provocare Italian · revision 39318

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=before 1292|origins=la vōx}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /pro.voˈka.re/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''provocare''' (first-person singular present pròvoco, first-person singular past historic provocài, past participle provocàto, auxiliary avére)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|la|prōvocō|t=to call out, challenge]], from [[m|la|prō-|t=forth]] and [[m|la|vocō|t=to call]], a verb formed from [[m|la|vōx|t=voice]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(Devoto 1968)^(Zingarelli 2010) DELI, DEI and Zingarelli call it a learned word.^(DELI 1999)^(DEI|3123)^(Zingarelli 2010) The same Latin verb is [[fr|provoquer]] and [[es|provocar]], and in Spanish and Catalan it also means “to make someone vomit”.^(Nocentini 2010)^(DEI|3123)^(REW 1935)

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+ The present participle in the sense “alluring, provocative” follows [[fr|provocant]], which has had that meaning since 1775.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ GRADIT dates the verb to before 1292, and Zingarelli to 1268.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010) DELI's first records are in the Italian ''Crescenzi'' (about 1350), in the sense “to bring about, cause”, and in the translation of Saint Augustine (second half of the 14th century), in the sense “to challenge”.^(DELI 1999)

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+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In the 14th century the verb meant to call or force someone to fight: the Augustine translation speaks of provoking peaceful neighbours to war, and Tasso writes of a king who did not dare to challenge the Frankish troops.^(GDLI|14, 793) In medicine it meant to bring on a bodily function, and ''provocativo'' was used of a medicine that did so.^(DELI 1999)

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+ Since then the sense “to cause, bring about” has become the commonest, while “to irritate someone into reacting” and “to arouse desire” stand beside it.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026) The ''agente provocatore'' is recorded from 1931.^(DEI|3123)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1268 – Zingarelli's first date for ''provocare''.^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ * About 1350 – The Italian ''Crescenzi'' uses it for “to cause”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Second half of the 14th century – The translation of Saint Augustine uses it for “to challenge”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1498 – ''Provocatorio'' appears in a song of the Piagnoni.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1527 – Machiavelli uses ''provocatore''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1831 – ''Provocante'' “alluring” is recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1931 – ''Agente provocatore'' is recorded.^(DEI|3123)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To [[m|en|cause]], to bring about an event or effect: ''La pioggia ha provocato una frana.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # To give rise to a physical or emotional reaction: ''Questo farmaco può provocare sonnolenza.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+ # To [[m|en|provoke]]: to irritate someone with words or behaviour so as to make them react, often violently: ''Smettila di provocarlo!''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # To arouse sexual desire in someone by one's behaviour.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # ''(literary)'' To urge, to incite someone to a feeling or an action: ''provocare all'odio''.^(Zingarelli 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[provocante]]

+ * [[provocativo]]

+ * [[provocatore]]

+ * [[provocatorio]]

+ * [[provocazione]]

+ * [[provocarsi]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[avvocare]]

+ * [[convocare]]

+ * [[evocare]]

+ * [[invocare]]

+ * [[revocare]]

+ * [[voce]]

+ * [[la|prōvocō]]

+ * [[fr|provoquer]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ The pronominal ''provocarsi'' means to cause oneself an injury: ''si è provocato una frattura''.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}