Etymologically
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chiaramente

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Pronunciation

  • /kja.raˈmen.te/[1]

Etymology

It is formed from Italian chiaro + -mente, from the feminine form of the adjective.[2][3][4] Wiktionary traces the type to the Latin ablative phrase with mēns (“mind”), here clārā mente (“with a clear mind”).[1]

The adjective is inherited from Latin clārus (“bright; clear”), which has survived in nearly all the Romance languages: Romanian chiar, Friulian clâr, Old French cler, Old Occitan clar, Catalan clar, Spanish claro, Portuguese claro and Sardinian kláru.[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

The TLIO's first record is in Brunetto Latini's Rettorica (Florence, c. 1260–1261), in the sense “precisely, in a way that leaves no doubt”.[3] Old forms of the 13th century include Bonvesin's Milanese claramente and kiaramente in the laude of Cortona.[5][3]

Semantic evolution

Old Italian used the adverb for speaking or writing intelligibly, for seeing or understanding fully, for drawing up documents in proper legal order, and also for “brightly” and “illustriously”.[3] Dante writes in the Convivio a ciò si può chiaramente rispondere, “to this one can answer clearly”, and Petrarch opens the Canzoniere with e 'l conoscer chiaramente / che quanto piace al mondo è breve sogno, “and knowing clearly that whatever pleases in the world is a brief dream”.[6][7] The sense “luminously” is in Petrarch (before 1374).[5] Tommaseo compares Latin clare and records a further old sense “faithfully”, in Francesco da Barberino.[7]

Today the adverb also comments on a whole sentence, “obviously, of course”, and stands alone as an emphatic yes in answers.[2][4][8]

Timeline

  • c. 1260–1261 – Brunetto Latini uses chiaramente in the Rettorica.[3]
  • Second half of the 13th century – Kiaramente appears in the laude of Cortona.[5]
  • Late 13th century – Bonvesin da la Riva writes claramente.[5]
  • Before 1324 – GRADIT's date of first record.[2]
  • Before 1374 – Petrarch uses it for “luminously”.[5]

Meanings

Adverb

  1. clearly, distinctly, of what is seen or heard: Dal balcone si vedeva chiaramente il porto.[2][4][8]
  2. Clearly, in a way that is easy to understand: La guida spiega chiaramente ogni passaggio.[2][4]
  3. frankly, openly, without beating about the bush: Le ho detto chiaramente che non sono d'accordo.[2][4][9]
  4. Evidently, manifestly: Il ragazzo era chiaramente stanco.[2][4][8]
  5. (sentence adverb) Obviously, of course: Chiaramente, il sindaco nega tutto.[2][4][8]
  6. (in answers) Certainly, definitely.[2][4]

References

  1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i De Mauro, Tullio (ed.) (2003), Grande dizionario italiano dell'uso, CD-ROM version 2.0, Torino: UTET
  3. ^ a b c d e Tesoro della Lingua Italiana delle Origini (1997–), Opera del Vocabolario Italiano, CNR, Firenze; tlio.ovi.cnr.it
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h Devoto, Giacomo; Oli, Gian Carlo; Serianni, Luca; Trifone, Maurizio (2026), Nuovo Devoto–Oli: il vocabolario dell'italiano contemporaneo, digital ed., Milano: Le Monnier
  5. ^ a b c d e f Pfister, Max; Schweickard, Wolfgang; Prifti, Elton (eds.) (1979–), Lessico Etimologico Italiano, Wiesbaden: Reichert; online at lei-digitale.it, p. 14, 1035
  6. ^ Battaglia, Salvatore; Bàrberi Squarotti, Giorgio (1961–2002), Grande dizionario della lingua italiana, 21 vols., Torino: UTET; digital ed. Accademia della Crusca
  7. ^ a b Tommaseo, Niccolò; Bellini, Bernardo (1861–1879), Dizionario della lingua italiana, 4 vols., Torino: UTET
  8. ^ a b c d Vocabolario della lingua italiana Treccani (2011), Roma: Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana
  9. ^ Gabrielli, Aldo (2020), Grande dizionario italiano, digital ed., Milano: Hoepli