articolo Italian · revision 38971

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=c. 1260–1261, Brunetto Latini|origins=ine-pro *h₂r̥tús}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /arˈti.ko.lo/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''articolo''' ''m'' (plural articoli)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old forms include [[roa-oit|articulo]], [[m|roa-oit|articlo]] and [[m|roa-oit|articol]].^(TLIO)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is a learned word, [[bor|la|articulus|t=small joint; division, point]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(DEI)^(Wiktionary) The Latin word is a diminutive of [[m|la|artus|t=joint, limb]], the source of [[arto]]; it already had the transferred senses “point, section” and, among the grammarians from Varro on, “grammatical article”, a calque of [[grc|ἄρθρον|tr=árthron|t=joint; article]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(DEI|309)^(Devoto 1968)^(Wiktionary) [[fr|article]] and [[es|artículo]] were borrowed in the same way.^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ Two modern senses came from other languages: “article in a newspaper” is probably a calque of [[en|article]] (1712), and “item for sale” a calque of the French noun, recorded in that sense from 1597.^(DELI 1999)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026) The phrase for a leading article follows [[fr|article de fond]], which Prati traced to the [[m|en|leading article]] of the London Times.^(DELI 1999)^(Prati 1951|74)

+

+ By popular descent the Latin word gave [[fro|arteil]], modern [[fr|orteil|t=toe]], [[pro|artelh]], [[ca|artell]], [[es|artejo]] and [[pt|artelho]], and northern Italian dialect forms.^(LEI|3, 1485) [[artiglio|t=claw]] is the Italian doublet: DELI explains it through Occitan, while the LEI holds that it developed in Tuscany itself, drawn towards words in ⟨-iglio⟩.^(DELI 1999)^(LEI|3, 1485)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ That noun is from [[itc-pro|*artu-]] and [[ine-pro|*h₂r̥tús|t=juncture, order]], related to [[sa|ऋतु|tr=ṛtú|t=fixed time, order]] and [[grc|ἀρτύω|tr=artúō|t=to arrange]].^(de Vaan 2008)^(Wiktionary) De Vaan suggests that the diminutive was coined as a singular because the base noun was used almost only in the plural.^(de Vaan 2008)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The TLIO's first record is Brunetto Latini's ''Rettorica'' (about 1260–1261); its first sense is anatomical, a joint of a limb, and, from early on the word also meant a single part of a law or agreement and a principle of a doctrine.^(TLIO) DELI dates ''articulo di fede'' “article of faith” to Iacopone da Todi, before 1306.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Old Italian also used the word for a moment of time, as in ''nell'articolo della morte'' “at the point of death”, a phrase that survives as ''in articolo di morte''.^(TLIO)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026) The grammatical sense is recorded in Old Italian and then in Leon Battista Alberti's grammar, around 1438;^(TLIO)^(DELI 1999)^(DEI|309) DEI notes that it arose almost at the same time in French and Italian.^(TLIO)^(DELI 1999)^(DEI|309) The sense “section of a law or regulation” appears in Guicciardini, before 1540.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ Journalism gave the commonest modern sense: Goldoni uses ''articolo'' for a piece in a newspaper in 1763, and Collodi has ''articolo di fondo'' in 1881.^(DELI 1999) The commercial sense “item, kind of goods” is recorded in 1789; purists objected to it, Antonio Cesari in 1809 condemning the phrase ''articolo di lusso''.^(DELI 1999) Jokingly, ''un bell'articolo'' is an odd character.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010) Zoology and botany use the word for a segment of an organ divided off by a joint.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Treccani 2011)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * About 1260–1261 – Brunetto Latini's ''Rettorica'' has the word.^(TLIO)

+ * Before 1306 – Iacopone da Todi writes of an ''articulo di fede''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * About 1438 – Leon Battista Alberti uses it for the grammatical article.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1540 – Guicciardini uses it for a section of a law.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1763 – Goldoni uses it for a newspaper article.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1789 – It is recorded for an item of merchandise.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1845 – ''Articolista'' “writer of articles” is recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1881 – Collodi uses ''articolo di fondo'' “leading article”.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # ''(grammar)'' The [[m|en|article]], definite or indefinite, that goes before a noun.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(law)'' One of the numbered sections of a law, regulation or contract, ''(accounting)'' an entry in a balance sheet or invoice: ''l'articolo 3 della Costituzione''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A principle of a doctrine: ''articolo di fede'', also of any belief held without question.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # A piece of writing in a newspaper or magazine: ''Ha scritto un articolo sul nuovo museo.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Wiktionary)

+ # An entry in a dictionary or encyclopedia.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # An [[m|en|item]] for sale, a product, ''(plural)'' goods: ''articoli da campeggio''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(jocular)'' An odd character: ''Tuo cugino è proprio un bell'articolo.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # ''(zoology, botany)'' A segment of an organ separated by a joint or a constriction.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Treccani 2011)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[articolare]]

+ * [[articolato]]

+ * [[articolazione]]

+ * [[articolista]]

+ * [[articolessa]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[arto]]

+ * [[artiglio]]

+ * [[la|articulus]]

+ * [[fr|article]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''In articolo di morte'' “at the point of death” keeps the old sense “moment”.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}