certamente

Etymology

It is formed in from Italian certo + -mente, from the adjective certo (“certain”) and the adverb suffix.^[2][3][4][1] The TLIO derives it from the adjective in the sense “sure, certain”.^[5] Tommaseo compares the adverb Latin certē.^[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

The TLIO's first record is in Giacomo da Lentini, the Sicilian poet, about 1230–1250, in a Tuscan copy, with the sense “with certainty, without doubt”, also as a general intensifier.^[5]

Semantic evolution

In Old Italian the adverb also meant “as a proof shows”, “confidently”, “really” and “skilfully”, and certamente che was a conjunction “provided that”.^[5] Bono Giamboni writes that the moon is proved certamente to be smaller than the sun and the earth by their eclipses.^[7][6] The superlative certissimamente is already in the TLIO's forms and is used by Tasso.^[5][7]

Today the adverb is mostly used as a sentence adverb and as an answer meaning “of course”.^[2][3][4]

Timeline

• c. 1230–1250 – Giacomo da Lentini uses certamente.^[5]
• Second half of the 13th century – The date given by GRADIT and Devoto–Oli.^[2][3]
• Before 1292 – Bono Giamboni uses it of a proof by eclipses.^[7]

Meanings

Adverb

1. certainly, without doubt: Domani pioverà certamente.^[2][3][4]
2. As a sentence adverb or an aside, to strengthen or concede a statement: Certamente, non è colpa tua.^[3][4]
3. As an answer, of course, sure: «Mi presti la penna?» «Certamente.»^[2][3]

Related words

• certo
• certezza
• sicuramente
• Latin certē

Usage notes

Certamente sì and certamente no strengthen an answer.^[8] Treccani notes a use that presents a guess as a certainty, as in an inference from someone's late arrival.^[4]

References

1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e De Mauro, Tullio (ed.) (2003), Grande dizionario italiano dell'uso, CD-ROM version 2.0, Torino: UTET
3. ^ a b c d e f Devoto, Giacomo; Oli, Gian Carlo; Serianni, Luca; Trifone, Maurizio (2026), Nuovo Devoto–Oli: il vocabolario dell'italiano contemporaneo, digital ed., Milano: Le Monnier
4. ^ a b c d e Vocabolario della lingua italiana Treccani (2011), Roma: Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana
5. ^ a b c d e Tesoro della Lingua Italiana delle Origini (1997–), Opera del Vocabolario Italiano, CNR, Firenze; tlio.ovi.cnr.it
6. ^ a b Tommaseo, Niccolò; Bellini, Bernardo (1861–1879), Dizionario della lingua italiana, 4 vols., Torino: UTET
7. ^ a b c Battaglia, Salvatore; Bàrberi Squarotti, Giorgio (1961–2002), Grande dizionario della lingua italiana, 21 vols., Torino: UTET; digital ed. Accademia della Crusca
8. ^ Gabrielli, Aldo (2020), Grande dizionario italiano, digital ed., Milano: Hoepli