sì Italian · revision 37481

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=1075–1080, Umbrian confession formula|origins=la sīc}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈsi/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''sì'''^(Wiktionary)

+ Dialect forms of the word for “yes” include Abruzzese ''scì'', Sicilian and Calabrian ''sini'' and Neapolitan ''sino''.^(DEI|3487) Old Italian strengthened it as ''mai sì'' and ''ma sì'', and Venetian and Milanese as ''sì po'' or ''po sì''.^(DEI|3487)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|la|sīc|t=so, thus]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Wiktionary) As a word of assent it is short for the phrase ⟨sīc est⟩ “it is so”, used like ⟨ita est⟩.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(DEI|3487)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

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+ The adverb “so” is panromance: [[fr|si]], [[oc|si]], [[ca|si]], [[es|si]], [[pt|si]] and [[sc|si]], while [[ro|și]] became the conjunction “and”.^(Nocentini 2010) In Old Italian, Old French and Provençal the word also meant “until”.^(REW 1935) As the word for “yes” it is shared with [[es|sí]], [[pt|sim]] and Sardinian, whereas French uses [[m|fr|si]] only to answer a negative question.^(Nocentini 2010)^(REW 1935) The other languages of France chose other words: [[pro|oc]], from [[la|hoc|t=this]], and [[fro|oïl]], from ⟨hoc ille⟩, the source of modern [[fr|oui]].^(DEI|3487)

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+ Latin “sīc” goes back to an older ⟨sīce⟩, made of the deictic particle [[m|la|-ce]] and the locative of an old demonstrative [[ine-pro|*só]], meaning “in this way”.^(Nocentini 2010)^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary) Early inscriptions write it ⟨seic⟩.^(OLD 2012) Nocentini compares the parallel formation [[goh|so|t=so]].^(Nocentini 2010)

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+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The adverb “so, so much”, placed before an adjective or adverb, is first recorded in the Umbrian confession formula of 1075–1080.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003) The word of assent and the noun “assent, yes” follow at the end of the 13th century in the ''Novellino'', where one character asks ''Conosceresti tu tuo barlione?'' and another answers ''Sì, messere'' (“Would you know your keg?” “Yes, sir”).^(DELI 1999)^(GDLI|18)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In old and literary Italian ''sì'' long kept the Latin sense “so, thus”, as in Dante's ''Sì cominciò lo mio duca a parlarmi'' (“So my leader began to speak to me”, ''Inferno'' 17.4).^(GDLI|18)^(GRADIT 2003) After a negative clause it also meant “until”, as in Boccaccio's ''non ristette sì fu a casa di lei'' (“he did not stop until he was at her house”); the GDLI takes this as a shortened [[sinché]].^(GDLI|18)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861)

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+ The plural ''i sì'' for votes in favour is recorded in a Sienese statute of 1288–1361.^(DELI 1999) The phrase ''lingua del sì'', “the language of sì”, is an old name for Italian.^(GRADIT 2003) From the adverb “so” came the compounds ''sicché'' in the 13th century, ''siccome'' in its second half, ''sibbene'' and ''siffatto'' in the 14th century.^(Nocentini 2010) The word for “yes” gave ''sissignore'' in 1891.^(Nocentini 2010) In the modern language the senses “so, thus” and “so much” are literary, and the consecutive ''sì che'' and ''far sì che'' “to see to it that” are the main survivors.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Treccani 2011)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1075–1080 – The Umbrian confession formula uses ''sì'' “so, so much”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 13th century – ''Sicché'' appears.^(Nocentini 2010)

+ * Late 13th century – The ''Novellino'' uses ''sì'' “yes” and the noun ''sì''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1288–1361 – A Sienese statute has the plural ''sì'' for votes in favour.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 14th century – ''Sibbene'' and ''siffatto'' appear.^(Nocentini 2010)

+ * 1891 – ''Sissignore'' is first recorded.^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adverb===

+ # [[m|en|yes]], as an answer that stands for a whole affirmative clause: ''“Ti piace il gelato?” “Sì.”''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Wiktionary)

+ # After ''di'', standing for an affirmative clause: ''Credo di sì.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # Stressing a statement, often with ''che'': ''Questa sì che è una bella idea!''^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+ # With ''ma'', yielding after doubts or insistence: ''Ma sì, andiamo pure.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+ # ''(literary)'' So, thus, in this way.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Treccani 2011)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(literary)'' So, so much, before an adjective or adverb: ''sì dolce''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Treccani 2011)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(literary)'' Repeated, both … and.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Treccani 2011)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ===Conjunction===

+ # With ''che'' or ''da'', so that, to such a degree that, and with ''fare'', to see to it that: ''Bisogna far sì che nessuno resti escluso.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # ''(old)'' Until, after a negative clause.^(GRADIT 2003)^(GDLI|18)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # A yes, an assent; in the plural, the votes in favour: ''Il sì ha vinto il referendum.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(DELI 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[sicché]]

+ * [[siccome]]

+ * [[sibbene]]

+ * [[siffatto]]

+ * [[sissignore]]

+ * [[massì]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[così]]

+ * [[se]]

+ * [[no]]

+ * [[la|sīc]]

+ * [[es|sí]]

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+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Sì'' doubles the consonant that follows it in Tuscan pronunciation.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Treccani 2011) Common phrases include ''dire di sì'' “to say yes, to agree”, ''sì e no'' “barely, hardly” and ''un giorno sì e uno no'' “every other day”.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Gabrielli 2020)

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+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}