cacciare Italian · revision 38922

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=late 12th century, Proverbia quae dicuntur super natura feminarum|origins=la capiō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /katˈt͡ʃa.re/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''cacciare''' (first-person singular present càccio, first-person singular past historic cacciài, past participle cacciàto, auxiliary avére)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old northern forms include [[roa-oit|caçar]] and [[roa-oit|chazar]] in Venice, [[roa-oit|cazare]] in Milan and [[roa-oit|cazzare]] in Bologna.^(TLIO)^(LEI|11, 829)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|la-vul|*captiō|alt=*captiāre|t=to hunt]], an intensive verb formed on [[la|captus|t=caught]], the past participle of [[m|la|capiō|t=to take]]; classical Latin had [[m|la|captō|t=to try to catch]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary) The Vulgar Latin verb is not recorded, but the Romance languages show that it existed; the adjective [[la-lat|captiōsus|t=intent on hunting]] of the 6th century also points to it.^(LEI|11, 829)^(Wiktionary) DEI and Devoto think that the Tuscan form is an adaptation of the northern [[roa-oit|cazare|alt=cazar]], which also spread to the southern dialects.^(DEI|652)^(Devoto 1968|73)

+

+ The same verb is [[fr|chasser]], [[oc|casar]], [[ca|caçar]], [[es|cazar]], [[pt|caçar]], [[fur|çhaçâ]], [[sc|cazzare|t=to drive away]] and [[ro|acăța|t=to grab, to hang]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(LEI|11, 829)^(REW 1935) Romanian keeps the oldest sense, “to seize”; elsewhere the verb replaced [[la|vēnor|t=to hunt]] and, unlike [[m|la|capiō]], also took on the opposite meaning “to drive away”, probably after Romanian had split off in the 3rd century.^(LEI|11, 829)^(DEI|652) DELI quotes Padoan: the step from “to take” to “to hunt, to put to flight, to expel” is natural enough.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The TLIO's first record is the Venetian ''Proverbia quae dicuntur super natura feminarum'' of the last quarter of the 12th century, in the sense “to chase an animal in order to catch it”.^(TLIO) A Medieval Latin ''cazare'' is found at Parma in 1255.^(DELI 1999) DELI's first record of the sense “to drive away, to expel” is Ugieri Apugliese, at the beginning of the 13th century.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Dante uses the verb for hunting, of Ugolino's dream of the wolf and its cubs, ''cacciando il lupo e ' lupicini al monte'', and for relentless pursuit, of the hound that ''la caccerà per ogne villa'', “will hunt her through every town”.^(GDLI)^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861)^(DELI 1999) The sense “to push with violence” is in Rustico di Filippo before 1300, and “to pull out” in Boccaccio in 1353.^(DELI 1999) The LEI arranges the many senses in six groups: to pursue; to drive away, banish or push; to throw; to put forth, as a plant does shoots; to thrust in; and to pull out.^(LEI|11, 829)

+

+ The noun ''caccia'' “hunt” is in Giacomo da Lentini before 1250, and later named a musical and poetic form with a hunting text and, from 1918, a destroyer.^(DELI 1999) With the meaning “to push” the verb forms ''cacciavite'' “screwdriver” and ''cacciatorpediniere'' “destroyer”.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010) ''Caccia alle streghe'' is a calque of English ''witch hunt'' of the 1950s, and ''cacciatore di teste'' of ''head hunter''.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Late 12th century – ''Cacciare'' appears in the Venetian ''Proverbia quae dicuntur super natura feminarum''.^(TLIO)

+ * Early 13th century – Ugieri Apugliese uses it for “to drive away”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1250 – ''Caccia'' “hunt” is recorded in Giacomo da Lentini.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1255 – Medieval Latin ''cazare'' is recorded at Parma.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1300 – Rustico di Filippo uses it for “to push with violence”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1304–1308 – Dante uses it for “to pursue relentlessly”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1353 – Boccaccio uses it for “to pull out”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 18th century – ''Cacciavite'' “screwdriver” is formed.^(Nocentini 2010)

+ * 1905 – ''Cacciatorpediniere'' “destroyer” is recorded.^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # ''(transitive)'' To [[m|en|hunt]], to chase wild animals in order to catch or kill them; also without an object, to go hunting: ''In autunno il nonno cacciava le starne.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(transitive)'' To pursue, to hunt down a person: ''I carabinieri cacciavano i fuggiaschi.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+ # ''(transitive)'' To drive away, to [[m|en|expel]], to throw out; also figuratively, of thoughts or moods: ''Lo hanno cacciato dal locale'', ''cacciare la tristezza''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # ''(transitive)'' To push with force: ''Con una spinta lo cacciò nel fosso.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # ''(transitive, colloquial)'' To thrust, to stick, to put: ''Dove ho cacciato le chiavi?'', ''cacciare il naso'' in other people's business, to meddle.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(transitive)'' To pull out, to take out: ''Cacciò il portafoglio dalla tasca.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(transitive, colloquial)'' To let out a cry or a sigh: ''cacciare uno strillo''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(transitive)'' Of plants, to put forth shoots.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+ # ''(reflexive)'' ''Cacciarsi'': to get into, to push one's way into; colloquially, to end up somewhere: ''dove si è cacciato il gatto?''^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[caccia]]

+ * [[cacciatore]]

+ * [[cacciagione]]

+ * [[cacciata]]

+ * [[scacciare]]

+ * [[ricacciare]]

+ * [[cacciavite]]

+ * [[cacciatorpediniere]]

+ * [[cacciabombardiere]]

+ * [[cacciasommergibili]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[cazzare]]

+ * [[captare]]

+ * [[fr|chasser]]

+ * [[es|cazar]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}