sveglia Italian · revision 38974

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=14th century, Seneca volgarizzato|origins=la vigilō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈzveʎ.ʎa/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''sveglia''' ''f'' (plural sveglie)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is formed from [[svegliare|t=to wake]] with no suffix, a deverbal noun.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto 1968)^(Wiktionary) The verb continues [[la-vul|*exvigilō|alt=*exvigilāre]], a variant of classical [[m|la|ēvigilō|t=to wake up]], from [[m|la|vigilō|t=to keep watch]] with [[m|la|ex-]];^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(Wiktionary) DELI sets [[fro|esveillier]] beside it, and Wiktionary takes the verb probably through [[pro|esvelhar]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(Wiktionary) Meyer-Lübke lists the noun under the Latin verb and records it in Old Venetian, Tuscan, Roman, Neapolitan, Calabrian, Sicilian and Corsican.^(REW 1935)

+

+ For the old wind instrument of that name an older explanation, from Pott and Diez, took the name from [[got|𐍃𐍅𐌹𐌲𐌻𐌾𐌰|tr=swiglja|t=piper]], beside [[goh|swegala|t=flute]];^(Zaccaria 1901)^(Körting 1907) Zaccaria and Körting accepted it.^(Zaccaria 1901)^(Körting 1907) Meyer-Lübke judged it unnecessary, and the modern dictionaries derive every sense from the verb.^(REW 1935)^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The first record DELI gives is a 14th-century translation of Seneca, where ''sveglia'' is a musical instrument.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003) Old texts list it beside the pipe and the trumpet as an instrument played with the breath;^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861) Tommaseo says it had long gone out of use.^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861) Nocentini and Zingarelli date the noun to the end of the 13th century.^(Nocentini 2010)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In Giovanni Villani ''sveglia'' is also the player of the instrument, one of the trumpeters and criers of the Commune of Florence.^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861) DEI records the word in 1599 as the name of a torture, the wooden horse, and Zingarelli an old phrase ''stare sulla sveglia'' “to be in distress”.^(DEI|3685)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+

+ The modern senses come from waking: the signal by trumpet, bell or drum that wakes a community, especially soldiers, is recorded before 1742 by G. B. Fagiuoli, and the clock with a bell that rings at a set hour from 1873 in Tommaseo–Bellini, after ''orologio a sveglia''.^(DELI 1999)^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861) Garibaldi and Primo Levi write of the trumpet that sounds the reveille in barracks.^(GDLI) As an interjection, ''sveglia!'' urges someone to get up, or figuratively to pay attention and get moving.^(GRADIT 2003)^(GDLI) Colloquially it has also meant a hard blow or a punch.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Treccani 2011) The 20th century added ''sveglia telefonica'', the wake-up call by telephone, and the clock radio, ''radiosveglia''.^(GDLI)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Late 13th century – Nocentini's date for ''sveglia''.^(Nocentini 2010)

+ * 14th century – A translation of Seneca names a wind instrument ''sveglia''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1599 – ''Sveglia'' is recorded as a kind of torture.^(DEI|3685)

+ * Before 1742 – G. B. Fagiuoli uses it for the signal that wakes a community.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1873 – Tommaseo–Bellini record ''sveglia'' for an alarm clock.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # Waking up, the time of waking: ''Domani la sveglia è alle cinque e mezza.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A wake-up signal, especially in the army, the [[m|en|reveille]]: ''Il trombettiere suonò la sveglia all'alba.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Wiktionary)

+ # An [[m|en|alarm clock]]: ''Ho dimenticato di puntare la sveglia.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(figurative)'' A spur to greater effort: ''dare la sveglia a qualcuno''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+ # ''(colloquial)'' A hard blow, a punch.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Treccani 2011)

+

+ ===Interjection===

+ # Wake up!, ''(figurative)'' come on, pay attention!: ''Sveglia, il treno parte tra dieci minuti!''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[radiosveglia]]

+ * [[sveglietta]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[svegliare]]

+ * [[svegliarsi]]

+ * [[sveglio]]

+ * [[risvegliare]]

+ * [[vegliare]]

+ * [[veglia]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Portare la sveglia al collo'' is a joking phrase for a naive person.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011) The adjective ''sveglia'' “awake; quick-witted” is the feminine of [[sveglio]].^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}