vittoria Italian · revision 38824

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=14th century|origins=la vincō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /vitˈtɔ.rja/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''vittoria''' ''f'' (plural vittorie)^(Wiktionary)

+ Older forms were [[roa-oit|vettoria]], [[m|roa-oit|victoria]], [[m|roa-oit|vitoria]] and [[m|roa-oit|vitora]].^(GDLI|21, 938)^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861) In Sicilian and Calabrian the word became [[scn|vincitoria]], crossed with [[vincere]].^(DEI|4074)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is a learned word, [[bor|la|victōria|t=victory]],^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(DEI|4074)^(Wiktionary) formed from [[m|la|victor|t=winner, conqueror]], itself from the past participle of [[m|la|vincō|t=to conquer]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(de Vaan 2008) The Latin noun was in origin the feminine of an adjective “victorious” and named the goddess Victory, with whom victory itself was identified.^(OLD 2012)^(de Vaan 2008) It reached the other Romance languages the same learned way: [[fr|victoire]] (12th century), [[es|victoria]] and [[pt|victoria]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(DEI|4074)^(REW 1935) Meyer-Lübke judged the isolated [[lmo|vicoria]] of Como not to be an inherited form either, but a reshaping of the Italian word.^(REW 1935)

+

+ De Vaan traces [[m|la|vincō]] to [[itc-pro|*wink-|t=to tie, bind]] and a nasal present [[ine-pro|*ui-n-k-|t=to bend, tie]], the same root as [[m|la|vinciō|t=to bind]]: “to bend” could turn into “to overcome” (one bending the other).^(de Vaan 2008)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ GRADIT dates the word to 1354, and DELI lists Petrarch, Boccaccio and Iacopo Passavanti among its 14th-century users, in the sense “the act or result of winning”.^(GRADIT 2003)^(DELI 1999) DEI cites Dante, and the GDLI quotes the ''Inferno'' on Aeneas, who heard things “that were the cause of his victory” (''che furon cagione / di sua vittoria'').^(DEI|4074)^(GDLI|21, 938)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ From the start the word was used of battles and wars, and Dino Compagni and old chronicles have the popular form ''vettoria''.^(GDLI|21, 938) Boccaccio speaks of ''la gloriosa vittoria'' of King Manfred, after which the Ghibellines were driven out of Florence.^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861) Later the sense widened to success in any contest, a game, an election or a lawsuit, and figuratively to overcoming a difficulty.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+

+ Several phrases are dated by DELI: ''cantare vittoria'', to rejoice too much or too soon over a success (before 1835, Bellini); ''vittoria di Pirro'', a victory that leaves the winner as badly off as the loser (1879, Tommaseo–Bellini), after Pyrrhus of Epirus, who beat the Romans at great cost; and ''vittoria morale'' (1961).^(DELI 1999)^(DEI|4074) With a capital letter ''Vittoria'' is also the goddess, the Roman counterpart of the Greek Nike, and the statues and paintings that show her (16th century, Borghini).^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(GRADIT 2003)^(DEI|4074) The asteroid Victoria, discovered by Hind in 1850 and named after Queen Victoria, entered Italian as ''Vittoria'' in 1879.^(DEI|4074)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Early 14th century – Dante uses ''vittoria'' in the ''Inferno''.^(DEI|4074)^(GDLI|21, 938)

+ * 1354 – GRADIT's date for the word.^(GRADIT 2003)

+ * 14th century – Petrarch, Boccaccio and Passavanti use it.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 16th century – Vincenzo Borghini uses ''Vittoria'' for the goddess.^(DEI|4074)

+ * Before 1835 – ''Cantare vittoria'' is recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1879 – ''Vittoria di Pirro'' appears in Tommaseo–Bellini.^(DELI 1999)^(DEI|4074)

+ * 1961 – ''Vittoria morale'' is recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # [[m|en|victory]], the fact of winning a battle, a war, a competition or a dispute: ''La squadra ha ottenuto una vittoria netta.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(figurative)'' A success in overcoming an obstacle or difficulty: ''Farlo alzare presto è già una vittoria.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(art)'' With a capital letter, a painting or sculpture of the [[m|en|goddess]] Victory: ''una Vittoria alata in marmo''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+

+ ===Interjection===

+ # A shout of joy after winning or overcoming a difficulty: ''Vittoria! Abbiamo finito gli esami!''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Treccani 2011)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[vittorioso]]

+ * [[vittoriale]]

+ * [[vittoriare]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[vincere]]

+ * [[vincitore]]

+ * [[la|victōria]]

+ * [[fr|victoire]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Vittoria di Pirro'', ''vittoria morale'' and ''cantare vittoria'' are fixed phrases, as are ''avere la vittoria in pugno'', to be sure of winning.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010) The open carriage called ''vittoria'' or ''victoria'' in the 19th century took its name from Queen Victoria through English.^(Gabrielli 2020)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}