Foglio

Foglio is an Italian noun with several related meanings centered on the idea of a flat sheet or page. The most common sense denotes a single sheet of paper or similar material used for writing, printing, or drawing. It can also refer to a page in a book, a notebook, or a newspaper, as in the informal use of “un foglio” to mean one sheet.

Etymology and related terms trace the word back to Latin folium, meaning leaf, with the form foglio developing in the evolution of Italian. The root is shared with foglia, the standard term for a plant leaf; foglio emphasizes a flat sheet or page rather than a natural leaf.

In everyday language, foglio serves for concrete objects such as “foglio di carta” (sheet of paper), “foglio di giornale” (newspaper issue), or “foglio di esercizi” (exercise sheet). In publishing and music, phrases such as “foglio musicale” can be used, though more common terms exist (for music, spartito is often preferred).

Modern and technical usage includes compound terms from computing and publishing. “Foglio di calcolo” means spreadsheet; “foglio di stile” means stylesheet in web development; and “foglio elettronico” is used for electronic spreadsheets. The word is also used for forms or documents issued as a single sheet, for example in administrative contexts.

Notes: while foglio and foglia share a root, foglio typically designates a flat sheet or page, whereas foglia is the standard term for a leaf in botany. This distinction helps avoid confusion in natural and technical contexts.