bersaglio Italian · revision 39270

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=late 13th century, Tomaso da Faenza|origins=frk *birsōn}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /berˈsaʎ.ʎo/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''bersaglio''' ''m'' (plural bersagli)^(Wiktionary)

+ The older form [[roa-oit|berzaglio]] is used by Dante and survives in literary use until Galileo.^(DELI 1999)^(LEI|5, 833) Other early forms are [[roa-oit|bersagi]] (Venetian, plural), [[roa-oit|brexallo]] (Faenza) and [[roa-oit|berssaglo]] (Genoa).^(TLIO)^(LEI|5, 833) In the 16th century ''versaglio'' and ''brisaglio'' are also found.^(LEI|5, 833)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|fro|bersail|t=target for arrows]], a noun formed from the Old French verb [[m|fro|berser|t=to hunt; to shoot with a bow]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(LEI|5, 833) The verb is of Germanic origin: DELI, Nocentini and the LEI derive it from [[frk|*birsōn|t=to go hunting]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(LEI|5, 833) Prati called the French word of unknown origin,^(Prati 1951|135) and Wiktionary traces the verb instead to [[la|vervex|t=wether]].^(Wiktionary)

+

+ The LEI notes that the Old French verb is recorded about half a century before the noun (about 1130 and about 1190), while in Italian the noun comes first and the verb only later.^(LEI|5, 833) A verb [[gmh|birsen|t=to hunt]] is found from 1194 and a verb [[la-med|birsor|alt=birsari|t=to hunt]] in documents from Germany from 1030;^(LEI|5, 833) Kluge and Seebold derive modern [[de|pirschen|t=to stalk]] from the Old French verb.^(LEI|5, 833) In Italy the noun is recorded in Medieval Latin as [[m|la-med|bresagium]] (13th century, Bergamo) and [[m|la-med|bressaglus]] “for shooting with the crossbow” (1363, Udine).^(DEI|497)

+

+ The same French verb gave the Italian family of [[imberciare]] “to hit the target” and [[berciare]].^(LEI|5, 833)^(DEI|497) Sabatini–Coletti explains the /ts/ of the older form as a transitional sound that developed in the cluster.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The TLIO's first record is in the poems of Tomaso da Faenza, in the late 13th century, where the word means the mark aimed at with a bow or crossbow.^(TLIO) DELI dates its first record of ''berzaglio'' to Dante, who died in 1321, and of the modern spelling ''bersaglio'' to Sannazaro, before 1530.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In Old Italian the word also named the place where shooting with the crossbow was practised, and, by extension, a fight or clash;^(TLIO) ''mettersi a bersaglio'' meant to put one's life at risk.^(TLIO) The sense “fight, skirmish” is now archaic.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(GRADIT 2003) Pulci uses it in a figurative sense, a person or thing that is the butt of mockery or misfortune, before 1484.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ The verb [[bersagliare]], “to take aim at; to strike repeatedly”, is recorded from 1598 (as ''berzagliare'') and 1609, and figuratively “to persecute” from 1689.^(DELI 1999) [[bersagliere]] first meant a skilled marksman and was recorded in 1829;^(Nocentini 2010) it became the name of a corps of light infantry formed in the Sardinian army in 1836.^(Prati 1951|135)

+

+ Modern technical senses include the parts of the body that may be hit in boxing and fencing, the opponent's goal in football, and in physics the atom or nucleus struck by particles from an accelerator.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * About 1190 – Old French ''bersail'' “target” is first recorded.^(LEI|5, 833)

+ * Late 13th century – Tomaso da Faenza uses the word (as ''brexallo'').^(TLIO)

+ * Before 1321 – Dante uses ''berzaglio''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1484 – Pulci uses the figurative sense, a person who is the butt of something.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1530 – Sannazaro uses the spelling ''bersaglio''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1598 – The verb ''berzagliare'' is recorded, by Florio.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1829 – ''Bersagliere'' “marksman” is recorded.^(Nocentini 2010)

+ * 1836 – A corps of ''bersaglieri'' is formed in the Sardinian army.^(Prati 1951|135)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A [[m|en|target]]: the object or mark aimed at with a weapon, especially in military exercises or shooting competitions: ''Ha colpito il bersaglio al primo tiro.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # ''(figurative)'' An aim or goal, ''colpire il bersaglio'', to achieve one's purpose.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # ''(figurative)'' A person or thing that is the object of criticism, jokes or misfortune: ''È diventato il bersaglio dei giornali.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # ''(sports)'' In boxing and fencing, the part of the body that may be struck; in football, the opponent's [[m|en|goal]].^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+ # ''(physics)'' The atom, nucleus or surface struck by a beam of particles or electrons.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # ''(archaic)'' A fight or [[m|en|skirmish]].^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(GRADIT 2003)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[bersagliare]]

+ * [[bersagliere]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[imberciare]]

+ * [[fro|bersail]]

+ * [[de|pirschen]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Tiro al bersaglio'' is target shooting, and also the place where it is practised.^(Gabrielli 2020)^(GRADIT 2003) ''Bersaglio grosso'' in boxing is the boxer's trunk.^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}