asilo

Asilo is a term used in several Romance languages with multiple related meanings tied to shelter, protection, or care. The root is Latin asilium, from Greek asylon, meaning sanctuary or a place of inviolable safety. In modern usage, the sense of protection appears in the legal concept of asylum, while other senses refer to institutions that provide care or to educational settings.

In the context of international law, asylum refers to protection granted by a state to individuals who have fled persecution. The term appears in many languages as asilo or related forms; in Spanish and Italian, phrases like asilo político describe political asylum, and asylum procedures are governed by national and international law, notably the 1951 Refugee Convention and its Protocol.

In social care, asilo can denote a facility that offers shelter or care for those who cannot fully care for themselves. In Spanish and Portuguese, asilo may refer to a nursing home or rest home for elderly or disabled people, with the term’s use varying by country and often accompanied by descriptors indicating the level of care.

In education, Italian uses asilo to mean a preschool or nursery school (asilo nido refers specifically to infant daycare). This sense reflects a different semantic field from the asylum sense and indicates the linguistic diversity of the term.

Overall, asilo is a multifunctional term whose meanings range from a legal refuge to a care facility or a child-focused educational setting, depending on language and context.