Etymologically
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perfino

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Pronunciation

  • /perˈfi.no/[1]

Etymology

It is the univerbation of a phrase formed from per and fino (“as far as, until”).[2][3][4][5][1] The first element gives the phrase an emphatic force.[6][7]

Earliest recorded meaning

DELI records the phrase per fino in the sense “even” in 1782, in Carlo Denina, and the single word perfino in 1807, in the Milanese press; the word is recorded earlier in other senses.[2][3] DEI cites Vannozzo, in the 14th century, and Zingarelli dates it to 1312.[8][9]

Semantic evolution

In the older language perfino was a preposition meaning “as far as, until”: Vasari writes of going along the Tiber perfino al ponte Molle, and perfino che meant “until” in Vasari and in Della Casa's Galateo.[5][7][9][10] The modern sense “even” presents what follows as the extreme limit that can be reached.[11][4]

Tommaseo–Bellini already record the modern use, as in being ashamed even to speak of someone.[10]

Timeline

  • 1312 – Zingarelli's date for the first record.[9]
  • 1782 – Carlo Denina uses per fino for “even”.[2]
  • 1807 – Perfino is written as one word in the Milanese press.[2]

Meanings

Adverb

  1. even, marking something as surprising or as the extreme case: Ha invitato perfino il sindaco.[11][4][5]
  2. Even just, merely: Mi annoio perfino a pensarci.[5][7][9]
  3. With a comparative, even: Oggi fa perfino più caldo di ieri.[4]

Preposition

  1. (archaic) As far as, until, perfino che, until.[11][5][7]

Usage notes

Perfino is a synonym of persino.[1][4][5] GDLI records a separate Old Italian adjective perfino, “excellent, noble”, from per and the adjective fino “fine”, in Bonagiunta, Guinizelli and Guittone.[12]

References

  1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d Cortelazzo, Manlio; Zolli, Paolo (1999), Dizionario etimologico della lingua italiana, 2nd ed. by Manlio Cortelazzo and Michele A. Cortelazzo, Bologna: Zanichelli
  3. ^ a b Nocentini, Alberto; Parenti, Alessandro (2010), l'Etimologico: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Firenze: Le Monnier
  4. ^ a b c d e 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 c d e f 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 Vocabolario della lingua italiana Treccani (2011), Roma: Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana
  8. ^ Battisti, Carlo; Alessio, Giovanni (1950–1957), Dizionario etimologico italiano, 5 vols., Firenze: Barbèra (reprint 1975), p. 2849
  9. ^ a b c d Zingarelli, Nicola (2009), Lo Zingarelli 2010: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Bologna: Zanichelli
  10. ^ a b Tommaseo, Niccolò; Bellini, Bernardo (1861–1879), Dizionario della lingua italiana, 4 vols., Torino: UTET
  11. ^ a b c De Mauro, Tullio (ed.) (2003), Grande dizionario italiano dell'uso, CD-ROM version 2.0, Torino: UTET
  12. ^ Battaglia, Salvatore; Bàrberi Squarotti, Giorgio (1961–2002), Grande dizionario della lingua italiana, 21 vols., Torino: UTET; digital ed. Accademia della Crusca, p. 13, 16