fila Italian · revision 38963

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=14th century, translation of Livy|origins=la fīlum}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈfi.la/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''fila''' ''f'' (plural file)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is derived from [[filo|t=thread]], probably through its old collective plural, le fila, taken as a feminine singular.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026) Nocentini and Wiktionary trace it to [[la|fīla]], plural of [[m|la|fīlum|t=thread]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(Wiktionary) A line of people or things was seen as a thread: Medieval Latin had [[m|la-med|funiculus populi|t=a cord of people]], and in Rome in the 8th to 10th centuries a row of salt-pans was a [[m|la-med|filum salinarum]].^(DEI|1637)

+

+ A parallel formation is [[fr|file]], from which [[es|fila]] was borrowed, and [[oc|fila]];^(Nocentini 2010)^(Wiktionary) Wiktionary compares [[pt|fila]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ DELI's first record is a 14th-century Italian translation of Livy, in the sense “people or things placed one after another”;^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003) GRADIT dates it to the first half of the 14th century.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The sense “an unbroken series of actions or events” is dated by DELI to Sforza Pallavicino in 1665.^(DELI 1999) The old plural ''le fila'' survives in ''serrare le fila'' “to close ranks”, beside the regular plural ''file''.^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011) From the military column came ''fuoco di fila'', a rapid series of shots and, figuratively, a barrage of questions, and the plural ''le file'' for the ranks of a party or movement.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+

+ ''In fila indiana'' “in single file” takes its name from the way Native Americans moved forward;^(DELI 1999) DELI suggests tracing how adventure novels and travel books made the phrase known.^(DELI 1999) In theatres ''fila'' is a row of seats, and in chess a rank of the board.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010) ''Fare la fila'', to wait one's turn in a queue, is one of the commonest uses today.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 14th century – A translation of Livy has ''fila''.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)

+ * Early 14th century – The derivative ''filare'' “row of plants” is recorded.^(Nocentini 2010)^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1630 – The verb ''filare'' “to move in a line” is used by Davila.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1665 – Sforza Pallavicino uses ''fila'' for a series of events.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1717 – ''Filetto'', a board game of placing pieces in a row, is recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A [[m|en|row]] or [[m|en|line]] of people or things one after another or side by side: ''una fila di pini lungo il viale''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A [[m|en|queue]]: ''C'era una lunga fila davanti allo sportello.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A row of seats in a theatre or cinema: ''Abbiamo i posti in terza fila.''^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+ # An unbroken series: ''una fila di contrattempi''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(in the plural)'' The members of a party, movement or group: ''È passato nelle file dell'opposizione.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # ''(chess)'' A rank of eight squares across the board.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[filare]]

+ * [[filetto]]

+ * [[filotto]]

+ * [[sfilare]]

+ * [[sfilata]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[filo]]

+ * [[la|filum]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Di fila'' means “in a row, without a break” (''tre giorni di fila''), and ''in fila indiana'' “in single file”.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011) ''Violino di fila'' is an orchestral violinist without solo parts.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011) In the sense “row”, Battaglia's dictionary (GDLI) quotes the grammarian Ugolini that only ''file'' is correct as the plural;^(GDLI|5, 979)^(Zingarelli 2010) ''le fila'' belongs to fixed phrases.^(GDLI|5, 979)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}