dirigere Italian · revision 39221

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=1290–1310, Regimen Sanitatis (Neapolitan)|origins=la regō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /diˈri.d͡ʒe.re/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''dirigere''' (first-person singular present dirìgo, first-person singular past historic dirèssi, past participle dirètto, auxiliary avére)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old forms include [[roa-oit|diriçe]] and the Neapolitan infinitive [[roa-oit|diriciri]].^(TLIO)^(LEI|2, 655) A variant is [[direggere]].^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|la|dīrigō|t=to set in line; to direct, steer]], a learned word.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary) The Latin verb is a compound of [[m|la|regō|t=to guide, direct]] with the prefix [[m|la|dis-]]: DELI and GRADIT take it as “to guide this way and that”, while Nocentini glosses it as “to make go straight”.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Nocentini 2010) De Vaan gives the older Latin form as [[m|la|dērigō|alt=dērigere]] “to align, steer, direct”, and the spelling with a long ī became usual only in the 4th century AD.^(de Vaan 2008) The vowel of the second syllable is the regular Latin weakening of the e of the simple verb in an open medial syllable.^(Devoto 1968)

+

+ The Latin word seems to survive as an inherited verb only in a small area of the Valtellina; elsewhere it is learned, as in [[fr|diriger]] (1381), [[oc|diregi]], [[ca|dirigir]] and [[es|dirigir]] (1490).^(LEI|2, 655) Meyer-Lübke lists inherited outcomes such as [[ro|drege|t=to put in order, mend]].^(REW 1935) Through its past participle the same Latin verb gave [[diritto]] and [[diretto]].^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ The simple verb goes back to [[itc-pro|*regō]] and to [[ine-pro|*h₃reǵ-|t=to stretch, straighten, direct]], which also gave [[sa|ऋञ्जति|tr=ṛñjáti|t=stretches, directs]] and [[grc|ὀρέγω|tr=orégō|t=to stretch out]].^(de Vaan 2008)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The TLIO's first record is the Neapolitan ''Regimen Sanitatis'' (1290–1310), where the verb means to steer a course or movement: ''dirigere lo so curso'' “to direct its course”.^(TLIO)^(LEI|2, 655) In Tuscan it appears in the ''Morte di Tristano'' of about 1375.^(LEI|2, 655) DELI points out that an earlier example attributed to Zucchero Bencivenni by the Crusca, Tommaseo and the GDLI is a forgery.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The verb spread from movement to words and thoughts: Domenico Cavalca, who died in 1342, uses it for addressing or turning something towards someone, and the reflexive ''dirigersi'' “to make one's way towards a place” is in Leonardo, around 1519.^(DELI 1999)^(LEI|2, 655) Tasso has it in 1581 for turning something towards a precise point.^(DELI 1999) The musical sense of conducting singers and players, beating the time, is recorded from 1585.^(DEI|1319)^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861) The sense of running and governing an activity or an institution is dated by DELI to 1699 (Filippo Corsini).^(DELI 1999) In older literary use it also meant to dedicate a work to someone.^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+

+ The present participle ''dirigente'' became an adjective in the 1850s and a noun for a manager in 1846;^(DELI 1999) ''classe dirigente'' “ruling class” is in the title of a book of 1871.^(DELI 1999) ''Dirigibile'' “steerable” (1745) became the noun for an airship in 1905, after [[fr|dirigeable]], and ''dirigismo'' (1940) and ''dirigista'' (1950) also came from French, first applied to French economic policy.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010) Modern Italian also uses the verb for refereeing a match and for directing a film.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1290–1310 – The Neapolitan ''Regimen Sanitatis'' has the verb for directing a course.^(TLIO)^(LEI|2, 655)

+ * Before 1342 – Domenico Cavalca uses it for addressing and turning towards.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)

+ * 1381 – French ''diriger'' is first recorded.^(LEI|2, 655)

+ * About 1519 – Leonardo uses the reflexive ''dirigersi''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1585 – The sense of conducting music is recorded.^(DEI|1319)

+ * 1699 – Filippo Corsini uses it for managing an activity.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1846 – ''Dirigente'' is recorded as a noun.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1905 – ''Dirigibile'' is recorded for an airship.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1940 – ''Dirigismo'' is recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To [[m|en|direct]] or turn something towards a place or point: ''Dirigi la torcia verso il cancello.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # ''(figurative)'' To address words, a letter or a question to someone: ''Ha diretto la sua lettera al sindaco.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # ''(figurative)'' To devote one's efforts or thoughts to an aim.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # To [[m|en|manage]], run or be at the head of an organization or an activity; to regulate traffic: ''Mia zia dirige una piccola scuola.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # ''(music)'' To [[m|en|conduct]] an orchestra or a choir.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+ # ''(cinema)'' To direct a film.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+ # ''(sports)'' To [[m|en|referee]] a match.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+ # ''(reflexive)'' ''dirigersi'': to head for, make one's way towards a place; figuratively, to turn to a course of study or an activity: ''Ci dirigemmo verso la stazione.''^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[dirigente]]

+ * [[dirigenza]]

+ * [[dirigenziale]]

+ * [[dirigibile]]

+ * [[dirigismo]]

+ * [[dirigista]]

+ * [[dirigistico]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[diretto]]

+ * [[direzione]]

+ * [[dirigersi]]

+ * [[diritto]]

+ * [[reggere]]

+ * [[direttore]]

+ * [[la|dirigo]]

+ * [[fr|diriger]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}