identità Italian · revision 39159

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=1385, Francesco da Buti|origins=la īdem}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /i.den.tiˈta/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''identità''' ''f''^(Wiktionary)

+ Old Italian also had ''identitade'' and ''identitate''.^(DEI|1915)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|la-lat|identitās|t=sameness]], recorded in Saint Cyprian, from [[m|la|īdem|t=the same]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(DEI|1915)^(GDLI) The Latin word is a calque of [[grc|ταὐτότης|tr=tautótēs|t=sameness]], from [[m|grc|ταὐτός|tr=tautós|t=the same]];^(Nocentini 2010)^(Treccani 2011)^(DEI|1915)^(Wiktionary) Aristotle's term reached medieval philosophy through Boethius and was spread by Thomism.^(Nocentini 2010)^(Treccani 2011)^(DEI|1915)^(Wiktionary) Sabatini–Coletti and the GDLI see the model of the adverb [[m|la|identidem|t=repeatedly]] in its form.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(GDLI)

+

+ The same learned word is [[fr|identité]], recorded from the 14th century, and [[es|identidad]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(DEI|1915)^(GDLI) [[identico]] comes from Medieval Latin [[m|la-med|identicus]] and [[identificare]] from Medieval Latin [[m|la-med|identificō]].^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The first record is in Francesco da Buti's commentary on the ''Paradiso'' (1385–1395), from Pisa, with the sense “complete sameness”: by species there is identity, but not by the individual.^(DELI 1999)^(TLIO)^(GDLI)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ For centuries the word belonged to theology, logic and natural philosophy: Bandello applies it to the three persons of the Trinity, and Galileo asks about the “identity of the matter”.^(GDLI)^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861) The sense “what makes a person, place or thing itself and not another” is recorded in 1673, in Giovan Battista De Luca, and before 1712 in Magalotti;^(DELI 1999)^(DEI|1915) DEI dates the legal use to the 18th century.^(DELI 1999)^(DEI|1915) Rosmini named the ''principio d'identità'', “A is A”, among the first principles of reasoning, and DEI connects the philosophical phrase with Schelling.^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861)^(DEI|1915)

+

+ In the 20th century psychology and sociology gave the word its sense of a sense of self, and the calques ''crisi d'identità'' (from English ''identity crisis'') and ''identità di genere'' (''gender identity'').^(Devoto–Oli 2026) The ''carta d'identità'', the identity card issued by the municipality, made it an everyday word;^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Gabrielli 2020) ''identità digitale'' is recent.^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1385–1395 – Francesco da Buti uses ''identità'' for complete sameness.^(DELI 1999)^(TLIO)

+ * 14th century – French ''identité'' is recorded.^(DEI|1915)

+ * 1673 – Giovan Battista De Luca uses it for what makes a person that person.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1712 – Magalotti uses the same sense.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 18th century – The legal sense is recorded.^(DEI|1915)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # Complete sameness, perfect [[corrispondenza|alt=correspondence]]: ''Tra i due testamenti c'è un'identità di contenuto.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # The set of characteristics that distinguish a person, group or thing: ''la ricerca della propria identità''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # The personal particulars by which someone is recognized: ''La polizia sta cercando di stabilire l'identità della vittima.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Treccani 2011)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(psychology)'' The awareness of oneself as an individual distinct from others and continuous in time.^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+ # ''(philosophy)'' Sameness of a thing with itself: ''principio d'identità''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Treccani 2011)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # ''(mathematics)'' An [[uguaglianza|alt=equality]] true for every value of its variables; the identity function.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[identitario]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[identico]]

+ * [[identificare]]

+ * [[identificazione]]

+ * [[la|idem]]

+ * [[fr|identité]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Identità'' is invariable.^(GRADIT 2003) Common phrases are ''carta'' or ''documento d'identità'' “identity card, ID”, ''crisi d'identità'' “identity crisis” and ''identità di genere'' “gender identity”.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}