Etymologically
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insieme

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Pronunciation

  • /inˈsjɛ.me/, /inˈsje.me/[1]

Forms

insieme[1] Old forms include inseme, insembre and insemble;[2][3] insemora corresponds to Neapolitan nzèmmora.[2][3]

Etymology

It is inherited from Vulgar Latin *insemel, a blend of Latin īnsimul (“at the same time, together”) and semel (“once”).[4][5][1] īnsimul is found in Statius in the 1st century, and is simul (“at the same time”) strengthened by in-.[4][6] Meyer-Lübke considered that the /e/ might reflect an original form of the adverb, while Merlo took it from semel.[7] Nocentini notes that a form with /e/ is found in inscriptions, and traces it to the Indo-European root Proto-Indo-European *sem- (“one”), also behind semper (“always”) and similis (“like”).[6]

The same Latin adverb gave French ensemble, Occitan ensems and Catalan ensems.[6][7] The Old Italian forms with ⟨-mbl-⟩ and ⟨-mbr-⟩ are borrowings from the French word.[3][4] The use as a noun, “the whole”, is modelled on the French noun.[4][6][8]

Earliest recorded meaning

The first record is in the 13th-century poet Compiuta Donzella, of lovers who vanno insieme a li giardini, “go together to the gardens”, in spring.[4][2]

Semantic evolution

Before 1294 Brunetto Latini uses the adverb for “all together” and for “at the same time”, and Francesco da Barberino (before 1348) for the cohesion of several people or things.[4] The noun “the whole” is recorded in 1561, in Alessandro Citolini; in 1886 Rigutini noted that it was the French word but that it had become very common.[4] Later the noun took the senses “harmony” (1857), a two-piece outfit (1939, also after the French word) and, in mathematics, a set (1929), whence insiemistica “set theory” (1970s).[4]

In everyday speech stare insieme and mettersi insieme mean “to be (or start) going out together”.[8][9] The variant assieme goes back to the second half of the 13th century.[6]

Timeline

  • 13th century – Compiuta Donzella uses insieme.[4]
  • Before 1294 – Brunetto Latini uses it for “at the same time”.[4]
  • 1561 – The noun insieme “the whole” appears in Alessandro Citolini.[4]
  • 1929 – The Enciclopedia italiana uses it for a set in mathematics.[4]
  • 1939 – The sense “matching outfit” is recorded.[4]
  • 1970 – The adjective insiemistico appears in the Zingarelli dictionary.[4]

Meanings

Adverb

  1. together, in company or in union: Abitano insieme da dieci anni.[5][8][1]
  2. With tutti or tutto, all together: Ho venduto i libri tutti insieme.[5][10]
  3. Holding together, in one piece: Questa sedia non sta più insieme.[5][11]
  4. At the same time: Ridevano e piangevano insieme.[5][8][1]
  5. Mutually, with each other.[5][11]

Noun

  1. The whole, the ensemble: l'insieme delle prove, visione d'insieme, an overall view.[5][1]
  2. A group whose members belong together: un insieme ben affiatato.[5][1]
  3. (mathematics) A set.[5][4][1]
  4. A matching outfit of two or more pieces.[4]

Word family

  • assieme
  • insiemistica
  • insiemistico
  • sottoinsieme
  • insiememente

Usage notes

Insieme a and insieme con both mean “together with”.[10][1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c Battaglia, Salvatore; Bàrberi Squarotti, Giorgio (1961–2002), Grande dizionario della lingua italiana, 21 vols., Torino: UTET; digital ed. Accademia della Crusca
  3. ^ a b c Prati, Angelico (1951), Vocabolario etimologico italiano, Milano: Garzanti, p. 561
  4. ^ 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
  5. ^ 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
  6. ^ a b c d e Nocentini, Alberto; Parenti, Alessandro (2010), l'Etimologico: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Firenze: Le Monnier
  7. ^ a b Meyer-Lübke, Wilhelm (1935), Romanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., Heidelberg: Winter
  8. ^ 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
  9. ^ Gabrielli, Aldo (2020), Grande dizionario italiano, digital ed., Milano: Hoepli
  10. ^ a b Vocabolario della lingua italiana Treccani (2011), Roma: Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana
  11. ^ a b Zingarelli, Nicola (2009), Lo Zingarelli 2010: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Bologna: Zanichelli