mio Italian · revision 37439

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=before 1292, Bono Giamboni|origins=itc-pro *meos}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈmi.o/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''mio''' (feminine mia, masculine plural miei, feminine plural mie)^(Wiktionary)

+ [[roa-oit|meo]].^(DELI 1999)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Prati 1951|666) In popular Tuscan the form ''mi’'' is used before the noun for every gender and number (''il mi' babbo'', ''la mi' mamma''), and central dialects use ''mia'' for the plural.^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Devoto–Oli 2026) Old enclitic forms are ''-mo'', ''-ma'' (''fratelmo'' “my brother”, ''mogliema'' “my wife”).^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Prati 1951|666)^(DEI|2469)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|roa-oit|meo]], [[inh|la|meus|t=my, mine]].^(Wiktionary)^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003) The Tuscan form passed through an older [[m|roa-oit|mieo]], which the plural “miei” still shows, as [[dio]] comes from [[la|deus]] through [[m|roa-oit|dieo]].^(DEI|2469)^(Devoto 1968|283) The 13th-century poets Guittone d'Arezzo, Chiaro Davanzati and Dante da Maiano still wrote “meo”.^(DELI 1999)^(Prati 1951|666) The unstressed enclitic forms “-mo” and “-ma” (“fratelmo”, “mogliema”), and “ma-” in [[madonna]], continue short forms of the same word.^(Prati 1951|666)^(DEI|2469) In polite address of the type “mio capitano” the use copies [[fr|mon]].^(DEI|2469)

+

+ The same word is [[fr|mien]], [[oc|mieu]], [[ca|meu]], [[es|mío]], [[pt|meu]], [[sc|meu]] and [[ro|mieu]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(REW 1935) Unstressed forms beside them gave [[ca|mon]] and [[es|mi]], as well as the French word above.^(REW 1935)

+

+ Latin “meus” continues Old Latin [[m|la|meos]] and [[itc-pro|*meos]].^(Wiktionary) It is built on the stem of [[m|la|ego|t=I]], as in [[m|la|mē|t=me]] and [[m|la|mihi|t=to me]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(OLD 2012)^(Treccani 2011) An archaic variant [[m|la|mius]] is found in inscriptions and noted by the grammarian Velius Longus.^(DELI 1999)^(OLD 2012) Devoto takes “meus” to be a newer form than the one kept in [[grc|ἐμός|tr=emós|t=my]].^(Devoto 1968|283)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Sabatini–Coletti and Nocentini date the word to the 11th century, from the feminine ''mea''.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Nocentini 2010) DELI's first record of ''mio'' “belonging to me” is in Bono Giamboni, before 1292: ''La Filosofia... puosesi a sedere in su la sponda del mio letto'' “Philosophy sat down on the edge of my bed”.^(DELI 1999)^(GDLI)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Dante uses ''mio'' for “peculiar to me, my own” before 1321, and as a pronoun, “mine”, in 1313–1319, Giamboni already has it without a noun, “what is mine”.^(DELI 1999) The plural ''i miei'' “my family, my parents” is recorded before 1347 in Bartolomeo da San Concordio.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ With singular nouns of kinship the possessive takes no article (''mio padre'', ''mia sorella''), but it does with plural or modified ones (''i miei fratelli'', ''il mio caro zio'') and with affectionate forms (''la mia sorellina''); usage varies with ''mamma'' and ''papà''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010) Placed after the noun it is emphatic or vocative: ''a casa mia'', ''figlio mio!''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026) It forms common exclamations, ''mamma mia!'', ''Dio mio!''.^(GRADIT 2003) In the 1970s the feminist slogan ''io sono mia'' “I am my own” claimed women's right to decide about their own lives.^(Gabrielli 2020)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 11th century – The feminine ''mea'' is recorded.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Nocentini 2010)

+ * 13th century – Guittone d'Arezzo and Chiaro Davanzati write ''meo''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1292 – Bono Giamboni uses ''mio''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1313–1319 – Dante uses ''mio'' as a pronoun.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1347 – ''I miei'' “my family” in Bartolomeo da San Concordio.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1970s – The slogan ''io sono mia'' of the women's movement.^(Gabrielli 2020)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Determiner===

+ # [[m|en|my]]: belonging to me, that I own or use: ''la mia bicicletta''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # Part of me, proper to me, physically or in mind: ''le mie mani'', ''i miei dubbi''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+ # Made, said, written or given by me: ''il mio ultimo romanzo''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+ # Linked to me by family, friendship, work and the like: ''mio zio'', ''il mio dentista''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # After the noun, with emphasis or in addressing someone: ''Questa è casa mia!'', ''amico mio''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+

+ ===Pronoun===

+ # [[m|en|mine]]: ''Questo ombrello è il mio.''^(DELI 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''i miei'', my family, my parents.^(DELI 1999)^(Wikizionario)

+ # ''il mio'', what belongs to me, my own property: ''Voglio solo il mio.''^(DELI 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[inmiarsi]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[me]]

+ * [[mi#1]]

+ * [[io]]

+ * [[madonna]]

+ * [[la|meus]]

+ * [[fr|mien]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Mio'' may be written with a capital, ''Mio'', when it refers to God or another revered figure understood from context.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}