quivi

Etymology

It is inherited from Vulgar Latin *eccu ibi (“look, there”), a phrase of eccum (“here he is”) and ibi (“there”).^{[2][3][4][1][5]} The same pairing of eccum with an adverb gave qui, and ivi continues ibi alone.^[3][6]

Latin eccum is ecce (“behold”) with an accusative pronoun, probably the old *hum for hunc.^[7] The LEI notes that eccum lives on regularly only in Italian ecco, with scattered old records in the other Romance languages.^[8]

Earliest recorded meaning

DELI's first record is in Bono Giamboni, who died in 1292, with the sense “there, in that place”.^[2] The temporal sense “then, at that point” follows in the Novellino at the end of the 13th century.^[2]

Semantic evolution

Old Italian also had quive (14th century), and in the 14th century quivi could even mean “here”.^[9] Dante used it in both senses: of place, as in quivi sospiri, pianti ed alti guai, and of time, as in quivi lume del ciel ne fece accorti.^[10][11] It was also followed by other adverbs to locate more closely (quivi entro, quivi presso, quivi su), and could be a noun, “that place”, as in Boccaccio.^[10][12][4]

Tommaseo noted that quivi always refers to a place where the speaker is not, unlike qui.^[13][14] In modern Italian it is literary.^[4][15][11]

Timeline

• Before 1292 – Bono Giamboni uses quivi “there”.^[2]
• Late 13th century – The Novellino uses it with the sense “then”.^[2]
• 14th century – The variant quive is recorded.^[9]

Meanings

Adverb

1. (literary) there, in that place: the place already named, away from the speaker; ivi, lì: giunsero al porto e quivi si fermarono.^[4][15][11]
2. (literary) Then, at that moment, at that point of the story.^[4][16][11]
3. (obsolete) Here.^[10][12]

Noun

1. (obsolete) That place.^[4][10][12]

Related words

• qui
• ivi
• ecco
• Latin ibi

Usage notes

Quivi is often joined to another adverb of place: quiv'entro, quivi presso, quivi oltre.^[4][10][12]

References

1. ^ a b 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 De Mauro, Tullio (ed.) (2003), Grande dizionario italiano dell'uso, CD-ROM version 2.0, Torino: UTET
5. ^ Körting, Gustav (1907), Lateinisch-romanisches Wörterbuch: etymologisches Wörterbuch der romanischen Hauptsprachen, 3rd ed., Paderborn: Schöningh
6. ^ Devoto, Giacomo (1968), Avviamento alla etimologia italiana: dizionario etimologico, 2nd ed., Firenze: Le Monnier
7. ^ Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
8. ^ Pfister, Max; Schweickard, Wolfgang; Prifti, Elton (eds.) (1979–), Lessico Etimologico Italiano, Wiesbaden: Reichert; online at lei-digitale.it, p. 21, 142
9. ^ a b Battisti, Carlo; Alessio, Giovanni (1950–1957), Dizionario etimologico italiano, 5 vols., Firenze: Barbèra (reprint 1975), p. 3184
10. ^ a b c d e Zingarelli, Nicola (2009), Lo Zingarelli 2010: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Bologna: Zanichelli
11. ^ a b c d Vocabolario della lingua italiana Treccani (2011), Roma: Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana
12. ^ a b c d Gabrielli, Aldo (2020), Grande dizionario italiano, digital ed., Milano: Hoepli
13. ^ Tommaseo, Niccolò; Bellini, Bernardo (1861–1879), Dizionario della lingua italiana, 4 vols., Torino: UTET
14. ^ Duro, Aldo (ed.) (1986–1994), Vocabolario della lingua italiana, Roma: Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana; online ed. treccani.it/vocabolario (2008 copy)
15. ^ a b Devoto, Giacomo; Oli, Gian Carlo; Serianni, Luca; Trifone, Maurizio (2026), Nuovo Devoto–Oli: il vocabolario dell'italiano contemporaneo, digital ed., Milano: Le Monnier
16. ^ Sabatini, Francesco; Coletti, Vittorio; Manfredini, Manuela (2026), Dizionario italiano Sabatini Coletti, digital ed., Milano: Sansoni / Rizzoli Larousse