completamente

Etymology

It is formed from Italian completo (“complete”) + -mente.^[2][3][1] The old form Old Italian complitamente comes from Old Italian complito “completed”; the TLIO treats “completo” and “compito” as one word here, with no difference of meaning.^[4][2] The adjective is a learned word, recorded from 1597, from Latin complētus (“filled”), the past participle of compleō (“to fill up; to complete”), the source also of popular compiere.^[5][6]

Earliest recorded meaning

GRADIT and the TLIO date the adverb to the first half of the 13th century, in the form complitamente in the Sicilian School poet Rinaldo d'Aquino, with the sense “fully, entirely”.^[2][4] The GDLI quotes Mazzeo di Ricco: se non sperasse in voi complitamente (if I did not hope in you completely).^[7]

Semantic evolution

Old texts have many forms, among them compiutamente, compitamente, compliamente and northern compliament, all meaning “completely”.^[4] The modern form completamente, made on the learned completo, is dated by Devoto–Oli to the 19th century; the GDLI quotes it in Vittorio Imbriani and in Grazia Deledda, whose heroine's hair turned completamente bianchi.^[8][7] The meaning has stayed the same: entirely, without restriction.^[9][2]

Timeline

• First half of the 13th century – Complitamente in Rinaldo d'Aquino.^[2][4]
• 1597 – Completo is recorded.^[5]
• 19th century – The form completamente.^[8]

Meanings

Adverb

1. completely, entirely, totally: Mi ero completamente dimenticato dell'appuntamento.^[2][8][3][1]

Word family

• incompletamente

Related words

• completo
• completare
• compiere
• compiutamente

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f De Mauro, Tullio (ed.) (2003), Grande dizionario italiano dell'uso, CD-ROM version 2.0, Torino: UTET
3. ^ a b Vocabolario della lingua italiana Treccani (2011), Roma: Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana
4. ^ a b c d Tesoro della Lingua Italiana delle Origini (1997–), Opera del Vocabolario Italiano, CNR, Firenze; tlio.ovi.cnr.it
5. ^ a b Cortelazzo, Manlio; Zolli, Paolo (1999), Dizionario etimologico della lingua italiana, 2nd ed. by Manlio Cortelazzo and Michele A. Cortelazzo, Bologna: Zanichelli
6. ^ Nocentini, Alberto; Parenti, Alessandro (2010), l'Etimologico: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Firenze: Le Monnier
7. ^ a b Battaglia, Salvatore; Bàrberi Squarotti, Giorgio (1961–2002), Grande dizionario della lingua italiana, 21 vols., Torino: UTET; digital ed. Accademia della Crusca, p. 3, 414
8. ^ 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
9. ^ Battaglia, Salvatore; Bàrberi Squarotti, Giorgio (1961–2002), Grande dizionario della lingua italiana, 21 vols., Torino: UTET; digital ed. Accademia della Crusca