impegno

Forms

impegno m (plural impegni)^[1]

Etymology

It is a noun formed from the verb impegnare (“to pledge, to commit”).^[2][3][4][1] The verb is formed from pegno (“pledge”) with the prefix in- in the sense “into”,^[2][3] and the noun goes back to Latin pignus (“pledge”).^[5] DEI compares Spanish empeño and Portuguese empenho.^[6][7]

Several senses of the verb and the noun copy French engager and engagement, and purists rejected them for that reason;^[2] Zaccaria alone derived them from Spanish.^[2] Rigutini answered that the noun in the sense of “care, zeal”, which the French word does not have, had been in use since the 17th century.^[2] The sense of the intellectual's political commitment is a calque on the French noun.^[8][9][10]

Earliest recorded meaning

The first record is in Oudin's dictionary of 1640, with the sense “obligation, promise”.^[2][3][4] In the 17th century Gualdo Priorato and Brusoni use it for a commitment between persons or states.^[7]

Semantic evolution

In 1680 Brusoni uses impegno for a task or a burden, and in 1686 Segneri for the diligent use of one's strength in doing something.^[2][11] In 1798 D'Alberti noted that current usage gave it an even wider sense of resolve, firmness and determination.^[2] Gasparo Gozzi writes of being pieno d'impegni, full of engagements and also of debts,^[11] and the financial sense of a monetary obligation is dated before 1872 in Mazzini.^[2]

After the Second World War the word took on the sense of an intellectual's or artist's active involvement in the social and political problems of the time, recorded in 1950; in 1966 Eugenio Montale wrote of l'impegno o l'engagement dell'artista.^[2][10] In obstetrics the word names the stage of labour in which the fetus descends into the birth canal.^[4][8]

Timeline

• 1640 – Oudin records impegno “obligation, promise”.^[2][3]
• 1680 – Brusoni uses it for a task.^[2]
• 1686 – Segneri uses it for diligent effort.^[2]
• 1798 – D'Alberti notes its wider sense of resolve and firmness.^[2]
• Before 1872 – Mazzini uses it for a financial obligation.^[2]
• 1950 – The sense of political and social commitment of an intellectual is recorded.^[2]

Meanings

Noun

1. An obligation or promise undertaken towards others or oneself: Non è venuto meno ai suoi impegni.^[4][8][12]
2. (finance) A monetary obligation; in the plural, the debts and liabilities of a firm.^[4][9]
3. An engagement, something one has to do; an appointment: Stasera non posso, ho un impegno.^[4][8][10]
4. commitment, diligence: the effort and care put into a task: Si prepara all'esame con grande impegno.^[4][8][9]
5. The active involvement of an intellectual or artist in the political and social questions of the time.^[4][8][10]
6. (medicine) The stage of labour in which the fetus descends into the birth canal.^[4][8][9]

Word family

• semimpegno

Related words

• impegnare
• impegnativo
• impegnato
• pegno
• French engagement

Usage notes

Senza impegno means “without obligation”, and mettersi d'impegno “to apply oneself seriously”.^[4][12][13]

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p 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 Nocentini, Alberto; Parenti, Alessandro (2010), l'Etimologico: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Firenze: Le Monnier
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j De Mauro, Tullio (ed.) (2003), Grande dizionario italiano dell'uso, CD-ROM version 2.0, Torino: UTET
5. ^ Wikizionario (Italian Wiktionary), it.wiktionary.org
6. ^ Battisti, Carlo; Alessio, Giovanni (1950–1957), Dizionario etimologico italiano, 5 vols., Firenze: Barbèra (reprint 1975), p. 1957
7. ^ a b Battaglia, Salvatore; Bàrberi Squarotti, Giorgio (1961–2002), Grande dizionario della lingua italiana, 21 vols., Torino: UTET; digital ed. Accademia della Crusca
8. ^ a b c d e f g Devoto, Giacomo; Oli, Gian Carlo; Serianni, Luca; Trifone, Maurizio (2026), Nuovo Devoto–Oli: il vocabolario dell'italiano contemporaneo, digital ed., Milano: Le Monnier
9. ^ a b c d Sabatini, Francesco; Coletti, Vittorio; Manfredini, Manuela (2026), Dizionario italiano Sabatini Coletti, digital ed., Milano: Sansoni / Rizzoli Larousse
10. ^ a b c d Zingarelli, Nicola (2009), Lo Zingarelli 2010: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Bologna: Zanichelli
11. ^ a b Tommaseo, Niccolò; Bellini, Bernardo (1861–1879), Dizionario della lingua italiana, 4 vols., Torino: UTET
12. ^ a b Vocabolario della lingua italiana Treccani (2011), Roma: Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana
13. ^ Gabrielli, Aldo (2020), Grande dizionario italiano, digital ed., Milano: Hoepli