semplice

Forms

semplice m or f by sense (plural semplici, superlative semplicissimo)^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin simplex (“simple, single”), from sem- (“one”) and -plex (“-fold”).^[2][3][4][1] Nocentini connects the second part with plicō (“to fold”), and Sabatini–Coletti and Treccani with plectō (“to plait”), so that the word meant “folded once”.^[3][5][6] The first part is not found alone in Latin but is seen in semel (“once”) and semper (“always”), and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *sem- (“one”).^[1][7] According to Wiktionary the Italian word, recorded from about 1261, is a cross of the inherited forms Old Italian sempice and Old Italian semprice with the Latin.^[1] The Latin also gave French simple and Spanish simple.^[3] Its popular doublet is scempio “single”.^[3][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

DELI's first records are in Bono Giamboni's Libro de' vizî e delle virtudi (before 1292), in the senses “uncomplicated, free of difficulty” and, of a person, “sincere, guileless”.^[2][4] An early translation of Albertano says that the reasoning of one who serves the truth must be “senpice e incomposta” (simple and uncompounded).^[8]

Semantic evolution

Dante (before 1321) uses semplice for what consists of one element, as against “double”, and also before a noun in the emphatic sense “mere, nothing but”.^[2] The sense “unmixed”, as against “compound”, is recorded in Varchi (before 1565), “without excessive ornament” in Vasari (before 1574), and after a noun for the lowest rank, as in soldato semplice, from 1873.^[2]

The noun semplice, usually plural, named a medicinal plant, from the Medieval Latin phrase for a simple medicine, and is recorded in Mattioli's Dioscorides (1544).^[2][3][9] The orto dei semplici was a garden of medicinal plants.^[9][10] As a musical direction, “to be played without ornament”, the word passed into German (1732), English (1740) and French.^[11][12] Pietro Verri wrote in 1772 that sistemare and semplificare were the two magic words of the day.^[2]

Timeline

• About 1261 – Semplice is first recorded.^[1]
• Before 1292 – Bono Giamboni uses semplice and semplicemente.^[2]
• Before 1321 – Dante uses it for what consists of one element.^[2]
• Before 1470 – Luca Pulci uses sempliciotto.^[2]
• 1544 – Mattioli uses semplici for medicinal plants.^[2]
• 1732 – German records the musical direction semplice.^[11]
• 1740 – English records the musical direction.^[11]
• 1772 – Pietro Verri writes of semplificare.^[2]
• 1873 – Tommaseo's dictionary records soldato semplice.^[2]
• 1905 – Semplicismo is recorded.^[2][3]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Single, consisting of one element, as against double or compound: nodo semplice.^[4][9][5]
2. Unmixed, plain: caffè semplice.^[4][12]
3. simple, easy, uncomplicated: Non è stato semplice trovare casa.^[4][5][1]
4. Plain, unadorned; modest, frugal: Abitano in una casa semplice in collina.^[4][5][12]
5. Of a person, natural, unaffected; also naive: È una ragazza semplice e sincera.^[4][5][10]
6. Before a noun, mere, just: Era una semplice domanda.^[4][5]
7. After a noun, of the lowest rank: soldato semplice.^[4][5][10]
8. (music) Of a direction, to be played without ornament.^[12][11]

Noun

1. (historical, usually plural) A medicinal herb; a medicine made from it: orto dei semplici.^{[9][5][10][3]}
2. A simple, naive person: i semplici.^[4][1]

Word family

• semplicemente
• semplicità
• semplificare
• semplificazione
• sempliciotto
• semplicione
• semplicismo
• semplicista
• semplicistico

Related words

• scempio
• duplice
• Latin simplex
• French simple

Usage notes

Nocentini, Devoto–Oli and the GDLI give the noun “medicinal plant” an entry of its own, since it was taken separately from Medieval Latin, but its source is the same Latin adjective.^[3][9][7] Old forms are simplice, sempice and semprice.^[10][1]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Cortelazzo, Manlio; Zolli, Paolo (1999), Dizionario etimologico della lingua italiana, 2nd ed. by Manlio Cortelazzo and Michele A. Cortelazzo, Bologna: Zanichelli
3. ^ a b c d e f g h Nocentini, Alberto; Parenti, Alessandro (2010), l'Etimologico: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Firenze: Le Monnier
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j De Mauro, Tullio (ed.) (2003), Grande dizionario italiano dell'uso, CD-ROM version 2.0, Torino: UTET
5. ^ a b c d e f g h Sabatini, Francesco; Coletti, Vittorio; Manfredini, Manuela (2026), Dizionario italiano Sabatini Coletti, digital ed., Milano: Sansoni / Rizzoli Larousse
6. ^ Vocabolario della lingua italiana Treccani (2011), Roma: Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana
7. ^ a b Battaglia, Salvatore; Bàrberi Squarotti, Giorgio (1961–2002), Grande dizionario della lingua italiana, 21 vols., Torino: UTET; digital ed. Accademia della Crusca
8. ^ Battaglia, Salvatore; Bàrberi Squarotti, Giorgio (1961–2002), Grande dizionario della lingua italiana, 21 vols., Torino: UTET; digital ed. Accademia della Crusca, p. 18, 604
9. ^ 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
10. ^ a b c d e Gabrielli, Aldo (2020), Grande dizionario italiano, digital ed., Milano: Hoepli
11. ^ a b c d Stammerjohann, Harro, et al. (2008), Dizionario di italianismi in francese, inglese, tedesco, Firenze: Accademia della Crusca; online at difit.italianisticaonline.it
12. ^ a b c d Zingarelli, Nicola (2009), Lo Zingarelli 2010: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Bologna: Zanichelli