impiegato Italian · revision 39320

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation, semantic loan|attested=1771|origins=la plicō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /im.pjeˈɡa.to/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''impiegato''' ''m'' (plural impiegati, feminine impiegata)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is the past participle of [[impiegare|t=to employ]], used as a noun.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(Devoto–Oli 2026) DEI, Sabatini–Coletti and the 19th-century purist Ugolini see the noun as modelled on [[fr|employé]].^(DEI|1962)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(DELI 1999)

+

+ The verb is the popular outcome [[inh|la|implicō|t=to entwine, involve]], from [[m|la|in-]] and [[m|la|plicō|t=to fold]], and a doublet of the learned [[implicare]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(Wiktionary) The same Latin verb gave [[fr|employer]] and [[oc|emplegar]].^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ DELI dates the noun to 1771, in the laws of the Republic of Lucca;^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(DEI|1962) DEI has it in Tuscany in 1786.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(DEI|1962) The participle ''impiegato'' “put to use” is much older: Boccaccio speaks of tears ''bene impiegate'' in the ''Fiammetta'' (1343–1344).^(TLIO)^(GDLI)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In the 19th century ''impiegato'' was criticised by purists as a Gallicism, but Fanfani called it a word of common use in 1863, and Rigutini in 1886 said it was too well rooted to be removed.^(DELI 1999) The word gave ''impiegatizio'' (1922), which Panzini's successor called unpleasant, and the dismissive ''impiegatume'' for clerks as a mass.^(DELI 1999)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+

+ Today labour law distinguishes the ''impiegato di concetto'', who does intellectual or technical work, from the ''impiegato d'ordine'', who carries out set tasks.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1343–1344 – Boccaccio uses the participle ''impiegato'' “put to use”.^(TLIO)

+ * 1771 – ''Impiegato'' “employee” appears in the laws of the Republic of Lucca.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)

+ * 1786 – The noun is recorded in Tuscany.^(DEI|1962)

+ * 1863 – Fanfani calls the word one of common use.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1905 – Panzini records ''impiegato d'ordine''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1922 – Piero Gobetti uses ''impiegatizio''.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # An [[m|en|employee]] who does regular, non-manual work in a public or private office; a [[m|en|clerk]]: ''Lavora come impiegata in un'agenzia di viaggi.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Used, employed for a purpose: ''tempo ben impiegato''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[impiegatizio]]

+ * [[impiegatesco]]

+ * [[impiegatume]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[impiegare]]

+ * [[impiego]]

+ * [[implicare]]

+ * [[fr|employé]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Impiegato statale'' or ''pubblico'' is a civil servant, and ''impiegato di banca'' a bank clerk.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010) The feminine is ''impiegata''.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}