gloria Italian · revision 39181

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=12th century, Ritmo cassinese|origins=la glōria}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈɡlɔ.rja/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''gloria''' ''f'' (plural glorie)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old Italian also wrote [[m|roa-oit|grolia]], [[m|roa-oit|glolia]], [[m|roa-oit|groria]] and [[m|roa-oit|glora]], among many other spellings.^(TLIO)^(GDLI)^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is a learned word, [[bor|la|glōria|t=fame, renown; glory]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary) The word spread to all the languages of European culture mainly through the Latin of the Church: the same borrowing is [[fr|gloire]], recorded as Old French [[m|fro|glorie]] in the 11th century, and [[es|gloria]].^(DEI|1831)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GDLI) DELI notes that the Latin adjective [[m|la|glōriōsus]] is old and could be negative, as in the title of Plautus' comedy about a boastful soldier, while [[m|la|glōrificō|t=to glorify]] is a later formation of Church language.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ The origin of the Latin word is unknown, and it has no certain cognates.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010) An old proposal, taken up by Devoto, derives it by dissimilation from ⟨*gnōria⟩ “knowledge, fame”, of the family of [[m|la|gnārus|t=knowing]] and [[m|la|ignōrō|t=not to know]].^(Devoto 1968)^(de Vaan 2008)^(Wiktionary) De Vaan finds the meaning attractive, since Indo-European words for “glory” often mean “spoken praise” or “reputation by hearsay”, but the sound change is a problem: ⟨gn-⟩ survived in both of those, perhaps because the syllable was unstressed there.^(de Vaan 2008) If the link is right, the root is [[ine-pro|*ǵneh₃-|t=to recognise, know]], and [[grc|γνώριμος|tr=gnṓrimos|t=well-known]] would be a related formation.^(de Vaan 2008)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ DELI's first record is the Benedictine ''Ritmo cassinese'' of the 12th century, where ''gloria'' is the state of the blessed in Paradise.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003) The TLIO's first text is the Venetian ''Proverbia que dicuntur'', of the last quarter of the 12th century.^(TLIO) The sense “great fame won by deeds or merit” is in Bono Giamboni before 1292, who defines glory as renown that runs through many lands.^(DELI 1999)^(GDLI)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Old Italian already used ''gloria'' for the fame of a person, for public celebration and praise, for the honour of a success, and for the power and prosperity of a people or a city, as well as for the glory of God and the saints.^(TLIO) Dante has the word for “pride, boasting”, a sense the dictionaries now mark as literary.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026) From before 1600, in Bernardo Davanzati, ''gloria'' could also be the person or thing that is a source of glory, as in ''una gloria nazionale''.^(DELI 1999)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+

+ DELI points out that the spread of ''gloria'', [[glorificare]] and [[glorioso]] from Church language into everyday speech is old and wide, and that the popularity of the liturgical word shows in many sayings.^(DELI 1999) Machiavelli's idea of ''gloria'' has been the subject of special studies.^(DELI 1999) In art a ''gloria'' is a painting or sculpture of the heavenly court, with angels and saints in light around God.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011) Modern Italian also has an ironic use for a passing moment of success, and sport speaks of ''vecchie glorie'', the champions of the past.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 12th century – The ''Ritmo cassinese'' uses ''gloria'' for the bliss of Paradise.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Last quarter of the 12th century – ''Gloria'' appears in the Venetian ''Proverbia que dicuntur''.^(TLIO)

+ * Before 1292 – Bono Giamboni uses the word for “great fame”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1313–1319 – Dante uses ''gloria'' for “pride, boasting”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 14th century – The masculine ''gloria'', the hymn or prayer named after its first word, is recorded.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)

+ * Before 1600 – Bernardo Davanzati uses ''gloria'' for a person or thing that brings glory.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # [[m|en|glory]], [[m|en|fame]]: great honour won through outstanding deeds or merit: ''Il generale cercava la gloria sul campo di battaglia.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(ironic)'' A brief moment of success or notice: ''Ha avuto anche lui il suo quarto d'ora di gloria.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+ # ''(religion)'' The majesty of God; the [[m|en|bliss]] of the blessed in Paradise.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # [[m|en|praise]], glorification: ''gloria a Dio''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A person or thing that is a source of pride and honour; in the plural, achievements that bring fame: ''Quel pittore è una gloria della città.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(literary)'' Pride, boasting.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(literary)'' Splendour, magnificence.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # ''(art)'' A painting or sculpture showing God, angels and saints amid clouds and light.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # ''(meteorology)'' A glory: rings of coloured light seen around a shadow cast on mist or cloud.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[glorioso]]

+ * [[gloriare]]

+ * [[glorificare]]

+ * [[glorificazione]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[vanagloria]]

+ * [[la|glōria]]

+ * [[fr|gloire]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ The masculine invariable ''gloria'' is a separate word, named after the first word of a prayer or hymn: the doxology ''Gloria Patri'' (''recitare tre gloria'') and the hymn ''Gloria in excelsis Deo'' of the Mass.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026) It is recorded from the 14th century, at first also as a feminine.^(DELI 1999)^(GDLI) Proverbs and phrases come from it: ''tutti i salmi finiscono in gloria'' “every psalm ends with the Gloria”, that is, things always end the same way, and ''suonare a gloria'', to ring the bells in celebration.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+

+ Fixed phrases with the feminine noun include ''lavorare per la gloria'', to work without pay, ''coprirsi di gloria'', to win great glory, and ''Dio l'abbia in gloria'', said of the dead.^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011)^(Gabrielli 2020) ''Gloria'' is also the name of a fabric of silk and cotton used for umbrellas.^(Zingarelli 2010)^(DEI|1831)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}