rotta Italian · revision 38816

+ Italian has two main words spelled ''rotta'', both from Latin ''rupta'', the feminine past participle of ''rumpere'' “to break”: “break, breach; defeat”, the feminine of ''rotto'' used as a noun, and “course, route”, which came through French or Spanish.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(DEI|3289) DELI files the first under ''rompere'' and numbers the second 2.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ {{homograph|1|break, breach; defeat}}

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+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=13th century|origins=la rumpō}}

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+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈrot.ta/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''rotta''' ''f'' (plural rotte)^(Wiktionary)

+ Older forms include [[roa-oit|ropta]], [[m|roa-oit|rocta]], [[m|roa-oit|rota]] and [[m|roa-oit|roda]].^(Wiktionary)^(GDLI|17, 145)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The break and the defeat are [[rotto|t=broken]], the past participle of [[rompere|t=to break]], in the feminine used as a noun.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary)^(GDLI|17, 145) Other dictionaries trace it directly to [[la|rupta]], the feminine of [[m|la|ruptus]], past participle of [[m|la|rumpō|t=to break]].^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011)^(Gabrielli 2020)^(Wikizionario) A [[la-med|rupta]] is recorded in Emilia in 1149, and a Tuscan place name, Trasrotta, near Palaia already in 810.^(DEI|3289) The same participle gave [[pro|rota]], [[es|rota]] and [[pt|rota]] “rout”, and [[fro|route]]; [[fr|déroute]] “rout” is from the same family.^(Körting 1907)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ DEI and Zingarelli date the word to the 13th century, and DEI finds the sense “crushing defeat” in Dante.^(DEI|3289)^(Zingarelli 2010) The GDLI's earliest quotation of the military sense is the Anonymous Genoese poet, whose ''rota'' is a naval defeat of the Venetians.^(GDLI|17, 145)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ From “breaking” the word passed to the breach a flood makes in a river's banks (14th century) and the overflowing of rivers (16th century, Pietro Aretino).^(DEI|3289)^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861) The defeat that scatters an army is common in the chroniclers: Matteo Villani tells of the fear that took hold of troops on hearing of ''la rotta delle due prime schiere'', “the rout of the first two lines”.^(GDLI|17, 145) Famous routs, such as Roncesvalles or Caporetto, are named this way.^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

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+ The plain sense “break” survives only in phrases: ''a rotta di collo'', at breakneck speed, recorded from the 14th century, and ''essere in rotta con qualcuno'', to have fallen out with someone.^(Nocentini 2010)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011) Zingarelli also lists an obsolete sense “shipwreck”.^(Zingarelli 2010)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 810 – The place name ''Trasrotta'' is recorded near Palaia.^(DEI|3289)

+ * 1149 – Medieval Latin ''rupta'' is recorded in Emilia.^(DEI|3289)

+ * 13th century – Italian ''rotta'' is recorded.^(DEI|3289)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ * Early 14th century – Dante uses it for a heavy defeat.^(DEI|3289)

+ * 14th century – ''A rotta di collo'' and the sense “breach in a river bank” appear.^(Nocentini 2010)^(DEI|3289)

+ * 16th century – Pietro Aretino uses it for a river's overflowing.^(DEI|3289)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # ''(archaic)'' A break, [[rottura]]; now only in phrases: ''Corse giù per la collina a rotta di collo.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # ''(hydrology)'' A [[m|en|breach]] in the banks of a river in flood, and the place where it happens: ''Dopo le piogge si temeva una rotta dell'argine.''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # A crushing [[m|en|defeat]] that puts an army to flight: ''L'esercito nemico fu messo in rotta.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

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+ {{homograph|2|course, route}}

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+ {{infobox|confidence=disputed|formation=borrowing|attested=15th century|origins=la rumpō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈrot.ta/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''rotta''' ''f'' (plural rotte)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The course of a ship is usually explained as [[bor|fr|route|t=road, way]], first recorded in this sense in 1552.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026) The French word comes from [[la-vul|*rupta]] (with [[m|la|via|t=road]] understood), “a road broken open”, originally one cut through a forest.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026) GRADIT calls the origin uncertain, and DELI adds that the spread of the nautical sense was due to the Spanish.^(GRADIT 2003)^(DELI 1999) DEI derives it from [[es|rota]], since the first authors to use it, Ramusio and Ulloa, wrote in the 16th century, and Prati allowed either the Spanish word or [[pt|rota]], or a native use of [[rompere]] for breaking a path through the snow.^(DEI|3289)^(Prati 1951|854) Wiktionary and Devoto–Oli derive it from the Latin phrase directly, without a French step.^(Wiktionary)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ DELI notes that ''rota'' and ''rotta'' are frequent for a course at sea in the portolans of the 15th century, and the GDLI quotes one with the spelling ''rutta''.^(DELI 1999)^(GDLI|17, 147) DEI's first records are in Ramusio and Ulloa (16th century), for the track of a ship through the water.^(DEI|3289)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In 1640 Oudin's dictionary equated ''rotta'' with French ''route''; the general sense “way, journey” is recorded in 1812, and the technical nautical sense “course steered by a ship” in D'Ayala's naval dictionary of 1853.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003) Purists resisted: Ugolini called ''rotta'' for “road” an intolerable barbarism from French, and Tommaseo–Bellini marked the word as French.^(GDLI|17, 147)^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861) Yet the old and regional sense “road, path” and “a path opened in the snow” is also recorded.^(GDLI|17, 147)

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+ By extension the word is used of aircraft and missiles, and of the routes of migrating animals.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026) Figuratively it is a line of conduct or thought: ''cambiare rotta'', ''invertire la rotta''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Gabrielli 2020) The verb ''dirottare'', to change course, and ''dirottamento'' are recorded before 1797.^(Nocentini 2010)^(Prati 1951|854) Maltese ''rotta'' and Turkish ''rota'' were borrowed from it.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 15th century – ''Rota'' and ''rotta'' appear in portolans.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1552 – French ''route'' “course” is recorded.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)

+ * 16th century – Ramusio and Ulloa use ''rotta''.^(DEI|3289)

+ * 1640 – Oudin equates ''rotta'' with ''route''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1797 – ''Dirottare'' is recorded.^(Nocentini 2010)

+ * 1812 – Bernardoni records ''rotta'' “way, journey”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1853 – D'Ayala records the nautical sense.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # ''(nautical, aviation)'' [[m|en|course]], the direction followed by a ship or aircraft, and the route it covers: ''La nave ha fatto rotta verso Malta.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # The route of migrating animals.^(GRADIT 2003)

+ # The line that marks a course on a navigation [[m|en|chart]]: ''tracciare la rotta sulla carta''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+ # The angle between the heading of a craft and north.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(figurative)'' A line of conduct or thought: ''Dopo le elezioni il partito ha cambiato rotta.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Gabrielli 2020)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(archaic or regional)'' Road, way, path.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary)^(GDLI|17, 147)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[dirottare]]

+ * [[dirottamento]]

+ * [[dirottatore]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[rompere]]

+ * [[rotto]]

+ * [[rottura]]

+ * [[routine]]

+ * [[fr|route]]

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+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Rotta di collisione'' is a course that would lead to a crash and, figuratively, a path towards open conflict.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010) Two minor words share the spelling: ''rotta'' (also ''crotta''), a medieval Germanic lyre, mentioned by Venantius Fortunatus and pronounced with an open o, and an old ''rotta'' “rattan”, from Malay through Portuguese.^(DEI|3289)^(GDLI|17, 147)^(GDLI|17, 148)^(Wiktionary)

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+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}