vista

See also: Vista, višta, vištą, and vistā

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Italian vista (“view, sight”), from visto, past participle of vedere (“to see”), from Latin vidēre (“to see”). Compare vision, video, visa.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈvɪstə/, IPA^(key): /ˈviːstə/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɪstə

Noun

vista (plural vistas)

1. A distant view or prospect, especially one seen through some opening, avenue or passage.
   • 1834, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter XXV, in Francesca Carrara. […], volume II, London: Richard Bentley, […], (successor to Henry Colburn), →OCLC, page 271:

     The sun soon broke forth from that one dark cloud, gradually melting into light; and the sunbeams and the glittering rain went driving together through the forest glades—those long vistas, of which the slender deer seemed the sole habitants.

   • 1999, Harish Kapadia, “Ascents in the Panch Chuli Group”, in Across Peaks & Passes in Kumaun Himalaya, New Delhi: Indus Publishing Company, →ISBN, page 136:

     We had our reward for our high camp and early start, for the sky was still clear, the view magnificent, with fresh vistas to the north of mountains in Tibet, of Gurla Mandhata, massive, majestic to the northeast, and further to the north, a distant pyramid, Kailash, most holy of all mountains in both Hindu and Buddhist mythology.

2. A site offering such a view.
3. (figuratively) A vision; a view presented to the mind in prospect or in retrospect by the imagination.

   a vista of pleasure to come

   dim vistas of the past

   • 2017 December 27, Michael Andor Brodeur, “The meme class of 2017”, in The Boston Globe‎^[2]:

     And while our discourse might be a disaster area, the imaginative vistas of the Internet are far more vast than the modest plot of our feeds.

Derived terms

• vistaed

Related terms

• visto

Translations

distant view or prospect

• Bulgarian: далечен изглед m (dalečen izgled), перспектива (bg) f (perspektiva)
• Danish: udsigt c, vue n
• Dutch: uitzicht (nl)
• Finnish: näkymä (fi)
• French: vue (fr) f
• Georgian: ხედი (xedi), პერსპექტივა (ṗersṗekṭiva)
• German: Aussicht (de) f
• Greek: θέα (el) f (théa), προοπτική (el) f (prooptikí), άποψη (el) f (ápopsi)
• Hindi: नज़ारा (nazārā), दृश्य (hi) (dŕśya)
• Italian: prospettiva (it) f, vista (it) f
• Polish: widok (pl) m
• Portuguese: vista (pt)
• Romanian: perspectivă (ro) f, vedere (ro) f
• Russian: вид (ru) m (vid), перспекти́ва (ru) f (perspektíva)
• Spanish: vista (es) f
• Swedish: utsikt (sv) c

site offering such a view

• French: point de vue (fr) m
• Portuguese: vista (pt)
• Romanian: vedere (ro) f
• Spanish: vista (es) f

figuratively: vision

• Finnish: näkymä (fi), tulevaisuudennäkymä, mielikuva (fi)
• Greek: ορίζοντας (el) m (orízontas)

Verb

vista (third-person singular simple present vistas, present participle vistaing, simple past and past participle vistaed)

1. (transitive) To make a vista or landscape of.
   • 1896, Edward Bulwer Lytton, Eugene Aram:

     The night had now closed in, and its darkness was only relieved by the wan lamps that vistaed the streets, and a few dim stars that struggled through the reeking haze that curtained the great city.

References

• William Dwight Whitney, Benjamin E[li] Smith, editors (1911), “vista”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC.
• “vista”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, launched 2000.

Anagrams

• vitas

Asturian

Etymology

From Vulgar Latin *visita, from Latin visa, feminine past participle of videō.

Noun

vista f (plural vistes)

1. vision (sense or ability of sight)

   Synonym: visión

2. view
3. celerity
4. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.

Catalan

Etymology

Inherited from Vulgar Latin *visita, from Latin visa, feminine past participle of videō.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Central) [ˈbis.tə]
• IPA^(key): (Balearic) [ˈvis.tə]
• IPA^(key): (Valencia) [ˈvis.ta]

Noun

vista f (plural vistes)

1. sight, vision (the ability to see)
2. view (the act of seeing or looking at something)
3. view (the range of vision)
4. view (something to look at, such as scenery)

Derived terms

• punt de vista
• vistaire
• vistós

Participle

vista f sg

1. feminine singular of vist

Further reading

• “vista”, in Diccionari de la llengua catalana [Dictionary of the Catalan Language] (in Catalan), second edition, Institute of Catalan Studies [Catalan: Institut d'Estudis Catalans], 2007 April
• “vista”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2025.
• “vista” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
• “vista” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.

Galician

Etymology 1

Inherited from Old Galician-Portuguese vista, from Vulgar Latin *visita, from Latin visa, feminine past participle of videō.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbista̝/

Noun

vista f (plural vistas)

1. view
2. sight, eyesight

   Synonym: visión

Derived terms

• Boavista
• Vista Alegre

References

• Ernesto Xosé González Seoane, María Álvarez de la Granja, Ana Isabel Boullón Agrelo (2006–2022) “vista”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios do galego medieval (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Xavier Varela Barreiro, Xavier Gómez Guinovart (2006–2018) “vista”, in Corpus Xelmírez - Corpus lingüístico da Galicia medieval (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, editor (2006–2013), “vista”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios da lingua galega [Dictionary of Dictionaries of the Galician language] (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, Ernesto Xosé González Seoane, María Álvarez de la Granja, editors (2003–2018), “vista”, in Tesouro informatizado da lingua galega (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Rosario Álvarez Blanco, editor (2014–2024), “vista”, in Tesouro do léxico patrimonial galego e portugués (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega, →ISSN

Etymology 2

Verb

vista

1. inflection of vestir:
   1. first/third-person singular present subjunctive
   2. third-person singular imperative

Icelandic

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈvɪsta/
• Rhymes: -ɪsta

Verb

vista (weak verb, third-person singular past indicative vistaði, supine vistað)

1. to place, to find a place for [intransitive or with accusative]
2. (computing) to save a document, a file, pages etc. [intransitive or with accusative]

   Vista sem…

   Save as…

   Ég vistaði myndirnar sem þú sendir mér.

   I saved the pictures you sent me.

   Ég kann ekki að vista myndir af Netinu.

   I don’t know how to save images from the Internet.

Usage notes

• The computing word vista (“save”) enjoys limited popularity in informal spoken language, where the direct English loan word seiva (from English save) is often used instead, though usually considered nonstandard in more formal or written contexts.

Conjugation

vista – active voice (germynd)

infinitive nafnháttur		að vista
supine sagnbót		vistað
present participle lýsingarháttur nútíðar		vistandi
		indicative framsöguháttur			subjunctive viðtengingarháttur
		present nútíð	past þátíð		present nútíð	past þátíð
singular	ég	vista	vistaði		visti	vistaði
	þú	vistar	vistaðir		vistir	vistaðir
	hann, hún, það	vistar	vistaði		visti	vistaði
plural	við	vistum	vistuðum		vistum	vistuðum
	þið	vistið	vistuðuð		vistið	vistuðuð
	þeir, þær, þau	vista	vistuðu		visti	vistuðu
		imperative boðháttur
singular	þú	vista (þú), vistaðu
plural	þið	vistið (þið), vistiði1

¹ Spoken form, usually not written; in writing, the unappended plural form (optionally followed by the full pronoun) is preferred.

vistast – mediopassive voice (miðmynd)

infinitive nafnháttur		að vistast
supine sagnbót		vistast
present participle lýsingarháttur nútíðar		vistandist (rare; see appendix)
		indicative framsöguháttur			subjunctive viðtengingarháttur
		present nútíð	past þátíð		present nútíð	past þátíð
singular	ég	vistast	vistaðist		vistist	vistaðist
	þú	vistast	vistaðist		vistist	vistaðist
	hann, hún, það	vistast	vistaðist		vistist	vistaðist
plural	við	vistumst	vistuðumst		vistumst	vistuðumst
	þið	vistist	vistuðust		vistist	vistuðust
	þeir, þær, þau	vistast	vistuðust		vistist	vistuðust
		imperative boðháttur
singular	þú	vistast (þú), vistastu
plural	þið	vistist (þið), vististi1

¹ Spoken form, usually not written; in writing, the unappended plural form (optionally followed by the full pronoun) is preferred.

vistaður — past participle (lýsingarháttur þátíðar)

strong declension (sterk beyging)	singular (eintala)			plural (fleirtala)
	masculine (karlkyn)	feminine (kvenkyn)	neuter (hvorugkyn)	masculine (karlkyn)	feminine (kvenkyn)	neuter (hvorugkyn)
nominative (nefnifall)	vistaður	vistuð	vistað	vistaðir	vistaðar	vistuð
accusative (þolfall)	vistaðan	vistaða	vistað	vistaða	vistaðar	vistuð
dative (þágufall)	vistuðum	vistaðri	vistuðu	vistuðum	vistuðum	vistuðum
genitive (eignarfall)	vistaðs	vistaðrar	vistaðs	vistaðra	vistaðra	vistaðra
weak declension (veik beyging)	singular (eintala)			plural (fleirtala)
	masculine (karlkyn)	feminine (kvenkyn)	neuter (hvorugkyn)	masculine (karlkyn)	feminine (kvenkyn)	neuter (hvorugkyn)
nominative (nefnifall)	vistaði	vistaða	vistaða	vistuðu	vistuðu	vistuðu
accusative (þolfall)	vistaða	vistuðu	vistaða	vistuðu	vistuðu	vistuðu
dative (þágufall)	vistaða	vistuðu	vistaða	vistuðu	vistuðu	vistuðu
genitive (eignarfall)	vistaða	vistuðu	vistaða	vistuðu	vistuðu	vistuðu

Italian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈvis.ta/

• Audio (IT):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ista
• Hyphenation: vì‧sta

Etymology 1

From Vulgar Latin *visita, from Latin visa, feminine past participle of videō.

Participle

vista f sg

1. feminine singular of visto

Adjective

vista f sg

1. feminine singular of visto

Etymology 2

Deverbal formed with the feminine past participle of vedere (“to see”).

Noun

vista f (plural viste)

1. sight, eyesight, vision, visual acuity

   Hypernym: cinque sensi

2. a view, panorama
3. (chiefly literary) appearance, look

   Synonyms: apparenza, aspetto, sembianza

   • 1300s–1310s, Dante Alighieri, “Canto I”, in Inferno [Hell], lines 52–54; republished as Giorgio Petrocchi, editor, La Commedia secondo l'antica vulgata [The Commedia according to the ancient vulgate], 2^nd revised edition, Florence: publ. Le Lettere, 1994:

     […] questa mi porse tanto di gravezza ¶ con la paura ch’uscia di sua vista, ¶ ch’io perdei la speranza de l’altezza.

     She brought upon me so much heaviness, with the affright that from her aspect came, that I the hope relinquished of the height.

Related terms

• a vista

Descendants

• → Norwegian Bokmål: vista

Etymology 3

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Verb

vista

1. inflection of vistare:
   1. third-person singular present indicative
   2. second-person singular imperative

Further reading

• vista in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana

Anagrams

• stavi, stiva, svita, vasti

Latvian

Vista

Etymology

There are two theories on the origin of this word. One derives it from Proto-Baltic *wiš- (with an extra element -tā), from Proto-Indo-European *wik-, the zero grade form of *weyḱ- (“house, settlement”). The original meaning would then have been “(relating to) the house, the settlement", from which "domestic (animal)” and finally “chicken.” The other theory relates it to Avestan 𐬬𐬍𐬱 (vīš, “bird”), possibly from a Proto-Indo-European stem *weys-. Cognates include Lithuanian vištà.

Pronunciation

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

vista f (4th declension)

1. hen (female chicken); chicken (Gallus gallus in general)

   mājas vista ― domestic chicken

   vista ar cāļiem ― hen with chicks

   vistas gaļa, olas ― chicken meat, eggs

   vistu kūts ― henhouse

   perētāja vista ― broody hen, sitter

   cekulainā vista ― crested hen

   vistas buljons ― chicken broth

Declension

Declension of vista (4th declension)

	singular	plural
nominative	vista	vistas
genitive	vistas	vistu
dative	vistai	vistām
accusative	vistu	vistas
instrumental	vistu	vistām
locative	vistā	vistās
vocative	vista	vistas

Coordinate terms

• cālis, cālēns
• gailis, gailēns

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology 1

From Italian vista (“sight, vision”), from Vulgar Latin *visita, from Latin vīsa, inflected form of vīsus (“looking; sight”), perfect passive participle of videō (“I see, perceive”), from Proto-Italic *widēō (“see”), from Proto-Indo-European *weyd- (“to see”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈʋɪsta/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɪsta
• Hyphenation: vis‧ta

Adverb

vista

1. only used in a vista (“upon showing”)
2. only used in a prima vista (“sight-read”)

Etymology 2

Noun

vista m or f

1. definite feminine singular of vist

Old Galician-Portuguese

Etymology

Inherited from Vulgar Latin *visita, from Latin visa, feminine past participle of videō.

Noun

vista f (plural *vistas)

1. eyesight

   Synonyms: viso, vison

Descendants

• Fala: vista
• Galician: vista
• Portuguese: vista

References

• Manuel Ferreiro (2014–2025) “vista”, in Universo Cantigas. Edición crítica da poesía medieval galego-portuguesa (in Galician), A Coruña: University of A Coruña, →ISSN

Portuguese

Etymology 1

Inherited from Old Galician-Portuguese vista, from Vulgar Latin *visita, from Latin visa, feminine past participle of videō.

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈvis.tɐ/

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈvis.tɐ/
  • (Rio de Janeiro) IPA^(key): /ˈviʃ.tɐ/
  • (Southern Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈvis.ta/

 

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈviʃ.tɐ/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈviʃ.tɐ/
  • (Northern Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈbiʃ.tɐ/

• Rhymes: (Brazil) -istɐ, (Portugal, Rio de Janeiro) -iʃtɐ
• Hyphenation: vis‧ta

Noun

vista f (plural vistas)

1. (colloquial) eye; eyeball

   Synonym: (more common) olho

2. sight

   Tenho uma vista normal. ― I have normal eyesight.

3. view

   Mas que vista maravilhosa! ― What a marvelous view!

Derived terms

• dar uma vista de olhos
• vista desarmada

Adjective

vista f sg

1. feminine singular of visto

Participle

vista f sg

1. feminine singular of visto

Etymology 2

Verb

vista

1. inflection of vestir:
   1. first/third-person singular present subjunctive
   2. third-person singular imperative

Romansch

Alternative forms

• vesta (Sursilvan, Sutsilvan, Surmiran)

Etymology

From Vulgar Latin *visita, from Latin visa, feminine past participle of videō.

Noun

vista f (plural vistas)

1. (Rumantsch Grischun, Surmiran, Puter, Vallader) view
2. (Rumantsch Grischun, anatomy) cheek
3. (Puter, Vallader, anatomy) face

   Synonym: fatscha

Synonyms

• (cheek):
  • (Surmiran) missela
  • (Puter, Vallader) massella

Spanish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbista/ [ˈbis.t̪a]

• Audio (Colombia):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ista
• Syllabification: vis‧ta

Etymology 1

From the Vulgar Latin *visita, from Latin videō.

Noun

vista f (plural vistas)

1. sight, vision, eyesight (the ability to see)

   Synonym: visión

2. sight (the act of seeing or witnessing)

   Synonym: visión

3. appearance, look (the way something looks)

   Synonyms: aspecto, apariencia

4. view (the range of vision)

   a la vista ― in view

5. view (something to look at, such as scenery)
6. foresight (the ability to foresee or prepare wisely for the future)

   Synonym: perspicacia

7. (law) hearing (a legal procedure done before a judge)

Derived terms

• a bien vista
• a la vista
• a la vista de (“in view of”)
• a media vista
• a primera vista
• a simple vista
• a vista de ojos
• al primer golpe de vista
• avistar
• centinela de vista
• comida a la vista
• como la vista
• con vistas a
• dar una vista
• echar una vista
• en vista de
• golpe de vista
• guarda de vista
• hacer la vista gorda
• hasta donde alcanza la vista
• hasta la vista
• nublarse la vista
• punto de vista
• ración de vista
• servidumbre de vistas
• testigo de vista
• tierra a la vista
• tomavistas
• traducción a la vista
• vista aérea
• vista de águila
• vista de lince
• vista de ojos
• vista de pájaro
• vistazo
• vistilla

Related terms

• proveer
• ver
• visible
• visión
• visitar
• visto
• visual

Adjective

vista f sg

1. feminine singular of visto

Participle

vista f sg

1. feminine singular of visto

Etymology 2

Verb

vista

1. inflection of vestir:
   1. first/third-person singular present subjunctive
   2. third-person singular imperative

Further reading

• “vista”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2024 December 10