se Italian · revision 37485

+ {{homograph|1|if}}

+

+ {{infobox|confidence=probable|formation=inherited|attested=late 12th century, Ritmo laurenziano|origins=la sī}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /se/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''se'''^(Wiktionary)

+ Before a vowel it may be elided to ''s’''.^(Zingarelli 2010) Old Florentine, Sienese and Milanese texts have ''sed'' before a vowel.^(DEI|3435)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The conjunction “if” is [[inh|la-lat|se|alt=se(d)]], a Late Latin form recorded from the 6th century, which DELI, GRADIT, Sabatini–Coletti and the GDLI explain as a blend of [[la|sī|t=if]] with [[m|la|quid|t=what]].^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(GDLI|18, 382)^(DEI|3435) DEI supports the final consonant with the old forms in ⟨sed⟩ before a vowel, as in Brunetto Latini's ⟨sed io ben mi ramento⟩ “if I remember well”, and with the doubling of the consonant that follows the conjunction.^(DEI|3435) Nocentini instead takes it as Latin “sī” under the attraction of [[che]],^(Nocentini 2010) and Wiktionary leaves both explanations open.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ The conjunction is panromance: [[fr|si]], [[oc|si]], [[ca|si]], [[es|si]], [[pt|se]] and [[sc|si]].^(Nocentini 2010) DEI sets the Sardinian, Old Venetian, Provençal, Catalan and Spanish forms in ⟨si⟩, which continue “sī” directly, against [[ro|să]] and the Old French form ⟨se⟩.^(DEI|3435) Meyer-Lübke noted that ⟨se⟩, written in France from the 6th century, may have been formed after the outcome of [[m|la|quia|t=that, because]].^(REW 1935) In Romanian the word is now a particle meaning “that”.^(Körting 1907)

+

+ Latin “sī” comes from an older ⟨sei⟩, written in early inscriptions, which goes back to [[itc-pro|*sei|t=so, thus]].^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary) It was originally a locative of an old demonstrative [[ine-pro|*só|t=this, that]], used to link clauses with the sense “in this case”, and only later became a subordinating conjunction “in the case that”.^(Nocentini 2010)^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary) The same old form, with the particle [[m|la|-ce]], gave [[m|la|sīc|t=so]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The first record is in the Ritmo laurenziano, at the end of the 12th century, already with the sense “in the case that”.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003) It has the line ''Se mi dà cavai ballano'' (“if he gives me prancing horses”).^(GDLI|18, 382)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In the first half of the 13th century the conjunction also meant “since, given that”, in Iacopo d'Aquino, and before 1294 Brunetto Latini uses it for a clause of doubt.^(DELI 1999) An indirect question with ''se'' “whether” follows at the end of the 13th century in the ''Novellino''.^(DELI 1999) Boccaccio has the dubitative use: ''Non so se a voi quello se ne parrà che a me ne parrebbe'' (“I do not know whether it will seem to you as it would to me”).^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861)

+

+ Compounds with adverbs became conjunctions of their own: ''semmai'' before 1292, ''sennò'' in the 13th century, ''sebbene'' and ''sennonché'' in the 14th century, and ''seppure'' in 1838.^(Nocentini 2010) As a noun ''se'' meant “condition” before 1557 in Girolamo Parabosco, and Tommaseo in 1873 records it for “hesitation, doubt”.^(DELI 1999) The noun survives in the phrase ''con i se e con i ma'', said of doubts and objections that hold up a decision.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Late 12th century – The Ritmo laurenziano uses ''se'' “if”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * First half of the 13th century – Iacopo d'Aquino uses it for “since, given that”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1292 – ''Semmai'' is first recorded.^(Nocentini 2010)

+ * Before 1294 – Brunetto Latini uses ''se'' in a clause of doubt.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Late 13th century – The ''Novellino'' uses ''se'' “whether” in an indirect question.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 14th century – ''Sebbene'' and ''sennonché'' appear.^(Nocentini 2010)

+ * Before 1557 – Girolamo Parabosco uses the noun ''se'' “condition”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1838 – ''Seppure'' is first recorded.^(Nocentini 2010)

+ * 1873 – Tommaseo records the noun for “hesitation, doubt”.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Conjunction===

+ # [[m|en|if]], introducing a real condition, with the indicative: ''Se domani fa bello, andiamo in montagna.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+ # If, introducing a possible or unreal condition, with the subjunctive: ''Se avessi più tempo, imparerei il russo.''^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(GRADIT 2003)

+ # In polite phrases that soften a statement: ''se non sbaglio'', ''se ben ricordo''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+ # In exclamations with the main clause left out, expressing wonder, regret or a wish: ''Se solo me l'avessi detto prima!''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+ # [[m|en|since]], given that, with a causal sense: ''Se eri stanco, perché non sei rimasto a casa?''^(GRADIT 2003)^(DELI 1999)

+ # [[m|en|whether]], introducing an indirect question or a doubt: ''Mi domando se abbia ricevuto la lettera.''^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861)^(Wiktionary)

+ # With ''anche'' or ''pure'', even if: ''Anche se piove, esco lo stesso.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # A condition, a reservation: ''Ci sono troppi se in questo progetto.''^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(DELI 1999)

+ # Doubt, hesitation.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[semmai]]

+ * [[seppure]]

+ * [[sebbene]]

+ * [[sennò]]

+ * [[sennonché]]

+ * [[senonché]]

+

+ {{homograph|2|oneself}}

+

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=late 13th century, Novellino|origins=ine-pro *se}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /se/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''se'''^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The pronoun is [[inh|la|sē|t=himself, herself, itself, themselves]], the Latin reflexive pronoun.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(GDLI|18, 383)^(Wiktionary) It is the form that the clitic [[si]] takes before [[lo]], [[la]], [[li]], [[le]] and [[ne]].^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+

+ The same pronoun is [[ro|se]], [[dlm|se]], [[sc|se]], [[fur|se]], [[fr|se]], [[oc|se]], [[ca|se]], [[es|se]] and [[pt|se]].^(REW 1935) In Romanian, Dalmatian, Italian, Rhaeto-Romance and southern French dialects it also serves as the reflexive of the first and second persons.^(REW 1935)

+

+ Latin “sē”, written ⟨sēd⟩ in Old Latin inscriptions, goes back to [[ine-pro|*se|t=oneself]]; the long vowel comes from the stressed form.^(de Vaan 2008) Cognates include [[got|𐍃𐌹𐌺|tr=sik]] and [[cu|сѧ|tr=sę]].^(de Vaan 2008)^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The pronoun is first recorded in the ''Novellino'', at the end of the 13th century, for “to oneself” and as a pleonastic particle.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Boccaccio uses it before another clitic for the dative of interest: ''insieme col medico e co' compagni suoi se gli mangiò'' (“he ate them [the capons] together with the doctor and his companions”).^(GDLI|18, 383) With ''ne'' it formed the pronominal verbs of motion, as in Boccaccio's ''se n'andarono'' “they went away”.^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861)

+

+ Alone, in place of ''si'', it is literary and mostly enclitic, as in Petrarch's ''non pò fermarse'' (“cannot stop”).^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026) Tommaseo notes that Venetian uses ''se'' for ''si'' in every position.^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Late 13th century – The ''Novellino'' uses the pronoun ''se''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1349–1353 – Boccaccio's ''Decameron'' has ''se gli mangiò'' and ''se n'andarono''.^(GDLI|18, 383)^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Pronoun===

+ # Unstressed [[m|en|reflexive]] pronoun of the third person, singular and plural, used for [[si]] before ''lo'', ''la'', ''li'', ''le'' and ''ne'': ''Se l'è dimenticato a casa.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # ''(literary)'' Used alone for ''si'', especially attached to the verb.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[si]]

+ * [[sé]]

+ * [[sì]]

+ * [[suo]]

+ * [[la|sī]]

+ * [[la|sē]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ In Tuscan pronunciation the conjunction doubles the consonant that follows it.^(Treccani 2011)^(DEI|3435) A minor homograph, archaic and literary, is ''se'' “so, may it be that”, used in wishes and oaths with the subjunctive: DELI derives it from [[la|sīc|t=so]], influenced by the conjunction “if”, and first records it before 1294 in Guittone d'Arezzo.^(DELI 1999)^(GDLI|18, 383) Dante uses it in ''Purgatorio'' 2.16: ''cotal m'apparve, s'io ancor lo veggia, / un lume'' (“so, may I see it again, a light appeared to me”).^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(GDLI|18, 383) The stressed reflexive pronoun is written ''sé''.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}