dire Italian · revision 37464

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=1211, Libro di conti|origins=ine-pro *deyḱ-}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈdi.re/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''dire''' (first-person singular present dìco, first-person singular past historic dìssi, past participle détto, first-person singular imperfect dicévo, second-person singular imperative dì' or (with syntactic gemination after the verb, with written accent) dì, auxiliary avére)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|la|dīcō|t=to say]], from the infinitive ⟨dīcere⟩ shortened to two syllables;^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary) the full form survives in [[roa-oit|dicere]].^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026) The LEI supposes that a short infinitive circulated in Italo-Romance, made after ⟨fare⟩, which had itself been remade on ⟨dare⟩;^(LEI|20, 262) Devoto likewise sets “dire” beside “fare” and Latin [[m|la|faciō]], with the influence of “dare”.^(Devoto 1968)

+

+ The same word is [[fr|dire]], [[oc|dire]], [[ca|dir]], [[es|decir]], [[pt|dizer]], [[ro|zice]] and [[dlm|dekro]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(REW 1935)^(LEI|20, 262)

+

+ In Latin the verb first meant “to show”, then “to make known by speech, to say”, and was used at first in solemn, religious and technical settings.^(DELI 1999) It goes back through [[itc-pro|*deikō]] to [[ine-pro|*deyḱ-|t=to show, point out]],^(Wiktionary)^(Nocentini 2010) the root also of [[grc|δείκνυμι|tr=deíknumi|t=to show]], [[sa|दिशति|tr=diśáti|t=to show]], [[goh|zeigōn]] ([[de|zeigen|t=to show]]) and [[en|teach]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(Wikizionario)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The first record is in a book of accounts of 1211, in the sense “to utter, to say”.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003) The noun, “the act and manner of saying”, appears early in the 13th century in Odo delle Colonne.^(DELI 1999)^(GDLI)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The senses “to tell, to narrate” (before 1294, Brunetto Latini) and the impersonal “it is said, people say” (before 1292, Bono Giamboni) follow within the century, and “to recite” is recorded before 1342 in Domenico Cavalca.^(DELI 1999) Dante still used the longer ''dicere'' beside ''dire'', and in the ''Paradiso'' speaks of ''lo dicer mio'', “my speech”.^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861)^(GDLI|4, 525) In the ''Vita Nuova'' (1292–1293) the verb already means to express or suggest a feeling.^(LEI|20, 262)

+

+ Several derivatives come from the old ''dicere'': ''dicitore'' “speaker, poet” (second half of the 12th century) and ''diceria'' “rumour” (14th century).^(Nocentini 2010) ''Disdetta'' meant the cancelling of an obligation from the 14th century, and in the 16th took the sense “bad luck” after Spanish ''desdicha''.^(Nocentini 2010) From the past participle came Old Italian ''detta'', luck at play, and, through Venetian ''dita'', Italian ''ditta'' “firm”.^(REW 1935)

+

+ Today ''dire'' is one of the commonest verbs, and stands for more precise ones (to recite, to report, to claim, to answer) according to context.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary) In the form ''volere dire'' it means “to mean”.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1211 – ''Dire'' “to utter” is first recorded, in a book of accounts.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Early 13th century – Odo delle Colonne uses the noun ''dire''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1292 – Bono Giamboni uses the impersonal “it is said”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1292–1293 – Dante's ''Vita Nuova'' uses ''dire'' for expressing a feeling.^(LEI|20, 262)

+ * Before 1294 – Brunetto Latini uses ''dire'' for “to narrate”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1342 – Domenico Cavalca uses ''dire'' for “to recite”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 16th century – ''Disdetta'' takes the sense “bad luck” after Spanish ''desdicha''.^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To [[m|en|say]], to utter, to express in words: ''Non ha detto una parola tutta la sera.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+ # To [[m|en|recite]] (a prayer, a poem, a lesson); ''dire messa'', to celebrate [[m|en|mass]].^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # To [[m|en|tell]], to relate, to report: ''Dimmi com'è andata.''^(GRADIT 2003)

+ # To state, to [[m|en|claim]], to maintain: ''Dice di non saperne niente.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+ # Of a text, to say, to contain: ''Che cosa dice il giornale?''^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(GRADIT 2003)

+ # With ''volere'', to [[m|en|mean]]: ''Che cosa vuol dire questa parola?''^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(figurative)'' To mean something to someone, to appeal: ''Questa musica non mi dice niente.''^(GRADIT 2003)

+ # ''(figurative)'' To show, to prove: ''Questo ti dice quanto ci tiene.''^(GRADIT 2003)

+ # ''(reflexive, impersonal)'' To be called in a language: ''Come si dice “libro” in tedesco?''^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # Speech, the act of saying; what is said.^(GDLI)^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861)^(GRADIT 2003)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[diceria]]

+ * [[dicitore]]

+ * [[dizione]]

+ * [[disdire]]

+ * [[disdetta]]

+ * [[indire]]

+ * [[indizione]]

+ * [[predire]]

+ * [[predizione]]

+ * [[sopraddetto]]

+ * [[suddetto]]

+ * [[contraddire]]

+ * [[detto]]

+ * [[dicibile]]

+ * [[dicitura]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[addire]]

+ * [[benedire]]

+ * [[dettare]]

+ * [[dicace]]

+ * [[dicesi]]

+ * [[dirsi]]

+ * [[dizionario]]

+ * [[maledire]]

+ * [[ridire]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ The imperative is ''di’'', written ''dì'' only by mistake.^(Treccani 2011)^(Zingarelli 2010) The fixed phrase ''dire pane al pane e vino al vino'' means to speak plainly, and ''a dir poco'' means “to say the least”.^(GRADIT 2003) A minor homograph, the plural ''Dire'' “the Furies”, is a learned word from Latin ''Dirae'', first used by Ciampolo di Meo Ugurgieri in 1340.^(TLIO)^(GDLI)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}