singolo Italian · revision 39233

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=first half of the 14th century, Statuto dell'arte degli oliandoli|origins=la singulus}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈsin.ɡo.lo/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''singolo''' (feminine singola, masculine plural singoli, feminine plural singole)^(Wiktionary)

+ The archaic form is [[m|roa-oit|singulo]], recorded from the 13th century.^(DEI|3505)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010) Old texts also have [[m|roa-oit|senglo]].^(GDLI|19, 68)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is a learned word, [[bor|la|singulus|t=single, one at a time]], a Latin adjective used mostly in the plural as the distributive of [[m|la|ūnus|t=one]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(DEI|3505)^(Zingarelli 2010) The derivatives [[singolare]] and [[singolarità]] continue [[m|la|singulāris]] and [[m|la|singulāritās]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ The Latin word was also inherited, with other meanings: [[ro|singur|t=alone]], [[dlm|sanglo|t=alone]], Campidanese [[sc|singra|t=childless woman]], [[fro|sangle]], and [[pro|sengles]], [[ca|sengles]], [[es|sendos]] and [[pt|sendos|t=one each]].^(DEI|3505)^(REW 1935)^(Körting 1907) [[la-lat|*singellus]], with a change of suffix, gave [[es|sencillo|t=simple]], and, from it [[scn|singigghiu]].^(DEI|3505)

+

+ The first part of the Latin adjective is the root meaning “one” seen in [[m|la|simplex|t=simple]], [[m|la|semper|t=always]] and [[m|la|semel|t=once]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(DEI|3505) The second part is obscure: DEI rejects a link with the ending of [[m|la|prīvīgnus|t=stepson]], and Devoto compares a suffix found in Gothic.^(DEI|3505)^(Devoto 1968) Wiktionary lists two proposals, a compound of [[ine-pro|*sem-|t=one]] with a distributive particle, or with the suffixes [[m|ine-pro|*-go-]] and [[m|ine-pro|*-lo-]], comparing [[got|𐌰𐌹𐌽𐌰𐌺𐌻𐍃|tr=ainakls|t=alone]].^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ DELI's first record is the statute of the oil-sellers' guild, of the first half of the 14th century, with the sense “considered by itself, apart from the others”.^(DELI 1999) The statute orders the officers to hand back ''tutte e singole carte'', “each and every paper” of the guild.^(GDLI|19, 68) GRADIT and Zingarelli date the word before 1332.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In Old Italian the word was mostly used with ''tutti'' to stress each member of a group, as in the Sienese statutes that speak of ''tutte e singule provisioni'', “each and every provision”.^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861)^(GDLI|19, 68) The use of the plural noun ''i singoli'' for “individuals” was still new in the 19th century: Tommaseo's dictionary of 1873 records it and calls it a barbarous abuse.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ The 20th century gave the word many technical senses: a sleeping-car cabin with one berth (1942), a single scull, translating English ''skiff'' (1942), a telephone line for one subscriber (1950), and a singles match in tennis (1951).^(DELI 1999) Later it also named a record with one or a few songs and the main song on it, and a person who lives alone, after English ''single''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 13th century – The archaic form ''singulo'' is recorded.^(DEI|3505)

+ * First half of the 14th century – The statute of the oil-sellers' guild uses ''singole''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1332 – GRADIT's date for the first record.^(GRADIT 2003)

+ * 1873 – Tommaseo records the noun ''i singoli'' “individuals”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1942 – The senses “single cabin” and “single scull” are recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1950 – The sense “single telephone line” is recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1951 – The tennis sense “singles match” is recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Considered by itself, separately from the others; individual: ''Il giudice ha esaminato ogni singolo documento.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # Made up of one element only; [[m|en|single]]: ''una lettera in copia singola''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+ # Meant for one person: ''camera singola'', ''letto singolo''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # The [[m|en|individual]], considered by himself or herself, as against the community: ''Lo Stato deve proteggere anche il singolo.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(uncommon)'' A person who lives alone, without a stable partner.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # ''(sports)'' A singles match in tennis and table tennis; in rowing, a [[m|en|scull]] for one rower and the race for it; in baseball, a hit that gives only first base.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(music)'' A [[m|en|record]] with one or a few songs, and the main song on it: ''Il loro nuovo singolo esce venerdì.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(telecommunications)'' A telephone line used by one subscriber only.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[singolare]]

+ * [[singolarità]]

+ * [[singolativo]]

+ * [[singoletto]]

+ * [[singolista]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[semplice]]

+ * [[simile]]

+ * [[la|singulus]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}