a Italian · revision 37438

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=9th century, Commodilla catacomb inscription|origins=ine-pro *h₂ed}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /a/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''a''' (before a vowel, especially ''a'', also '''ad''').^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ With the definite article it forms ''al'', ''allo'', ''alla'', ''ai'' (old ''a’''), ''agli'', ''alle''; old and literary texts also write ''a 'l'', ''a lo''.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(GDLI)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|la|ad|t=to, towards; near]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary)^(LEI|1, 593) Before a vowel the form “ad” is kept, and the preposition is the same as the prefix [[a-]] that doubles the following consonant (“accanto”, “appunto”).^(Nocentini 2010)^(GDLI)

+

+ Some uses continue other Latin words that fell together with it.^(REW 1935)^(LEI|1, 1) About the 6th century “ad” and [[m|la|ab|alt=ā|t=from, by]] came to sound the same, and the Old Italian “a” of separation and of the agent (“a femmina astenere” “abstain from woman”, Guittone) is from “ab”; this use dies out after Dante.^(LEI|1, 1)^(DEI|1)^(REW 1935) The “a” of “diciassette” “seventeen”, ''tutt'a due“ “both”, ”insieme a“ and ”vattel'a pesca'' “who knows” continues [[m|la|ac|t=and]].^(LEI|1, 225)^(DEI|1)^(REW 1935) Other uses were borrowed from French rather than inherited, as in names of dishes (“maccheroni al sugo”), in “il fratello al re” “the king's brother”, and in “aver a fare”.^(DEI|1)^(LEI|1, 593)

+

+ The same preposition is [[fr|à]], [[oc|a]], [[ca|a]], [[es|a]], [[pt|a]], [[sc|a]] and [[ro|a]].^(Nocentini 2010) Everywhere except in Romanian it took over the functions of the Latin dative; in Latin a phrase with “ad” was already replacing the dative in the first centuries of the Empire.^(REW 1935)^(LEI|1, 593)

+

+ Latin “ad” continues [[itc-pro|*ad]], from [[ine-pro|*h₂ed|t=to]].^(de Vaan 2008) It is related to [[osc|az]], [[xum|ař-]], [[sga|ad-]], [[got|𐌰𐍄|tr=at]] and [[en|at]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(de Vaan 2008) DEI notes that it is lacking in the other Indo-European languages, Greek using [[grc|πρός|tr=prós]].^(DEI|1)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Nocentini dates the preposition to the early 9th century.^(Nocentini 2010) It appears in the graffito of the Commodilla catacomb in Rome in the phrase ''a bboce'' “aloud”, with the doubling of the following consonant.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(TLIO) DELI's first literary record is the ''Ritmo laurenziano'' of the late 12th century, and GRADIT dates it to about 1200.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Place, both rest (''essere a casa'') and motion (''andare a Roma''), and time were already expressed by Latin ''ad''; the modal, instrumental and causal uses also go back to Latin.^(LEI|1, 593) Italian ''a'' with an infinitive replaced the Latin gerund in conditional, final, temporal and causal clauses (''a dire il vero'', ''andare a vedere'').^(LEI|1, 593) In the Iberian languages, Sardinian, Engadine, part of central Italy and the south, ''a'' also marks a personal direct object (southern ''vedo a te''), which Rohlfs explained by the need to tell subject and object apart.^(LEI|1, 593)

+

+ Leave-takings are formed with ''a'': ''addio'' is recorded from Dante, and ''a dopo'' “see you later” is used in parting.^(GRADIT 2003) DEI takes the ''a'' of dishes such as ''maccheroni al sugo'' to follow a French pattern.^(DEI|1)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 9th century – ''A bboce'' “aloud” in the Commodilla catacomb inscription.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(TLIO)

+ * Late 12th century – The preposition appears in the ''Ritmo laurenziano''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1250 – Giacomo da Lentini uses ''a'' for a point in time.^(LEI|1, 593)

+ * Before 1294 – Guittone d'Arezzo uses ''a'' for “from”, from Latin ''ab''.^(LEI|1, 1)^(DEI|1)

+ * About 1319 – ''Addio'' is recorded in Dante.^(LEI|1, 593)

+ * 1873 – ''Vattel'a pesca'' “who knows” is recorded in Guerrazzi.^(LEI|1, 225)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Preposition===

+ # [[m|en|to]], towards: motion to a place: ''andare al mare'', ''tornare a casa''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # [[m|en|at]], in: position in a place, and distance: ''vivere a Napoli'', ''a due passi da qui''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # At, in: a point in time; an age: ''a mezzanotte'', ''a vent'anni''.^(GRADIT 2003)

+ # With ''da'', “from … to”: ''da lunedì a venerdì''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+ # To: the indirect object: ''Ho scritto a mia nonna.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Manner or means: ''a piedi'', ''fatto a mano''.^(Wiktionary)^(Wikizionario)

+ # With, flavoured with: ingredients of a dish: ''risotto ai funghi''.^(Wiktionary)^(DEI|1)

+ # Price, rate and measure: ''a tre euro il chilo'', ''a cento all'ora''.^(Wikizionario)

+ # With an infinitive, purpose and other clauses: ''Vado a prendere il pane.''^(Gabrielli 2020)^(LEI|1, 593)

+ # In leave-takings, until: ''a domani!'', ''a presto!''.^(Wiktionary)^(GRADIT 2003)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[addio]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[da]]

+ * [[la|ad]]

+ * [[fr|à]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Ad'' is now used mainly before a word beginning with ''a'' and in fixed phrases (''ad esempio'', ''ad eccezione di'').^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010) The preposition causes the doubling of the following consonant in pronunciation written in compounds such as ''affatto'' and ''appunto''.^(GDLI)^(Treccani 2011) The same spelling is the name of the letter ''a'' (feminine or masculine), recorded from the 12th–13th century, and was an obsolete preposition meaning “from”.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}