anziano Italian · revision 39010

+ {{infobox|confidence=probable|formation=inherited|attested=late 12th century, Proverbia que dicuntur|origins=la ante}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /anˈt͡sja.no/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''anziano''' (feminine anziana, masculine plural anziani, feminine plural anziane, superlative anzianissimo)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old Italian forms include [[m|roa-oit|antiano]] and northern [[m|roa-oit|ançiano]] and [[m|roa-oit|ansiano]].^(TLIO)^(Wiktionary) Dialect forms include Piedmontese [[m|pms|ansian]] and Romagnol [[m|rgn|inziân]].^(LEI|2, 1652)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ DELI, GRADIT and Zingarelli derive it [[inh|la-vul|*antiānus|t=former, of an earlier time]], Nocentini and Wiktionary from a form [[m|la-vul|*anteānus]], built on [[la|ante|t=before]] or [[m|la|antea|t=formerly]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Wiktionary)^(Devoto–Oli 2026) The word is shared with [[fr|ancien]], [[oc|ancian]], [[es|anciano]] and [[pt|ancião]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(Körting 1907)^(DEI|236)

+

+ Others treat it as a semi-learned word.^(DEI|236)^(GDLI) DEI and the GDLI take it from [[la-med|antianus]], and the LEI and the TLIO list it under the learned forms.^(DEI|236)^(GDLI)^(LEI|2, 1652)^(TLIO) Treccani thinks it probably came through the French word, and Prati wavered between French and a student-Latin coinage.^(Treccani 2011)^(Prati 1951) Körting argued that the French word, with three syllables in Old French, must have been formed there, and the Italian one too.^(Körting 1907)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The TLIO's first record is in the ''Proverbia que dicuntur super natura feminarum'', a Venetian poem of the last quarter of the 12th century, for an elderly person.^(TLIO) DELI's earliest dated sense is the medieval magistrate: Brunetto Latini (before 1294) uses the word for a member of the highest council of a commune.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In Old Italian ''anziano'' also meant “ancient” and “ancestor”: Bono Giamboni uses it for the ancients before 1292.^(TLIO)^(LEI|2, 1652) In the communes of the 13th and 14th centuries the ''Anziani'' were a ruling magistracy;^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861)^(DEI|236) Giovanni Villani tells how Florence created twelve ''anziani'' of the people, and Dante meets in the ''Inferno'' one of the elders of Santa Zita, that is, of Lucca.^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861)^(DEI|236) Boccaccio (1336) has the sense “elderly”, which became the main one.^(DELI 1999)^(LEI|2, 1652)

+

+ Tommaseo records the sense “senior in an office”, which now gives ''assessore anziano'', the councillor who acts as deputy mayor.^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861)^(Treccani 2011) Today ''anziano'' is often a polite substitute for ''vecchio''.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011)^(Zingarelli 2010) Newer uses include a pensioner of a large company, a university student beyond the second year, and a conscript near the end of service;^(GRADIT 2003)^(GDLI|Supplemento 2009) Presbyterian churches have their elders.^(GRADIT 2003)^(GDLI|Supplemento 2009)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Late 12th century – The ''Proverbia que dicuntur'' use ''anziano'' for an elderly person.^(TLIO)

+ * Before 1292 – Bono Giamboni uses it for “ancient”.^(LEI|2, 1652)

+ * Before 1294 – Brunetto Latini uses it for a member of a communal magistracy.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1336 – Boccaccio uses it in the sense “elderly”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1567 – ''Anzianità'' “seniority” is first recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # [[m|en|elderly]], getting on in years; also older than someone else: ''Mio zio è ormai piuttosto anziano.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # [[m|en|senior]]: having held an office or rank longer than others: ''il giudice più anziano del collegio''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # An elderly person: ''un circolo ricreativo per anziani''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # A person with long service in a firm or office; also a retired employee of a large company.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+ # ''(slang)'' A university student in the third year or later, as against a freshman; in the army, a conscript near the end of service.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # ''(history)'' A member of the ruling council of a medieval commune.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # An [[m|en|elder]] of a Presbyterian church.^(GRADIT 2003)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[anzianità]]

+ * [[anzianotto]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[anzi]]

+ * [[la|ante]]

+ * [[fr|ancien]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ Zingarelli distinguishes ''maturo'', no longer young, from ''anziano'', of advanced age, and ''vecchio'', very old;^(Zingarelli 2010) ''anziano'' and ''maturo'' are often used as gentler words for ''vecchio''.^(Zingarelli 2010) A rare literary ''anziano'' (1860) means “of Anzio”, like ''anziate''.^(GRADIT 2003)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}