Etymologically
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sicuramente

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Pronunciation

  • /si.ku.raˈmen.te/[1]

Forms

sicuramente (invariable)[1]

Etymology

It is from Italian sicuro + -mente, the adjective with the suffix that forms adverbs of manner.[2][3][1][4] The adjective continues Latin sēcūrus (“free from care”), a compound of sē- (“without”) and cūra (“care”).[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

GRADIT and Devoto–Oli date the adverb to the first half of the 12th century.[2][3] Among the GDLI's earliest quotations is the Lombard poet Patecchio, who writes the northern form seguramentre: the wise man who listens well ben va seguramentre, “goes safely”.[5] The first sense is “safely, without danger or fear”.[5][3]

Semantic evolution

Old and dialect texts show the forms seguramente, seguramenti, seguramentre and siguramente beside the Tuscan one.[5] In Dante's Vita nuova the poet tells his ballad that se tu vuoli andar sicuramente, “if you want to go safely”, it should first find Love.[5] Boccaccio and Dante use the word for going or sending someone without risk, and Tommaseo still gives “with security” as its sense.[6]

In modern Italian the main sense is “certainly, without doubt”, and the adverb also serves alone as an emphatic “yes” in answers; the older “safely, confidently” lives on in phrases such as procedere sicuramente.[2][3][7][1]

Timeline

  • First half of the 12th century – Sicuramente is first recorded.[2][3]

Meanings

Adverb

  1. With confidence or safety, without fear or hesitation: Guidava sicuramente anche di notte.[2][3][7][1]
  2. Certainly, without doubt: Domani sicuramente pioverà.[2][3][7][1]
  3. As a reply on its own, an emphatic “yes”, “of course”: «Ci sarai?» «Sicuramente!»[2]
  4. Emphasising a statement, “really, undoubtedly”.[2]

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 De Mauro, Tullio (ed.) (2003), Grande dizionario italiano dell'uso, CD-ROM version 2.0, Torino: UTET
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Devoto, Giacomo; Oli, Gian Carlo; Serianni, Luca; Trifone, Maurizio (2026), Nuovo Devoto–Oli: il vocabolario dell'italiano contemporaneo, digital ed., Milano: Le Monnier
  4. ^ Wikizionario (Italian Wiktionary), it.wiktionary.org
  5. ^ a b c d Battaglia, Salvatore; Bàrberi Squarotti, Giorgio (1961–2002), Grande dizionario della lingua italiana, 21 vols., Torino: UTET; digital ed. Accademia della Crusca, p. 18, 1058
  6. ^ Tommaseo, Niccolò; Bellini, Bernardo (1861–1879), Dizionario della lingua italiana, 4 vols., Torino: UTET
  7. ^ a b c Gabrielli, Aldo (2020), Grande dizionario italiano, digital ed., Milano: Hoepli