subito

Forms

subito (adverb, invariable); as an adjective subito, subita, plural subiti, subite^[2][1]

Etymology

The adverb is borrowed from Latin subitō (“suddenly”), the ablative of subitus (“sudden, unexpected”), which the literary adjective continues; both are learned words.^[3][4][5][1] The Latin adjective is the past participle of subeō (“to go under; to come up, approach”), from sub (“under”) and eō (“to go”), with the meaning “coming up closely, stealing up”.^[1][6][3] The same Latin words gave French subit and Spanish súbito.^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The phrase di subito is in the Novellino, at the end of the 13th century, and subito alone in Iacopone da Todi, before 1306, with the sense “immediately”.^[3][5] Iacopone writes: “Omo che 'n rena mobele fa granne edificata, subito è minata” (a man who builds a great building on shifting sand soon sees it undermined).^[7]

Semantic evolution

The adjective “sudden, quick” is in Dante, as in Inferno 16: “La gente nuova e i subiti guadagni / orgoglio e dismisura han generata” (the newcomers and the sudden gains have bred pride and excess).^[3][5] Boccaccio writes of a love that “con subita fiamma si raccese” (flared up again with a sudden flame).^[8] The adjective is now literary, while the adverb is among the commonest words of the language.^[5]

Old Italian and the dialects also have subbito.^[7][1] In music the adverb appears in volti subito “turn over quickly”, written at the foot of a page;^[9] French took it in 1703, English in 1724 and German in 1732.^[9]

Timeline

• End of the 13th century – The Novellino uses di subito.^[3]
• 1304–1308 – Dante uses subitano “sudden”.^[3]
• Before 1306 – Iacopone da Todi uses subito “immediately”.^[3]
• Before 1321 – Dante uses the adjective “sudden, quick”.^[3]
• 1354 – Subitaneo appears in Iacopo Passavanti.^[3]
• 1703 – French musical subito is recorded.^[9]
• 1724 – English musical subito is recorded.^[9]
• 1732 – German musical subito is recorded.^[9]

Meanings

Adverb

1. At once, immediately: Chiamami subito quando arrivi. Also alone, as a reply to a call or order, “coming!”.^[5][10][2]
2. In a very short time, quickly: Con il microonde si fa subito.^[5][2]
3. In subito prima and subito dopo, just before, right after.^[5][11][12]
4. (literary) suddenly.^[5][2]

Adjective

1. (literary) sudden, unexpected; quick, prompt, (archaic) of a person, impulsive.^[5][10][13]

Noun

1. (literary) In in un subito, in an instant.^[2][13][8]

Word family

• subitamente
• subitezza

Related words

• subitaneo
• subire
• Latin subitus

Usage notes

The word is stressed on the first syllable, sùbito; the past participle of subire is subìto, and Zingarelli notes that the accent is sometimes written to keep them apart.^[11][14]

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e Sabatini, Francesco; Coletti, Vittorio; Manfredini, Manuela (2026), Dizionario italiano Sabatini Coletti, digital ed., Milano: Sansoni / Rizzoli Larousse
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i Cortelazzo, Manlio; Zolli, Paolo (1999), Dizionario etimologico della lingua italiana, 2nd ed. by Manlio Cortelazzo and Michele A. Cortelazzo, Bologna: Zanichelli
4. ^ a b Nocentini, Alberto; Parenti, Alessandro (2010), l'Etimologico: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Firenze: Le Monnier
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i De Mauro, Tullio (ed.) (2003), Grande dizionario italiano dell'uso, CD-ROM version 2.0, Torino: UTET
6. ^ Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
7. ^ a b Battaglia, Salvatore; Bàrberi Squarotti, Giorgio (1961–2002), Grande dizionario della lingua italiana, 21 vols., Torino: UTET; digital ed. Accademia della Crusca, p. 20, 456
8. ^ a b Tommaseo, Niccolò; Bellini, Bernardo (1861–1879), Dizionario della lingua italiana, 4 vols., Torino: UTET
9. ^ a b c d e Stammerjohann, Harro, et al. (2008), Dizionario di italianismi in francese, inglese, tedesco, Firenze: Accademia della Crusca; online at difit.italianisticaonline.it
10. ^ 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
11. ^ a b Zingarelli, Nicola (2009), Lo Zingarelli 2010: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Bologna: Zanichelli
12. ^ Gabrielli, Aldo (2020), Grande dizionario italiano, digital ed., Milano: Hoepli
13. ^ a b Vocabolario della lingua italiana Treccani (2011), Roma: Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana
14. ^ Battaglia, Salvatore; Bàrberi Squarotti, Giorgio (1961–2002), Grande dizionario della lingua italiana, 21 vols., Torino: UTET; digital ed. Accademia della Crusca