m|la|spōnsus|t=betrothed]], the past participle of [[m|la|spondeō|t=to promise solemnly]] used as a noun.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(OLD 2012) The pair is found across Romance: [[fr|épouse]], [[oc|esposa]], [[ca|esposa]], [[es|esposa]] and [[pt|esposa]].^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ The Latin verb is compared with [[grc|σπένδω|tr=spéndō|t=to pour a libation]], which shows its original meaning: a promise was sealed with a solemn libation.^(Nocentini 2010)^(de Vaan 2008) De Vaan reconstructs [[ine-pro|*spondéyeti|t=to libate]].^(de Vaan 2008)^(Wiktionary) Nocentini notes that in Romance the word moved towards the sense “newly married”, while “promised bride” passed to [[fidanzata]], [[fr|fiancée]] and [[es|novia]].^(Nocentini 2010) Old texts still have [[roa-oit|sponsa]], with the ⟨n⟩ of the Latin.^(TLIO)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The first record is the ''Ritmo di Sant'Alessio'', from the Marche at the end of the 12th century, with the sense “wife”, above all at the wedding or just after it.^(TLIO)^(GRADIT 2003) The poem tells how ''lu sponsu e la sponsa'' were brought together and led to the bedchamber.^(GDLI)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Old Italian used the word in religious senses: the ''sposa di Cristo'' or ''di Dio'' is the Church, and a woman devoted to God or a nun.^(TLIO)^(Zingarelli 2010) Dante has ''sposa di Dio'' for the Church (before 1321).^(DELI 1999) The sense “fiancée” appears in Cino da Pistoia (before 1337); it is now old or regional, and ''promessa sposa'' is now mostly playful.^(DELI 1999)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+

+ In the modern language ''sposa'' is first of all the bride on her wedding day, and only in a dated or elevated style a wife.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011) Figuratively it is something closely joined to another, as when Manzoni calls the river Bormida ''al Tanaro sposa''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026) The proverb ''sposa bagnata, sposa fortunata'' holds that rain on the wedding day is a good sign.^(Devoto–Oli 2026) English recorded ''sposa'' in 1550, a use now rare.^(DIFIT)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Late 12th century – The ''Ritmo di Sant'Alessio'' has ''sponsa''.^(TLIO)^(GRADIT 2003)

+ * Late 13th century – The ''Novellino'' uses ''sposa'' “wife”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1321 – Dante calls the Church ''sposa di Dio''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1337 – Cino da Pistoia uses it for “fiancée”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1550 – English ''sposa'' is recorded.^(DIFIT)

+ * 1723 – Salvini uses it for “companion”.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A [[m|en|bride]], a woman on her wedding day: ''Gli invitati applaudirono l'arrivo della sposa.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(dated or humorous)'' A [[m|en|wife]]: ''dare la figlia in sposa'', to give one's daughter in marriage.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # ''(popular)'' A woman married a short time ago.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # ''(archaic or regional)'' A [[m|en|fiancée]], ''promessa sposa'', a betrothed woman.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # ''(religion)'' In ''sposa di Cristo'', the Church, and also a nun, ''sposa dell'Altissimo'', the Virgin Mary.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # ''(figurative, literary)'' Something closely joined to another.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[sposina]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[sposo]]

+ * [[sposare]]

+ * [[sposalizio]]

+ * [[sponsale]]

+ * [[fidanzata]]

+ * [[la|spōnsa]]

+ * [[fr|épouse]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ After ''per'' and ''in'' the literary form ''isposa'' was used.^(Zingarelli 2010) The masculine is [[sposo]], and the plural ''sposi'' means the couple, bride and groom.^(DELI 1999)^(Wiktionary) ''Anatra sposa'' is the wood duck of North America.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}