costume Italian · revision 39134

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

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /kosˈtu.me/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''costume''' ''m'' (plural costumi)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old Italian forms include [[m|roa-oit|costuma]], [[m|roa-oit|costumo]], [[m|roa-oit|custume]] and [[m|roa-oit|constume]].^(TLIO)^(Prati 1951) Old Italian also had the plural ''costumora''.^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|la-vul|*costūmen|t=custom]], a spoken-Latin form that replaced classical [[la|cōnsuētūdō|t=habit, custom]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011)^(Gabrielli 2020)^(DEI|1136) DELI, following Battisti, adds that the Italian form was very probably modelled on [[fro|costume]] and [[pro|costum]];^(DELI 1999)^(GDLI)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026) GRADIT gives Old French as the probable source, and Sabatini–Coletti think the word came through Provençal.^(DELI 1999)^(GDLI)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026) The TLIO likewise allows for French and Provençal influence.^(TLIO) The learned doublet is [[consuetudine]], taken from the classical word.^(Wiktionary)^(Körting 1907)

+

+ The shape of the Vulgar Latin form has long been debated.^(Körting 1907) Diez assumed an exchange of the suffix ⟨-ūdine⟩ for ⟨-ūme⟩;^(Körting 1907)^(DEI|1136) Cornu and Havel proposed different chains of sound changes;^(Körting 1907)^(DEI|1136) Gröber reconstructed a neuter and a feminine form side by side.^(Körting 1907)^(DEI|1136) Devoto explains the ending as a cross with a form related to [[m|la|cōnstituō|t=to set up]].^(Devoto 1968)

+

+ The same word is [[fr|coutume]], [[oc|cosdumna]], [[ca|costum]], [[es|costumbre]], [[pt|costume]], Logudorese [[m|sc|costùmene]], [[fur|custùm]] and Engadine [[m|rm|costüm]].^(REW 1935)^(Nocentini 2010)^(DEI|1136) The Latin noun is formed on [[m|la|cōnsuēscō|t=to grow accustomed]], from [[m|la|con-]] and [[m|la|suēscō|t=to become used to]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The TLIO's first record is in the Venetian ''Proverbia que dicuntur'', of the last quarter of the 12th century.^(TLIO) DELI's first record, from the ''Laude cortonesi'' of about 1260, has the sense “a person's habitual behaviour”.^(DELI 1999)^(DIFIT)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In Old Italian ''costume'' meant the habits of a person, of an animal and even of an object, the rules of good manners, moral conduct, the traditions of a people and customary law.^(TLIO) The sense “the customs and beliefs of a society in a given age” is in Brunetto Latini before 1294, and “moral conduct” in Bono Giamboni before 1292.^(DELI 1999) Petrarch writes that nature yields to habit, ''vinta dal costume''.^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861)

+

+ The sense “dress, manner of clothing” is first recorded in the TLIO and becomes common later: DELI dates it to 1812, and DEI has it from the 16th century and ''costume da bagno'' “swimsuit” from the 20th.^(TLIO)^(DELI 1999)^(DEI|1136) The word passed into French as [[m|fr|costume]], at first for customs and, from 1747 for dress, and French passed it on to English and German.^(DIFIT)^(DEI|1136) Today ''costume'' is also the theatre costume, and ''di costume'' describes writing about social habits, as in a ''romanzo di costume''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Late 12th century – ''Costume'' appears in the Venetian ''Proverbia que dicuntur''.^(TLIO)

+ * About 1260 – The ''Laude cortonesi'' use it for a person's habits.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1294 – Brunetto Latini uses it for the customs of a society.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1641 – French ''coustume'' is recorded in the sense “customs”, after Italian.^(DIFIT)

+ * 1747 – French ''costume'' is recorded in the sense “manner of dress”.^(DIFIT)

+ * 1812 – Bernardoni records the sense “dress typical of a place or time”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1923–1939 – Ugo Ojetti uses ''costumista'', the costume designer.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A person's habitual behaviour, a [[m|en|habit]]: ''Non è suo costume arrivare tardi.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # Moral conduct: ''un uomo di sani costumi''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # The [[m|en|custom|alt=customs]], beliefs and habits of a community or an age; social behaviour as a subject of study or comment: ''Lo studioso descrive i costumi dei popoli alpini.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # The typical dress of a place, an age or a group: ''Alla sagra molti indossavano il costume tradizionale.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # A garment worn for a special occasion, especially a fancy-dress [[m|en|costume]]: ''un costume da pirata per il carnevale''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # The clothes of actors on stage or on screen: ''Ha disegnato i costumi del film.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # ''(short for'' costume da bagno'')'' A [[m|en|swimsuit]]: ''Ho dimenticato il costume a casa.''^(Wiktionary)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+ # ''(archaic)'' The nature or property of a thing.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[costumanza]]

+ * [[costumare]]

+ * [[costumato]]

+ * [[costumatezza]]

+ * [[scostumato]]

+ * [[scostumatezza]]

+ * [[costumista]]

+ * [[costumino]]

+ * [[accostumare]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[consuetudine]]

+ * [[consueto]]

+ * [[malcostume]]

+ * [[buoncostume]]

+ * [[la|consuetudo]]

+ * [[fr|coutume]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Donna di facili costumi'' is a euphemism for a woman of loose morals;^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010) ''in costume adamitico'' means stark naked.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010) Old Italian also had a separate, rare ''costume'' “export duty” (on wool), recorded in a Sienese text of the early 14th century, from Old French ''custume'' or English ''customs''.^(TLIO)^(DEI|1136)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}