essere Italian · revision 37466

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=1037–1089, Umbrian confession formula|origins=ine-pro *h₁es-}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈɛs.se.re/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''essere''' (first-person singular present sóno, first-person singular past historic fùi, past participle stàto, first-person singular imperfect èro, first-person singular future sarò, first-person singular subjunctive sìa, first-person singular imperfect subjunctive fóssi, second-person singular imperative sìi, auxiliary èssere)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old and literary forms include the present ''semo'' “we are” and ''ènno'' “they are”, the future ''fia'', the conditional ''fora'' and the past participles ''essuto'' and ''suto''.^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011)^(Körting 1907)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|la|sum|t=to be]], through the Vulgar Latin infinitive ⟨*essere⟩, which took the place of classical ⟨esse⟩.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary) The infinitive ⟨essere⟩ is already written in Early Medieval Latin.^(Wiktionary) Devoto explains the new form as a shift of the verb from the athematic conjugation, in which ⟨-se⟩ was added directly to the root ⟨es-⟩, to the thematic type, as if it were a verb of the third conjugation.^(Devoto 1968|170)

+

+ The verb is panromance: [[sc|èssere]], [[fr|être]], [[oc|ésser]], [[ca|ésser]], [[es|ser]] and [[pt|ser]] continue it, while the infinitive [[ro|fi]] comes from [[la|fīō|alt=fierī|t=to become]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(Körting 1907)^(REW 1935) The Romance languages also kept the Latin mixture of two stems in one paradigm: the present (Italian “è” from Latin ⟨est⟩) belongs to the durative root [[ine-pro|*h₁es-|t=to be]], the past historic (“fu” from ⟨fuit⟩) to the momentary root [[ine-pro|*bʰuH-|t=to grow, become]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(Wiktionary) The past participle “stato” was taken from [[stare]], from [[la|status|alt=stātus]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ The Latin verb has cognates across Indo-European: [[grc|ἐστί|tr=estí]], [[sa|अस्ति|tr=ásti]], [[hit|ēšzi|alt=ešzi]], [[got|𐌹𐍃𐍄|tr=ist]] and [[lt|esti|alt=ẽsti]] all mean “is”.^(Nocentini 2010)^(de Vaan 2008)^(Treccani 2011) De Vaan reconstructs a Proto-Indo-European present ⟨*h₁es-⟩ / ⟨*h₁s-⟩, which accounts for the alternation in Latin ⟨est⟩ “is” and ⟨sunt⟩ “they are”, continued in Italian “è” and “sono”.^(de Vaan 2008)^(Devoto 1968)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The first record is in the Umbrian confession formula of 1037–1089, where the verb already expresses being, appearing and happening.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003) The noun ''essere'' “existence, life, condition, nature” follows before 1257 in Bonagiunta Orbicciani.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ As a noun the infinitive took on the philosophical sense “being, what exists”, which Dante already uses: in ''Paradiso'' 24 the deep things of heaven are hidden from human eyes, ''che l'esser lor v'è in sola credenza'' (“so that their being is there in belief alone”).^(GDLI|5, 424) DEI dates the sense “condition of life” to Petrarch and “existence, way of life” to the 16th century,^(DEI|1546) and the sense “a living thing, creature” appears in Daniello Bartoli in 1650.^(DELI 1999) Compounds with adverbs followed: ''benessere'' “well-being” (15th century) and ''malessere'', first “restlessness” (17th century) and then “physical indisposition” (1827).^(Nocentini 2010)^(Prati 1951)

+

+ The phrase ''essere al verde'' “to be penniless” comes from auctions held by candlelight: the bottom of the candle was dyed green, and when the flame reached the green the bidding ended.^(Prati 1951|409) Anton Francesco Doni wrote in 1553 ''chè la candela è al verde'' (“for the candle is down to the green”).^(Prati 1951|409)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1037–1089 – The verb is recorded in an Umbrian confession formula.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)

+ * Before 1257 – Bonagiunta Orbicciani uses ''essere'' as a noun, “existence, condition”.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)

+ * Before 1300 – Guido Cavalcanti uses the learned derivative ''essenza'' “essence”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1304–1308 – Dante uses ''essenziale''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1553 – Anton Francesco Doni writes of the candle being ''al verde''.^(Prati 1951|409)

+ * 1650 – Daniello Bartoli uses ''essere'' for “a living being, creature”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1827 – ''Malessere'' is recorded in the sense “physical indisposition”.^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To [[m|en|exist]], to have reality: ''penso, dunque sono'' (“I think, therefore I am”, Descartes).^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # To be, as a [[m|en|copula]] joining the subject to a noun or adjective that describes it.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To be present or located somewhere, to be in a state or situation; with ''ci'' or ''vi'' ([[esserci]], [[esservi]]): there to be.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To happen, to take place.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Wiktionary)

+ # With ''di'': to belong to, to come from, to be on someone's side.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(colloquial)'' To [[m|en|cost]], weigh or measure a certain amount.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(auxiliary)'' Forms the passive of all verbs and the compound tenses of reflexive, pronominal and impersonal verbs and of many intransitive verbs.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # ''(philosophy)'' [[m|en|being]]: the condition of what exists or can exist, opposed to nothing and to becoming.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # Nature, [[m|en|essence]]; one's inner self.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # A living thing, [[m|en|creature]]: ''l'essere umano'', the human being.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+ # ''(often derogatory)'' A person, an individual.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[benessere]]

+ * [[malessere]]

+ * [[esserci]]

+ * [[esservi]]

+ * [[essendoché]]

+ * [[essente]]

+ * [[riessere]]

+ * [[preessere]]

+ * [[esserino]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[essenza]]

+ * [[futuro]]

+ * [[essenziale]]

+ * [[stato]]

+ * [[stare]]

+ * [[la|sum]]

+ * [[fr|être]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ The past participle ''stato'' is shared with [[stare]], so ''sono stato'' means both “I have been” and “I have stayed”.^(Nocentini 2010)^(Wiktionary) The infinitive used as a noun has a plural, ''esseri'' “beings”.^(Wiktionary)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}