-itare

Etymology

It is inherited from Latin -itāre, a Latin suffix of verbs that first had a frequentative or iterative value.^{[1][2][3][4][5][6]} The Latin ending is built on -tō, although the ⟨-i-⟩ found when it is added to verbs of the first conjugation has not been explained.^[6]

Semantic evolution

The suffix appears in verbs of Latin origin and in verbs formed on their model, such as agitare.^[7] In Italian it mostly forms verbs from adjectives (abilitare, capacitare, facilitare, nobilitare), and also from other verbs, where the old iterative sense can still show (abitare, seguitare).^{[1][2][5][3][4]}

Meanings

Suffix

1. Forms verbs, mostly from adjectives (“to make …”): abilitare, facilitare, nobilitare, mobilitare.^[1][2][3][4]
2. Forms verbs from other verbs, originally with an iterative or frequentative value: seguitare, abitare.^[5][3][7][6]

Word family

• abilitare
• capacitare
• facilitare
• nobilitare
• mobilitare
• seguitare
• abitare
• agitare

Related words

• Latin -itō

References

1. ^ a b c Nocentini, Alberto; Parenti, Alessandro (2010), l'Etimologico: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Firenze: Le Monnier
2. ^ a b c Devoto, Giacomo; Oli, Gian Carlo; Serianni, Luca; Trifone, Maurizio (2026), Nuovo Devoto–Oli: il vocabolario dell'italiano contemporaneo, digital ed., Milano: Le Monnier
3. ^ a b c d Zingarelli, Nicola (2009), Lo Zingarelli 2010: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Bologna: Zanichelli
4. ^ a b c Duro, Aldo (ed.) (1986–1994), Vocabolario della lingua italiana, Roma: Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana; online ed. treccani.it/vocabolario (2008 copy)
5. ^ a b c Sabatini, Francesco; Coletti, Vittorio; Manfredini, Manuela (2026), Dizionario italiano Sabatini Coletti, digital ed., Milano: Sansoni / Rizzoli Larousse
6. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
7. ^ a b De Mauro, Tullio, Il Nuovo De Mauro, online ed., dizionario.internazionale.it