Etymologically
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proposito

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Pronunciation

  • /proˈpɔ.zi.to/[1]

Forms

proposito m (plural propositi)[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin prōpositum (“plan, intention; theme”), the neuter of prōpositus used as a noun, the past participle of prōpōnō (“to put forward, propose”), so literally “what is put forward”.[2][3][4][5][1] The Latin verb is prō- (“forward”) and pōnō (“to put”).[1]

DEI notes an old adjective of the same form meaning “put forward”, the Italian form of the participle, and compares the phrase meaning “by the way” with French à propos, from propos, a noun from proposer (“to propose”).[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

DELI's first record is Dante's Vita Nuova (1293–1294), in the sense “the subject of a discussion”.[2] Zingarelli dates the word 1294, and Nocentini, GRADIT and Devoto–Oli before 1306.[7][3][4][5]

Semantic evolution

Dante uses the word, before 1321, for a firm resolution to do something or to behave in a certain way.[2] In the chroniclers and Boccaccio it is a plan or intention that can be changed: Matteo Villani's king “cambiò proposito per non correre in peggio” (“changed his plan so as not to come to worse”).[8][9]

The phrase a proposito, “fittingly, at the right time”, is in Giovanni Villani in the 14th century, and in the 16th century Grazzini uses it to bring up something that has just come to mind.[6] In Old Italian proposito was also used for the head of an office, a form of preposito.[10]

Timeline

  • 1293–1294 – Dante uses proposito for the subject of a discussion.[2]
  • Before 1321 – Dante uses it for a firm resolution.[2]
  • 14th century – Giovanni Villani uses a proposito “fittingly”.[6]
  • 16th century – Grazzini uses a proposito to introduce a new topic.[6]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A firm resolution to do something: Ho fatto il proposito di alzarmi presto.[4][5][11]
  2. An intention or plan: Sono uscito col proposito di comprare il pane.[4][5][12][1]
  3. An aim or purpose: Il proposito del libro è divertire.[4][5][12][1]
  4. The subject of a discussion: Non ho niente da aggiungere in proposito.[4][12][7][1]

Word family

  • sproposito
  • proporre
  • propositivo
  • proposizione
  • proponimento
  • French propos

Usage notes

Common phrases are a proposito (by the way; at the right moment), a proposito di (speaking of, regarding), di proposito (on purpose), in proposito (on the matter), a che proposito? (in connection with what?) and fuori proposito or fuori di proposito (out of place).[4][7][11][13] Buoni propositi are good resolutions.[4][5]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e 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 f g h De Mauro, Tullio (ed.) (2003), Grande dizionario italiano dell'uso, CD-ROM version 2.0, Torino: UTET
  5. ^ a b c d e f Devoto, Giacomo; Oli, Gian Carlo; Serianni, Luca; Trifone, Maurizio (2026), Nuovo Devoto–Oli: il vocabolario dell'italiano contemporaneo, digital ed., Milano: Le Monnier
  6. ^ a b c d Battisti, Carlo; Alessio, Giovanni (1950–1957), Dizionario etimologico italiano, 5 vols., Firenze: Barbèra (reprint 1975), p. 3107
  7. ^ a b c Zingarelli, Nicola (2009), Lo Zingarelli 2010: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Bologna: Zanichelli
  8. ^ Battaglia, Salvatore; Bàrberi Squarotti, Giorgio (1961–2002), Grande dizionario della lingua italiana, 21 vols., Torino: UTET; digital ed. Accademia della Crusca, p. 14, 655
  9. ^ Tommaseo, Niccolò; Bellini, Bernardo (1861–1879), Dizionario della lingua italiana, 4 vols., Torino: UTET
  10. ^ Battaglia, Salvatore; Bàrberi Squarotti, Giorgio (1961–2002), Grande dizionario della lingua italiana, 21 vols., Torino: UTET; digital ed. Accademia della Crusca, p. 14, 658
  11. ^ a b Vocabolario della lingua italiana Treccani (2011), Roma: Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana
  12. ^ a b c Sabatini, Francesco; Coletti, Vittorio; Manfredini, Manuela (2026), Dizionario italiano Sabatini Coletti, digital ed., Milano: Sansoni / Rizzoli Larousse
  13. ^ Gabrielli, Aldo (2020), Grande dizionario italiano, digital ed., Milano: Hoepli