This work traces the history of the word analfabeto. The latter represents the original form of the term, which appeared at the beginning of the 17th century, and which was first joined and then replaced by the anethymological form, analfabeta. This study outlines the history of a lexicographical ghost, whose origins are associated with Bonavilla (1807) before being handed down, through a series of quotations, to contemporary vocabularies. The history of the earliest attestations is reconstructed, including the confusion between Justinian and Justin characterising the earliest contexts as well as the communicative use of the word among scholars. In addition, the process of progressive substitution of analfabeto with analfabeta is observed by commenting on the point of view of nineteenth- and early twentieth-century dictionaries. Finally, this work reports on the events surrounding crucial issues such as the right to vote and legislative reforms, before reporting on the success story that is represented by the affirmation of the derivative analfabetismo
