giudicare Italian · revision 39281

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=13th century, Gallo da Pisa|origins=la iūs, la dīcō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /d͡ʒu.diˈka.re/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''giudicare''' (first-person singular present giùdico, first-person singular past historic giudicài, past participle giudicàto, auxiliary avére)^(Wiktionary)

+ The Latinizing [[roa-oit|iudicare]] is literary and old, and Old Italian also had [[m|roa-oit|giudigare]].^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Treccani 2011)^(GDLI|6, 863)

+ In the Middle Ages Genoa had [[roa-oit|zuegàr]] and Lombardy [[m|roa-oit|zuiàr]], “to condemn”.^(DEI|1818)^(Körting 1907)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It continues [[inh|la|iūdicō|t=to judge, pass judgement]], from [[m|la|iūdex|t=judge]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Wiktionary) GDLI calls it a semi-learned word.^(GDLI|6, 863) Like the noun, the verb is analysed as [[m|la|iūs|t=law]] and [[m|la|dīcō|t=to say]], “to pronounce the law”; only later, as the strict legal sense faded, did it take on the wider meaning “to consider, think”.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)

+

+ The verb is pan-Romance: [[fr|juger]] (the source of [[en|judge]]), [[oc|jutjar]], [[ca|jutjar]], [[es|juzgar]], [[pt|julgar]] and [[ro|judeca]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(REW 1935)^(DEI|1818) Latin already had the participle [[m|la|iūdicātus]], while [[giudicatore]] is an Italian formation and [[giudicatura]] perhaps a loan from Spanish.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ DELI's first record is in Gallo da Pisa, in the 13th century, with the sense “to assess according to qualities or merits”.^(DELI 1999) GDLI quotes him: slanderers should be whipped, ''ca per li fini amanti è giudicato'' (“for so it is judged by true lovers”).^(GDLI|6, 863) Meo Abbracciavacca, also in the 13th century, uses it for “to consider, deem”, and Guittone d'Arezzo (before 1294) for “to exercise judgement”.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Dante uses the verb for deciding a case by sentence (before 1321) and intransitively for expressing judgements (1304–1308).^(DELI 1999) In Old Tuscan it also meant “to bequeath, dispose of”, a sense still recorded as obsolete with “to award”.^(DEI|1818)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+

+ Derivatives multiplied in the legal language: ''giudicato'' “a judged matter” (14th century), ''passare in giudicato'' of a final sentence (1673), ''giudicatura'' “body of judges” (1668), and ''giudicabile'' (1814), which Pietro Giordani proposed as a noun for the accused.^(DELI 1999) ''Giudicato'' was also the name of each of the four medieval states of Sardinia.^(DELI 1999) The proverb ''mal si giudica il cavallo dalla sella'' warns that appearances deceive.^(Treccani 2011)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 13th century – Gallo da Pisa uses ''giudicare''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1294 – Guittone d'Arezzo uses it for exercising judgement.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)

+ * 1304–1308 – Dante uses it intransitively.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1321 – Dante uses it for deciding a case.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1668 – ''Giudicatura'' is recorded in Lorenzo Magalotti.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1673 – ''Passare in giudicato'' is recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1814 – ''Giudicabile'' is recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To [[m|en|judge]], assess morally or aesthetically: ''Non giudicare un libro dalla copertina.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(intransitive or absolute)'' To exercise judgement; to express an opinion (with ''di'' or ''su''): ''Lascia che sia lui a giudicare.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # To [[m|en|consider]], deem: ''Lo giudico capace di farcela.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(law)'' To try, decide by sentence: ''La corte lo ha giudicato colpevole.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(obsolete)'' To award, assign.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # ''(giudicarsi)'' To consider oneself: ''Si giudica fortunato.''^(Treccani 2011)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[giudicabile]]

+ * [[giudicatore]]

+ * [[giudicatura]]

+ * [[giudicato]]

+ * [[ingiudicato]]

+ * [[aggiudicare]]

+ * [[aggiudicazione]]

+ * [[pregiudicare]]

+ * [[giudicante]]

+ * [[giudicativo]]

+ * [[giudicatorio]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[giudice]]

+ * [[giudizio]]

+ * [[la|iūdicō]]

+ * [[fr|juger]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ The proverb ''mal si giudica il cavallo dalla sella'' means that appearances can deceive.^(Treccani 2011) ''Iudicare'' is a Latinizing variant, rare today.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}