suo Italian · revision 37491

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=c. 1080, Umbrian confession formula|origins=ine-pro *swé}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈsu.o/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''suo''' (feminine sua, masculine plural suoi, feminine plural sue)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old forms include ''seo'', ''sio'', ''so'', ''sou'', ''su'' and ''suoio''.^(GDLI|20, 519)^(Wiktionary) In the 13th century the form ''soio'' is found, and old Umbrian had ''so'', ''sou'' and ''su''.^(DEI|3676)

+ Popular Tuscan uses ''su’'' before the noun for every gender and number (''la su' mamma''), and central Italy has ''sua'' for both plurals.^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011) The northern enclitic form ''-so'' is found in ''signorso'' “his lord”.^(Zingarelli 2010)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|la|suus|t=his, her, their own]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary) The word is panromance: [[fr|son]] and [[m|fr|sien]], [[oc|so]], [[ca|son]], [[es|su]] and [[m|es|suyo]], [[pt|seu]], [[sc|suu]], [[fur|so]] and [[ro|său]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(REW 1935) Early Latin inscriptions still write ⟨sou-⟩ (ablative ⟨soua⟩, ⟨souo⟩).^(OLD 2012)

+

+ Latin ⟨suus⟩ continues [[itc-pro|*sowos]] and [[ine-pro|*sewos]], an adjective formed from the reflexive pronoun [[m|ine-pro|*swé]], continued in [[la|sē|t=oneself]].^(Wiktionary)^(Nocentini 2010)^(OLD 2012)^(Devoto 1968|432) Related forms are [[grc|ἑός|tr=heós]] and [[m|grc|ὅς|tr=hós]], [[sa|स्व|tr=sva]], [[lt|sãvas]], [[cu|свои|tr=svoi]] and [[got|𐍃𐍅𐌴𐍃|tr=swēs]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The first record is in the Umbrian confession formula of about 1080, in the sense “belonging to him or her, of him or her”, followed by the Ritmo laurenziano at the end of the 12th century.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Old Italian and popular usage also used it with a plural subject, in place of ''loro'': Dante's “Tronche e private de le punte sue” and Boccaccio's “avranno il suo saettamento saettato”.^(Treccani 2011)^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861) The plural ''i suoi'' “his or her family” is in Dante, before 1321.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ Placed before a title, ''Sua'' forms courtesy formulas: ''Sua Eccellenza'' is in Vespasiano da Bisticci before 1498 and ''Sua Maestà'' in Guicciardini before 1540.^(DELI 1999) With the polite ''Lei'' the possessive also means “your”, often capitalized: ''Suo''.^(Wiktionary)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1080 – The Umbrian confession formula has ''suo''.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)

+ * End of the 12th century – The Ritmo laurenziano uses it.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 13th century – The form ''soio'' is recorded.^(DEI|3676)

+ * Before 1321 – Dante uses ''i suoi'' “his family”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1498 – ''Sua Eccellenza'' in Vespasiano da Bisticci.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1540 – ''Sua Maestà'' in Francesco Guicciardini.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Determiner===

+ # [[m|en|his]], [[m|en|her]], [[m|en|its]]: belonging to him, her or it: ''ha parcheggiato la sua bici in cortile''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # Part of him or her, proper to him, her or it: ''la sua risata'', ''il fiume e le sue rive''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # Made, said, written or given by him or her: ''ho ascoltato il suo ultimo album''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+ # Linked to him or her by family, friendship, work and the like: ''sua nonna'', ''i suoi vicini di casa''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # ''(formal, often written Suo)'' [[m|en|your]], when addressing someone as ''Lei'': ''signora, è Sua questa borsa?''.^(Wiktionary)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+ # In titles of courtesy: ''Sua Santità'', ''Sua Maestà''.^(DELI 1999)^(Treccani 2011)

+

+ ===Pronoun===

+ # His, [[m|en|hers]]: ''la mia idea è diversa dalla sua''.^(Treccani 2011)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''i suoi'': his or her family, parents.^(DELI 1999)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # ''il suo'': what belongs to him or her, his or her own property.^(Treccani 2011)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[loro]]

+ * [[mio]]

+ * [[nostro]]

+ * [[tuo]]

+ * [[vostro]]

+ * [[sé]]

+ * [[si]]

+ * [[la|suus]]

+ * [[fr|son]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ Common phrases include ''a suo tempo'' (at the right time) and ''fare le sue'' or ''farne una delle sue'' (to do one of his or her usual tricks).^(Treccani 2011) In bureaucratic style ''il di lei'' replaces ''suo'' to avoid ambiguity: ''il di lei marito''.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}