divertente

Forms

divertente m or f by sense (plural divertenti, superlative divertentissimo)^[1]

Etymology

It is the present participle of divertire “to amuse”, used as an adjective.^{[2][3][4][5][6]} The verb is a learned word, borrowed from Latin dīvertō (“to turn aside, go different ways”), made from vertō (“to turn”) with dis- (“apart”), and moved into the conjugation in ⟨-ire⟩.^[2][3] The LEI files it under the closely related Latin dēvertō (“to turn away”), which also gave the older Italian ⟨divertere⟩.^[7] The same verb is French divertir and Spanish divertir.^[3][7] Wiktionary compares the adjective Piedmontese divertent.^[1]

The sense “amusing” grew out of the older sense of the verb, “to turn away, distract”: what amuses draws the mind away from its cares.^[2][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

DELI and the LEI first record the adjective in Vittorio Alfieri, before 1803, meaning “that amuses, gives pleasure”.^[2][7] The GDLI quotes his autobiography on some sittings that were “poco, certo, divertenti” (certainly not very amusing).^[8]

Semantic evolution

The verb divertire meant “to turn away, divert” from the 14th century; the sense “to amuse” is recorded only in 1708–1709, in Lorenzo Magalotti, and the reflexive divertirsi “to have fun” in Goldoni in 1763.^[2] French had divertir “to amuse” somewhat earlier, from 1608.^[7] The adjective followed the new sense of the verb: from Alfieri it is “amusing, entertaining”, and, from Italo Svevo (1927–1928) it is also used of people, “witty, good company”.^[7][9] In the 1930s and 1940s it was used as well of objects of a quaint or odd shape.^[7] The noun divertimento, first “a turning away” (1525, Bembo) and then “pastime” (1679), has the same history.^[2]

Timeline

• 14th century – divertire is recorded meaning “to turn away”.^[2]
• 1708–1709 – Magalotti uses divertire for “to amuse”.^[2]
• Before 1803 – Alfieri uses divertente.^[2][3]
• 1927–1928 – Svevo calls a person divertente, “witty”.^[7]

Meanings

Adjective

1. amusing, entertaining, fun: una gita divertente.^{[10][4][5][1]}
2. (of a person) witty, good company: Il tuo amico è molto divertente.^[4][11][7]
3. quaint, odd, oddly charming: un cappellino divertente.^[4][1]

Word family

• divertentemente

Related words

• divertire
• divertimento
• divertito
• diverso
• Latin dīvertō

Usage notes

The superlative is divertentissimo.^[1][9] Wiktionary gives a regional pronunciation with a closed /e/ beside the standard open /ɛ/.^[1]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Cortelazzo, Manlio; Zolli, Paolo (1999), Dizionario etimologico della lingua italiana, 2nd ed. by Manlio Cortelazzo and Michele A. Cortelazzo, Bologna: Zanichelli
3. ^ a b c d e Nocentini, Alberto; Parenti, Alessandro (2010), l'Etimologico: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Firenze: Le Monnier
4. ^ a b c d 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 Sabatini, Francesco; Coletti, Vittorio; Manfredini, Manuela (2026), Dizionario italiano Sabatini Coletti, digital ed., Milano: Sansoni / Rizzoli Larousse
6. ^ Devoto, Giacomo (1968), Avviamento alla etimologia italiana: dizionario etimologico, 2nd ed., Firenze: Le Monnier
7. ^ a b c d e f g h Pfister, Max; Schweickard, Wolfgang; Prifti, Elton (eds.) (1979–), Lessico Etimologico Italiano, Wiesbaden: Reichert; online at lei-digitale.it, p. 20, 81
8. ^ Battaglia, Salvatore; Bàrberi Squarotti, Giorgio (1961–2002), Grande dizionario della lingua italiana, 21 vols., Torino: UTET; digital ed. Accademia della Crusca, p. 4, 862
9. ^ a b Battaglia, Salvatore; Bàrberi Squarotti, Giorgio (1961–2002), Grande dizionario della lingua italiana, 21 vols., Torino: UTET; digital ed. Accademia della Crusca
10. ^ De Mauro, Tullio (ed.) (2003), Grande dizionario italiano dell'uso, CD-ROM version 2.0, Torino: UTET
11. ^ Gabrielli, Aldo (2020), Grande dizionario italiano, digital ed., Milano: Hoepli