schiavo Italian · revision 39229

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=13th century, Chiaro Davanzati|origins=cu словѣнинъ}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈskja.vo/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''schiavo''' (feminine schiava, masculine plural schiavi, feminine plural schiave)^(Wiktionary)

+ The popular Tuscan form is ''stiavo''.^(DEI|3387)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010) Old texts also have ''sciavo''.^(GDLI|17)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|la-med|sclavus|t=Slav; slave]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003) Nocentini takes the Latin word from [[gkm|σκλάβος|tr=sklábos|t=slave]], drawn from [[m|gkm|Σκλαβηνός|tr=Sklabēnós|t=Slav]], an adaptation of [[cu|словѣнинъ|tr=slověninŭ|t=Slav]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(Wiktionary) The /k/ inserted in the group /sl/ is found in the Greek forms too;^(DELI 1999)^(DEI|3387) DEI explains it by the rarity of that consonant group.^(DELI 1999)^(DEI|3387)

+

+ The word took the sense “slave” because many slaves sold in the West were Slavs.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010) In the 10th and 11th centuries Slav peoples of the Balkans, partly under Byzantium and partly under Germanic kingdoms, supplied slaves to the West, and the Venetians continued the trade after the first Crusades; since the Church forbade the enslavement of Christians, pagan Slavs were the people from whom slaves could still be taken.^(Nocentini 2010) DELI dates the sense “slave” to Germany in the 10th and 11th centuries, and to Italy in the 13th century, when Slav slaves were imported from south-eastern Europe and the Black Sea coasts.^(DELI 1999) Zaccaria reports the older view of Diez, who took the Latin word from Middle High German, and Kluge's derivation from the Byzantine name of the Slavs.^(Zaccaria 1901)

+

+ The same word is [[fr|esclave]], [[pro|esclau]], [[es|esclavo]], [[pt|escravo]], [[de|Sklave]] and [[en|slave]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(Zaccaria 1901) [[slavo]] and [[ciao]] are doublets; the second comes from the greeting [[vec|s'ciavo|t=(your) slave]].^(Wiktionary)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ DELI's first Italian record is in Chiaro Davanzati, of the 13th century, who says that thinking of his lady made him “marquis and slave” (''marchese / e schiavo'').^(DELI 1999)^(GDLI|17) Earlier Medieval Latin records are ''Sclavos'', written in Greek letters in Calabria in 1188, perhaps still an ethnic name, and ''sclavus'' in a treaty between Genoa and Pavia of 1251.^(DELI 1999) Prati finds men called ''Sclabus'' in the Chronicle of Volturno in 968, and ''sclava'' in Italy in 1088.^(Prati 1951|888)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Old Italian used the word for a person owned by another, and Dante speaks of corsairs who sell their female slaves (''come fanno i corsar de l'altre schiave'').^(GDLI|17) The figurative sense, someone bound by a subjection that limits his freedom, is recorded before 1535 in Berni.^(DELI 1999) The older sense “Slav, of Slavonia” survived in literature, as in Ariosto's ''il mar schiavo'', the Adriatic.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+

+ ''Schiavo suo'' and ''schiavo vostro'' were respectful greetings of Venetian origin, used by Goldoni, and the modern ''ciao'' comes from them.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026) The derivatives followed the debates on slavery: ''schiavitudine'' is recorded in 1612, ''schiavitù'' in 1674, ''schiavista'' in 1864.^(DELI 1999) In engineering ''schiavo'' describes a device controlled by another one in a servo system.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Treccani 2011) In the Venetian dialects ''s'ciavo'' is also the cockroach.^(DEI|3387)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 968 – Men named ''Sclabus'' appear in the Chronicle of Volturno.^(Prati 1951|888)

+ * 1088 – Medieval Latin ''sclava'' is recorded in Italy.^(Prati 1951|888)

+ * 1251 – ''Sclavus'' appears in a treaty between Genoa and Pavia.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 13th century – Chiaro Davanzati uses ''schiavo''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1311 – Venetian ''sclava'' “female slave” is recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1535 – Berni uses the word figuratively.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1612 – ''Schiavitudine'' “slavery” is recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1674 – ''Schiavitù'' is recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1864 – ''Schiavista'' is recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A [[m|en|slave]]: a person who is the legal property of another and has no rights: ''Nell'antica Roma molti schiavi lavoravano nei campi.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(figurative)'' A person wholly subject to someone else's will: ''Si sente lo schiavo del suo capo.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(archaic)'' In respectful greetings: ''schiavo vostro!''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Not free; without political freedom or [[m|en|independence]]: ''un paese rimasto schiavo per secoli''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(figurative)'' Dependent on a habit, vice or passion: ''È schiavo del telefono.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(engineering)'' Controlled by another device in a [[m|en|servomechanism]].^(GRADIT 2003)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # ''(archaic)'' Slav, of Slavonia.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[schiavitù]]

+ * [[schiavismo]]

+ * [[schiavista]]

+ * [[schiavistico]]

+ * [[schiavizzare]]

+ * [[schiavesco]]

+ * [[schiavetto]]

+ * [[schiavina]]

+ * [[schiavitudine]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[slavo]]

+ * [[ciao]]

+ * [[la-med|sclavus]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Alla schiava'' describes sandals laced above the ankle and a plain, heavy bracelet, after those worn by slaves.^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}