appo

Etymology

It is inherited from Latin ad post (“after”), a phrase formed of ad (“to, at”) and post (“after”), with the influence of Latin apud (“at, beside”).^[2][3][4][5] Nocentini and the LEI explain the spatial senses “near, beside” and the comparative sense by that influence, while the temporal sense “after” is the phrase's own.^[2][5] Prati supposes a popular Vulgar Latin *appos and then *appoi.^[6]

Other sources reverse the order, starting from the preposition and treating the phrase as the second influence: Wiktionary, Devoto and Treccani's dictionary say so, Treccani's smaller dictionary and Tommaseo give the preposition alone, and Zingarelli calls the origin uncertain.^{[1][7][8][9][10][11]}

The Latin phrase survives with its temporal sense only in Italian, Sardinian and Romanian: Romanian apoi (“then, after”), Old Sardinian appus (“behind”) and Logudorese apos.^[2][5][12] Northern Italian dialects keep it, as in Old Lombard aposo and Milanese apôs (“behind”).^[5]

The first part of the phrase is from Proto-Indo-European *h₂éd (“near, at”).^[1][13] The origin of the preposition is unclear: de Vaan weighs an old perfect participle of apiō (“to tie”), “having reached”, against a compound of the preposition meaning “to” and the word for “foot”.^[13][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

The TLIO's first record is in the Parlamenti of Guido Faba, written at Bologna about 1243.^[4] The TLIO lists “after, following” as the first sense, and Nocentini says this was the original meaning, the one the Latin phrase had.^[4][2]

Semantic evolution

In Old Italian appo was a common preposition: “after”, “near (a place)”, “in the presence of, before”, “among (a people or a sect)”, “in the possession of”, “in the work or the teaching of an author”, and “in comparison with”.^[4] Giamboni writes that a great battle was fought appo Azio, “near Actium”.^[14] It was also used with a and di (appo a sè, appo di noi), and in the temporal sense Pace da Certaldo writes appo tre dì, “after three days”.^[10][5]

From the 16th century the word was literary.^[15][10] Tasso has Giace il compagno appo il compagno estinto (“comrade lies dead beside comrade”), and Leopardi E la lucciola errava appo le siepi (“and the firefly wandered by the hedges”).^[14] Tommaseo already called it little used even in verse.^[10]

Timeline

• About 1243 – Guido Faba uses appo at Bologna, the first record in the TLIO.^[4]
• 1253 – Zingarelli's date of first record.^[11]
• Before about 1332 – Pace da Certaldo writes appo tre dì “after three days”.^[5]
• 14th century – Old Lombard has aposo “after, behind”.^[5]

Meanings

Preposition

1. (archaic, literary) beside, near, close to.^[3][16][1]
2. (archaic, literary, figurative) In the mind, opinion or judgement of someone; among, in the works of an author.^[3][16][11]
3. (archaic, literary) In comparison with, beside.^[3][16][9]
4. (archaic) before, in the presence of.^[3]
5. (archaic) after; behind.^[3][8][1]

Related words

• poi
• Latin apud
• Latin post

Usage notes

The variant apo is less common.^[17][9] The TLIO also records adpo, appò and apu.^[4]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d Nocentini, Alberto; Parenti, Alessandro (2010), l'Etimologico: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Firenze: Le Monnier
3. ^ a b c d e f De Mauro, Tullio (ed.) (2003), Grande dizionario italiano dell'uso, CD-ROM version 2.0, Torino: UTET
4. ^ a b c d e f Tesoro della Lingua Italiana delle Origini (1997–), Opera del Vocabolario Italiano, CNR, Firenze; tlio.ovi.cnr.it
5. ^ a b c d e f g Pfister, Max; Schweickard, Wolfgang; Prifti, Elton (eds.) (1979–), Lessico Etimologico Italiano, Wiesbaden: Reichert; online at lei-digitale.it, p. 1, 801
6. ^ Prati, Angelico (1951), Vocabolario etimologico italiano, Milano: Garzanti, p. 62
7. ^ Devoto, Giacomo (1968), Avviamento alla etimologia italiana: dizionario etimologico, 2nd ed., Firenze: Le Monnier
8. ^ a b Duro, Aldo (ed.) (1986–1994), Vocabolario della lingua italiana, Roma: Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana; online ed. treccani.it/vocabolario (2008 copy)
9. ^ a b c Vocabolario della lingua italiana Treccani (2011), Roma: Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana
10. ^ a b c d Tommaseo, Niccolò; Bellini, Bernardo (1861–1879), Dizionario della lingua italiana, 4 vols., Torino: UTET
11. ^ a b c Zingarelli, Nicola (2009), Lo Zingarelli 2010: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Bologna: Zanichelli
12. ^ Battisti, Carlo; Alessio, Giovanni (1950–1957), Dizionario etimologico italiano, 5 vols., Firenze: Barbèra (reprint 1975), p. 256
13. ^ a b de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
14. ^ a b Battaglia, Salvatore; Bàrberi Squarotti, Giorgio (1961–2002), Grande dizionario della lingua italiana, 21 vols., Torino: UTET; digital ed. Accademia della Crusca, p. 1, 575
15. ^ Battaglia, Salvatore; Bàrberi Squarotti, Giorgio (1961–2002), Grande dizionario della lingua italiana, 21 vols., Torino: UTET; digital ed. Accademia della Crusca
16. ^ 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
17. ^ Sabatini, Francesco; Coletti, Vittorio; Manfredini, Manuela (2026), Dizionario italiano Sabatini Coletti, digital ed., Milano: Sansoni / Rizzoli Larousse