stare Italian · revision 37455

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=1211, book of accounts|origins=ine-pro *steh₂-}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈsta.re/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''stare''' (first-person singular present (with syntactic gemination after the verb) stò, first-person singular past historic stétti or (traditional) stètti, past participle stàto, first-person singular future starò, first-person singular subjunctive stìa, first-person singular imperfect subjunctive stéssi, second-person singular imperative stài or stà', auxiliary èssere)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|la|stō|t=to stand, stand firm; to be situated]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary) The Latin present participle [[m|la|stāns]] lives on in [[stante]].^(DELI 1999) The verb is found in every Romance language: [[fro|ester]] (the source of [[en|stay]]), [[oc|estar]], [[ca|estar]], [[es|estar]], [[pt|estar]], [[sc|istare]] and [[ro|sta]],^(Nocentini 2010) as well as [[fur|sta]], [[rm|ster]] and [[dlm|stur]].^(REW 1935)

+

+ Latin [[m|la|stō]] continues a stative present, [[itc-pro|*staēje-]] “to be standing”, from [[ine-pro|*sth₂-eh₁-ye-]], built on the root [[ine-pro|*steh₂-|t=to stand]].^(de Vaan 2008) DELI gives the root as “*sthā-” with the meaning “to come to a stop”,^(DELI 1999) and Devoto saw in it an old root of momentary meaning, “to halt”.^(Devoto 1968) It belongs to a large Indo-European family: [[grc|ἵστημι|tr=hístēmi|t=to set, place]] (middle “to stand”), [[sa|तिष्ठति|tr=tiṣṭhati]], [[cu|стояти|tr=stojati]], [[lt|stoti|alt=stóti]] and [[goh|stēn]], the ancestor of [[de|stehen]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(de Vaan 2008)

+

+ Because the meanings were close, Romance verbs meaning “stand” supplied forms to the verb “to be”: Italian [[stato]], the past participle of [[essere]], comes from it, as do [[fr|était]] and [[m|fr|été]].^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The verb is first recorded in 1211, in a book of accounts, with the sense “to linger, delay”.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003) By the 14th century the infinitive was also used as a noun.^(DEI|3619)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ From the Latin senses “to stand, stand firm, be found somewhere”, Italian ''stare'' came to mean above all “to remain, stay” and “to be” in a place or state.^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003) Tommaseo's dictionary called it one of the most frequent verbs of the language, because of the variety of its meanings and constructions.^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861) With an adverb or adjective it expresses health and well-being (''come stai?'', “how are you?”), and in the regions it can mean “to live, reside”.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ''Stare per'' with an infinitive, “to be about to”, is recorded from 1550–51 in Giovan Maria Cecchi,^(DELI 1999) and ''stare'' with a gerund forms the progressive (''sto leggendo'', “I am reading”).^(Wiktionary) The mathematical sense, “to be in proportion to” (''2 sta a 4 come 3 sta a 6''), appears in the Zingarelli dictionary of 1922.^(DELI 1999) In card games ''sto'' means that a player wants no more cards.^(Treccani 2011)

+

+ The present participle ''stante'' meant “standing” by the end of the 13th century (''Novellino''), and, from before 1574 (Vasari) it served as a preposition, “because of”;^(DELI 1999) Panzini in 1905 granted it 17th-century authority but added that this did not make it elegant.^(DELI 1999) ''Seduta stante'', “while the meeting is in session”, was recorded in 1873 and later meant “at once”, and ''a sé stante'', “separate, standing apart”, in 1960.^(DELI 1999) In Venetian statutes of 1255 a Latin ''stantus'' already named a supporting post.^(Prati 1951|947) The verb was borrowed into the Mediterranean contact language Sabir as ''star'' and into Esperanto as ''stari''.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1211 – First record of ''stare'', in the sense “to linger”.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)

+ * 1255 – Medieval Latin ''stantus'' “prop” in the statutes of Venice.^(Prati 1951|947)

+ * Late 13th century – The participle ''stante'' “standing” in the ''Novellino''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 14th century – The infinitive is used as a noun.^(DEI|3619)

+ * 1550–1551 – ''Stare per'' “to be about to” in Giovan Maria Cecchi.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1574 – Vasari uses ''stante'' as a preposition, “because of”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1873 – ''Seduta stante'' is recorded in Tommaseo–Bellini.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1922 – The mathematical sense “to be in proportion” appears in the Zingarelli dictionary.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1960 – ''A sé stante'' “separate” is recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To [[m|en|stay]], [[m|en|remain]] in a place without moving away: ''resta pure, io sto qui ancora un'ora''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # To be, find oneself in a given place, setting or situation: ''stare sul balcone''; also of a task one is assigned to: ''stare allo sportello''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # To be or keep in a certain position, attitude or condition, with an adjective or phrase: ''stare accovacciato'', ''stare in silenzio''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # Of health and comfort: to be, to [[m|en|feel]]: ''oggi sto meglio''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+ # ''(regional)'' To [[m|en|live]], have one's home: ''sta in via Garibaldi''.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To be in a relationship with someone: ''sta con lui da due anni''.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(with'' per ''and an infinitive)'' To be [[m|en|about to]]: ''il film sta per cominciare''.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(with a gerund)'' Forms the [[m|en|progressive]]: ''stavamo cenando''.^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(mathematics, with'' a'')'' To be in [[m|en|proportion]] to: ''5 sta a 10 come 1 sta a 2''.^(DELI 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(card games)'' ''Sto'': I want no more cards.^(Treccani 2011)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[stante]]

+ * [[stantio]]

+ * [[retrostante]]

+ * [[instare]]

+ * [[soprastare]]

+ * [[soprastante]]

+ * [[sottostare]]

+ * [[sottostante]]

+ * [[sovrastare]]

+ * [[sovrastante]]

+ * [[constare]]

+ * [[distare]]

+ * [[restare]]

+ * [[ristare]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[sostanza]]

+ * [[sostare]]

+ * [[stagione]]

+ * [[stanza]]

+ * [[stazione]]

+ * [[stazzo]]

+ * [[stazzone]]

+ * [[stato]]

+ * [[la|sto]]

+ * [[es|estar]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ The present ''sto'' and ''sta'' are written without an accent; the imperative is ''sta’'', ''stai'' or ''sta''.^(Zingarelli 2010) The verb takes ''essere'' as its auxiliary, and its past participle ''stato'' is shared with ''essere''.^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Nocentini 2010) ''Lasciar stare'' means “to leave alone, not to touch or bother”.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}