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domattina

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Etymology and origin of the Italian word domattina

Confidence
Established
Formation
Compound, Clipping
First attested
before 1292, Fiore di rettorica

Pronunciation

  • /do.matˈti.na/[1]

Forms

domattina (adverb, invariable).[1][2] Archaic and Tuscan dimattina.[2][3] Old Italian also wrote domatina, dimatina and dematina.[4]

Etymology

It is a reduction of the phrase domani mattina “tomorrow morning”, in which the second syllable of the first word has been dropped.[5][6][7][8] The GDLI and Sabatini–Coletti describe it as haplology, the loss of one of two similar syllables in sequence.[9][10] Wiktionary calls it a blend.[1] Treccani notes that it is simply the joined spelling of the reduced phrase.[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The TLIO's first record is a Florentine text, the second redaction of the Fiore di rettorica, before 1292.[4] DELI dates it to the Novellino at the end of the 13th century, where a man is told he will get the second bundle “tomorrow morning, when you come back here” (Domattina quando ci tornerai).[5][9]

Semantic evolution

The meaning has not changed: the morning of the day after today.[4][7] Cecco Angiolieri, Boccaccio, Pulci, Goldoni and Manzoni all use it.[9] The variant dimattina, from dimani, is now archaic or Tuscan.[2][3] GRADIT counts the adverb among the fundamental words of Italian.[7]

Timeline

  • Before 1292 – The Fiore di rettorica has the first record.[4]
  • Late 13th century – The Novellino uses it.[5]
  • 1349–1353 – Boccaccio uses it in the Decameron.[9][11]

Meanings

Adverb

  1. tomorrow morning, in the morning of the next day: Domattina passo da te prima di andare in ufficio.[7][2][10]

Word family

  • posdomattina

Usage notes

A domattina! “see you tomorrow morning” is a common leave-taking.[8]

References

  1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ 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
  3. ^ a b c 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 c 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 c d De Mauro, Tullio (ed.) (2003), Grande dizionario italiano dell'uso, CD-ROM version 2.0, Torino: UTET
  8. ^ a b Zingarelli, Nicola (2009), Lo Zingarelli 2010: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Bologna: Zanichelli
  9. ^ a b c d Battaglia, Salvatore; Bàrberi Squarotti, Giorgio (1961–2002), Grande dizionario della lingua italiana, 21 vols., Torino: UTET; digital ed. Accademia della Crusca
  10. ^ a b Sabatini, Francesco; Coletti, Vittorio; Manfredini, Manuela (2026), Dizionario italiano Sabatini Coletti, digital ed., Milano: Sansoni / Rizzoli Larousse
  11. ^ Tommaseo, Niccolò; Bellini, Bernardo (1861–1879), Dizionario della lingua italiana, 4 vols., Torino: UTET
Cite this entry

“Domattina.” Etymologically, 22 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/it/domattina. Accessed 23 Oct. 2026.

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