polvere Italian · revision 39177

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=13th century, Ugo di Perso|origins=la pulvis}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈpol.ve.re/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''polvere''' ''f'' (plural polveri)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old Italian forms include [[m|roa-oit|polvare]], [[m|roa-oit|porvere]], [[m|roa-oit|pover]] and [[m|roa-oit|pulvere]].^(TLIO)^(GDLI) The literary [[polve]] continues the Latin nominative.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Wiktionary)^(Prati 1951|794)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|la|pulvis|t=dust]], from the accusative ⟨pulverem⟩;^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary) Latin had the noun as a masculine and more rarely as a feminine.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary) The poetic doublet [[polve]] comes from the nominative.^(Wiktionary)^(Prati 1951|794) The learned [[polverizzare]] and [[polverulento]] come from Late Latin [[m|la|pulverizō]] and Latin [[m|la|pulverulentus]], while [[polverizzatore]] and [[polverizzazione]] are modelled on [[fr|pulvérisateur]] and [[m|fr|pulvérisation]].^(DELI 1999)

+

+ The word is pan-Romance: [[fr|poudre]], [[oc|podra]], [[sc|piùere]], [[ro|pulbere]] and Vegliote [[m|dlm|pulvro]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(REW 1935) Ibero-Romance continues a Vulgar Latin neuter [[m|la-vul|*pulvus]] instead: [[ca|pols]], [[es|polvo]] and [[pt|pó]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(REW 1935)^(Wiktionary) [[en|powder]] and [[de|Puder]] come from the French word.^(DEI|3007)

+

+ The Latin noun belongs to the family of [[m|la|pollen|t=fine flour]] and [[m|la|puls|t=porridge]], whence Italian [[polline]] and [[polta]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(DELI 1999)^(Devoto 1968) Walde–Hofmann and Pokorny derived it from a Proto-Indo-European [[m|ine-pro|*pelH-u-|t=chaff]], but Schrijver found the link in meaning weak; de Vaan thinks it remains possible through an original sense “fine dust, something ground”.^(de Vaan 2008)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The first record, in the TLIO and DELI, is in the 13th-century poet Ugo di Perso of Cremona, with the sense “fine dry earth that the wind lifts and lets fall”.^(TLIO)^(DELI 1999) Among the things that vex him he lists ''drapi longhi qe la polver mena'' “long robes that sweep up the dust”.^(GDLI)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ By about 1350 the Italian Crescenzi used ''polvere'' for any solid material ground very fine, and Domenico Cavalca, before 1342, for the dust of which, in the Bible, man was made and into which his body returns.^(DELI 1999) Old Italian also had phrases such as ''scuotere la polvere dai piedi'', to leave in disdain, and ''scrivere nella polvere'', to do something futile.^(TLIO) Medicine called its ground remedies ''polveri'', and ''polvere di Cipro'' was an old name for face powder, [[cipria]].^(TLIO)^(DEI|3008)

+

+ With firearms came ''polvere'' “gunpowder”, recorded before 1430 in Buonaccorso Pitti;^(DELI 1999)^(DEI|3008) Medieval Latin at Ravenna already had ''pulvis pro bombarda'' in 1358.^(DELI 1999)^(DEI|3008) Hence [[polveriera]] “powder magazine” (1733) and, from 1875 in De Sanctis, a region where war may break out at any moment.^(DELI 1999) Twentieth-century uses include ''polverina'' for cocaine, recorded before 1957 in Umberto Saba, and ''polveri sottili'' for the fine particles in exhaust fumes.^(DELI 1999)^(GDLI)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 13th century – Ugo di Perso uses ''polvere'' “dust”.^(TLIO)^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1342 – Domenico Cavalca uses the word for the dust of which man is made.^(DELI 1999)

+ * About 1350 – The Italian Crescenzi uses ''polvere'' for any finely ground material.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1358 – Medieval Latin ''pulvis pro bombarda'' “gunpowder” is recorded at Ravenna.^(DEI|3008)

+ * Before 1430 – Buonaccorso Pitti uses ''polvere'' for gunpowder.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1733 – ''Polveriera'' “powder magazine” enters the Crusca dictionary.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1875 – Francesco De Sanctis uses ''polveriera'' figuratively for a region on the brink of war.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # [[m|en|dust]]: fine particles of dry earth that the wind lifts and that settle on things: ''Sui mobili della casa chiusa c'era uno strato di polvere.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(figurative)'' Long neglect, oblivion: ''un manoscritto riscoperto nella polvere di una biblioteca''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # [[m|en|powder]]: any substance ground into very fine particles: ''caffè in polvere'', ''polvere di gesso''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A medicine in powder form.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(slang)'' [[m|en|cocaine]].^(GRADIT 2003)

+ # ''(religion)'' The dust of which, in the Bible, man was made; in the plural, mortal remains.^(GRADIT 2003)^(DELI 1999)

+ # [[m|en|gunpowder]], usually ''polvere da sparo''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[polverone]]

+ * [[polveroso]]

+ * [[polverio]]

+ * [[polverina]]

+ * [[polveriera]]

+ * [[polverificio]]

+ * [[polverume]]

+ * [[polverizzare]]

+ * [[polverizzazione]]

+ * [[polverulento]]

+ * [[impolverare]]

+ * [[spolverare]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[polve]]

+ * [[polline]]

+ * [[polta]]

+ * [[cipria]]

+ * [[la|pulvis]]

+ * [[fr|poudre]]

+ * [[en|powder]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ Common phrases are ''mordere la polvere'', to be beaten, ''far mangiare la polvere a qualcuno'', to leave someone far behind, and ''gettare polvere negli occhi'', to deceive with appearances.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026) ''Prendere polvere'' is to gather dust, to lie unused.^(GRADIT 2003) The Biblical phrase ''polvere sei e in polvere ritornerai'' is quoted in GRADIT.^(GRADIT 2003)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}