Etymologically
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perché

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Pronunciation

  • /perˈke/, /perˈkɛ/[1]

Forms

perché (invariable; as a noun, masculine)[2][1] Older texts also write it separately, per che.[3][4]

Etymology

It is from Italian per + che, first a phrase and later written as one word.[5][2][6][7] The dictionaries number their headwords ⟨che⟩ differently, and Treccani leaves open which of its two it contains.[8] DEI compares the parallel formation French pourquoi.[9] Wiktionary suggests that the combination was probably already formed in Vulgar Latin, and compares Neapolitan pecché, Sicilian pirchì, Sardinian pro chite, Spanish porque, por qué and Portuguese porque.[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

DELI's first records are in Giacomo da Lentini, before 1250, both as an interrogative adverb, “for what reason”, in direct and indirect questions, and as a conjunction of purpose, “so that”.[5] GRADIT's date is also before 1250.[2]

Semantic evolution

The causal conjunction, “because, since”, is recorded at the end of the 13th century in the Novellino, and the noun il perché, “the reason, the motive”, before 1311 in Giordano da Pisa.[5] The plural noun i perché in the sense “questions, doubts” is recorded in 1909, and the consecutive use with the subjunctive after troppo or abbastanza (“for … to”) in 1965.[5][10] Old Italian also used it as a concessive, “although”, as in Petrarch's “i' spero / farmi immortal, perché la carne moia” (I hope to make myself immortal, though the flesh may die).[10]

In speech, perché sì and perché no are curt answers that refuse an explanation, and perché due non fa tre is a provocative way of saying the same thing.[8][2] Perché no? expresses willingness, and the proverb dire a nuora perché suocera intenda means to say something to one person so that another will hear it.[2]

Timeline

  • Before 1250 – Giacomo da Lentini uses perché as “why” and “so that”.[5]
  • End of the 13th century – The causal conjunction “because” in the Novellino.[5]
  • Before 1311 – The noun “reason, motive” in Giordano da Pisa.[5]
  • 1909 – The noun in the sense “doubt, question”.[5]
  • 1965 – The consecutive use with the subjunctive is recorded.[5]

Meanings

Adverb

  1. why, in direct and indirect questions, asking for a cause or a purpose: perché hai spento la radio?, non so perché sia partito.[2][10][6]
  2. With non, making a suggestion: perché non andiamo al lago domenica?[2][6][4]

Conjunction

  1. because, introducing a cause: resto a casa perché ho la febbre.[2][10][1]
  2. So that, in order that, with the subjunctive: te lo ripeto perché tu non lo dimentichi.[2][10][1]
  3. After troppo or abbastanza, introducing a result, with the subjunctive: è troppo tardi perché si possa rimediare.[10][5]
  4. (archaic) Although, even if, with the subjunctive.[10]

Noun

  1. The reason, the cause: nessuno ha capito il perché della sua scelta.[10][5][1]
  2. (in the plural) Questions, doubts: i perché dei bambini.[5][2]

Usage notes

Phrases include chissà perché (who knows why) and perché mai (why on earth), with emphatic mai.[2][4] The word is written with an acute accent, for a closed final vowel, though Wiktionary records an open pronunciation as well.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k De Mauro, Tullio (ed.) (2003), Grande dizionario italiano dell'uso, CD-ROM version 2.0, Torino: UTET
  3. ^ Gabrielli, Aldo (2020), Grande dizionario italiano, digital ed., Milano: Hoepli
  4. ^ a b c Zingarelli, Nicola (2009), Lo Zingarelli 2010: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Bologna: Zanichelli
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Cortelazzo, Manlio; Zolli, Paolo (1999), Dizionario etimologico della lingua italiana, 2nd ed. by Manlio Cortelazzo and Michele A. Cortelazzo, Bologna: Zanichelli
  6. ^ a b c Sabatini, Francesco; Coletti, Vittorio; Manfredini, Manuela (2026), Dizionario italiano Sabatini Coletti, digital ed., Milano: Sansoni / Rizzoli Larousse
  7. ^ Nocentini, Alberto; Parenti, Alessandro (2010), l'Etimologico: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Firenze: Le Monnier
  8. ^ a b Vocabolario della lingua italiana Treccani (2011), Roma: Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana
  9. ^ Battisti, Carlo; Alessio, Giovanni (1950–1957), Dizionario etimologico italiano, 5 vols., Firenze: Barbèra (reprint 1975), p. 2846
  10. ^ a b c d e f g h Devoto, Giacomo; Oli, Gian Carlo; Serianni, Luca; Trifone, Maurizio (2026), Nuovo Devoto–Oli: il vocabolario dell'italiano contemporaneo, digital ed., Milano: Le Monnier