per Italian · revision 37451

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=960, Capuan charter|origins=ine-pro *péri}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /per/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|la|per|t=through, across; during; by means of]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary) In Italian it also took over many uses of [[m|la|prō|t=in front of; for]],^(Wiktionary)^(REW 1935) and Devoto described it as a blend of the two Latin prepositions.^(Devoto 1968) The Romance forms are [[fr|par]], [[oc|per]], [[ca|per]], [[sc|per]] and [[ro|pe]];^(Nocentini 2010) [[es|por]] and [[m|es|para]], with their Portuguese equivalents, grew out of the meeting of “per” and “pro” with [[m|la|ad]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(REW 1935)

+

+ Latin [[m|la|per]] continues [[itc-pro|*peri|t=through, across]], from [[ine-pro|*péri|t=across]].^(de Vaan 2008) Cognates include [[grc|περί|tr=perí|t=around]], [[sa|परि|tr=pári]] and [[lt|per]].^(de Vaan 2008)^(Wiktionary)^(Nocentini 2010) Nocentini groups it with [[m|la|prae]] and [[m|la|prō]]: at first a local adverb meaning “forward”, it narrowed to “through” and “around”, and the abstract senses came from these.^(Nocentini 2010) In Latin it also served as a prefix meaning “thoroughly”, and with adjectives “very”, as in [[m|la|perbonus]].^(de Vaan 2008)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The first record is a charter from Capua of 960.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Old texts have the forms ''par'', ''pi'' and ''pir'', and Tuscan has ''pere''.^(GDLI) The basic sense was motion through a place, as at the gate of Hell in Dante's ''Inferno'': ''Per me si va nella città dolente'' (“through me the way into the woeful city”).^(GDLI) From this ''per'' came to mark the place moved within, the destination, duration, the means, the cause, the purpose (with an infinitive, “in order to”), price and exchange, distribution (''uno per volta'') and, in arithmetic, multiplication (''tre per due'').^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ Many words and phrases were formed with it: ''perché'', ''perciò'' and ''pertanto'' in the 13th century, ''peraltro'' in the 16th,^(Nocentini 2010) and ''però'' from Latin “per hoc”.^(Prati 1951)^(Körting 1907) Oaths gave interjections such as ''perdio'' (14th century), the euphemisms ''perdinci'' (17th century), ''perdiana'' (1758) and ''perdindirindina'' (1922), and ''perbacco'' (18th century).^(Nocentini 2010) The combined forms ''pel'' and ''pei'' are now dated, and ''per il'', ''per i'' are preferred.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010) In scientific terms ''per-'' became an intensive prefix, in competition with ''iper-''.^(GDLI)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 960 – First record, in a charter from Capua.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)

+ * 13th century – ''Perché'', ''perciò'' and ''pertanto'' are formed.^(Nocentini 2010)

+ * 14th century – The interjection ''perdio''.^(Nocentini 2010)

+ * 16th century – ''Peraltro''.^(Nocentini 2010)

+ * 17th century – ''Perdinci'' and ''peranco''.^(Nocentini 2010)

+ * 18th century – ''Perbacco''.^(Nocentini 2010)

+ * 1758 – ''Perdiana'', a euphemism for ''perdio''.^(Nocentini 2010)

+ * 1922 – ''Perdindirindina''.^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Preposition===

+ # [[m|en|through]], by way of: of motion through a place, also figurative: ''siamo passati per Verona''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # Around, about, within a space: ''girare per il mercato''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # [[m|en|for]], to: of destination: ''il volo per Madrid''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+ # For, towards: of the person or thing an act or feeling is aimed at or benefits: ''un regalo per la nonna''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+ # For, during: of duration: ''ha nevicato per tre giorni''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary)

+ # By, for: of a time in the future: ''sarà pronto per lunedì''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+ # Because of, out of: of cause: ''tremare per il freddo''.^(GRADIT 2003)

+ # By, by means of: ''mandare per email''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary)

+ # For, in order to: of purpose, also with an infinitive: ''sono venuto per aiutarti''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary)

+ # For: of price or exchange: ''l'ha venduta per poco'', ''scambiare una cosa per un'altra''.^(GRADIT 2003)

+ # Of distribution and percentages: ''due per volta'', ''il cinque per cento''.^(GRADIT 2003)

+ # ''(mathematics)'' [[m|en|times]]: ''quattro per tre fa dodici''; also the sign × itself.^(GRADIT 2003)

+ # ''(with'' stare'')'' Of an action about to happen: ''sta per nevicare''.^(GRADIT 2003)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[dappertutto]]

+ * [[peraltro]]

+ * [[perbacco]]

+ * [[perché]]

+ * [[perciò]]

+ * [[perciocché]]

+ * [[imperciocché]]

+ * [[perdio]]

+ * [[perdiana]]

+ * [[perdinci]]

+ * [[perdindirindina]]

+ * [[pertanto]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[pro]]

+ * [[però]]

+ * [[la|per]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Per'' forms many set phrases: ''per favore'' and ''per piacere'' “please”, ''per esempio'', ''per caso'' “by chance”, ''per sempre'' “for ever”.^(Wiktionary)^(GRADIT 2003) Oaths with ''per'' (''per la miseria!'') express annoyance or surprise.^(GRADIT 2003)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}