stasera

Etymology

It is a compound of ⟨sta⟩ “this” and sera (“evening”), from the phrase ⟨questa sera⟩.^[2][3][4][5] Most dictionaries take ⟨sta⟩ for a shortened form of the feminine of questo, with loss of the first syllable.^[6][7][1] DEI instead refers it to the old demonstrative Old Italian esto, and GRADIT gives as the probable source a spoken Latin phrase Vulgar Latin *ista sēra, with the feminine of Latin iste (“this, that”).^[8][9] Körting likewise traced the Italian words of this type to Latin phrases with that demonstrative.^[10]

The same formation gives stamane, stamattina and stanotte.^[2][8][11] Compare Romanian astă-seară.^[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

DELI's first record is in Boccaccio's Decameron (1348–1353), with the sense “this evening, the evening to come or already under way”.^[2][9] GDLI quotes it there: “fate che istasera noi siamo insieme” (make it so that we are together this evening).^[12] Zingarelli dates the word earlier, before 1292.^[7]

Semantic evolution

Old texts often write it separately, as sta sera, or with a prothetic vowel, istasera, and Goldoni wrote stasséra.^[12] Luigi Pulci has “Per istasera la guerra è finita” (for this evening the war is over).^[12] The word can refer to the evening just past as well as the one to come, and in Tuscan use it can mean “this afternoon”.^[12] In online chat it is abbreviated stax.^[13]

Timeline

• Before 1292 – Zingarelli's date for the word.^[7]
• 1348–1353 – Boccaccio uses stasera and istasera in the Decameron.^[2][12]
• 15th century – Luigi Pulci writes istasera.^[12]
• 18th century – Goldoni writes stasséra.^[12]

Meanings

Adverb

1. This evening, tonight: Stasera mangiamo fuori.^[9][4][1]
2. (Tuscany) This afternoon.^[12]

Related words

• sera
• stamane
• stamattina
• stanotte
• questo

References

1. ^ a b c d 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. ^ Nocentini, Alberto; Parenti, Alessandro (2010), l'Etimologico: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Firenze: Le Monnier
4. ^ 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
5. ^ 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 c Zingarelli, Nicola (2009), Lo Zingarelli 2010: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Bologna: Zanichelli
8. ^ a b Battisti, Carlo; Alessio, Giovanni (1950–1957), Dizionario etimologico italiano, 5 vols., Firenze: Barbèra (reprint 1975), p. 3620
9. ^ a b c De Mauro, Tullio (ed.) (2003), Grande dizionario italiano dell'uso, CD-ROM version 2.0, Torino: UTET
10. ^ Körting, Gustav (1907), Lateinisch-romanisches Wörterbuch: etymologisches Wörterbuch der romanischen Hauptsprachen, 3rd ed., Paderborn: Schöningh
11. ^ Devoto, Giacomo (1968), Avviamento alla etimologia italiana: dizionario etimologico, 2nd ed., Firenze: Le Monnier
12. ^ a b c d e f g h Battaglia, Salvatore; Bàrberi Squarotti, Giorgio (1961–2002), Grande dizionario della lingua italiana, 21 vols., Torino: UTET; digital ed. Accademia della Crusca
13. ^ Wikizionario (Italian Wiktionary), it.wiktionary.org