vi Italian · revision 37502

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=1293–1294, Dante|origins=la ibī}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈvi/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''vi''' (unstressed, ''ve'' before ''lo'', ''la'', ''li'', ''le'' and ''ne'')^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|la|ibī|t=there]], which also gave [[ivi]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Treccani 2011) The pronoun “you, to you” is the same word: Rohlfs, quoted by DELI, explains that ⟨vi scrivo⟩ originally meant “I write there”, to the place where the people addressed are, and Nocentini describes the adverb of place taking on the value of the second person plural in place of [[roa-oit|vo]], from [[la|vōs|t=you]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GDLI|21, 834) Sabatini–Coletti derives it from Vulgar Latin phrases of the type “ibī” with “vōs” or [[m|la|vōbīs]], “there (to you)”.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026) An older explanation by Parodi (1889), in which a dative from “ibī” merged with an accusative from “vōs”, was judged “metaphysical” by Parodi himself and has given way to this view.^(DELI 1999) DEI also derives both uses from “ibī”.^(DEI|4044)

+

+ The form ⟨ve⟩ before other clitics with a different vowel arose by assimilation, according to Nocentini, who compares [[sc|bi]].^(Nocentini 2010) Latin “ibī” goes back to [[itc-pro|*ifei]] or [[m|itc-pro|*iþei]], from [[ine-pro|*h₁i-dʰei]] or [[m|ine-pro|*h₁i-bʰei]]; it is built on the stem of the pronoun [[la|is|t=that, he]], and related forms are [[xum|ife|t=there]] and [[sa|इह|tr=ihá|t=here]].^(de Vaan 2008)^(Wiktionary)^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ DELI's earliest record is the pronoun “to you” in Dante, 1293–1294;^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003) “you” as a direct object follows in 1300–1313, and the adverb “there” before 1321, also in Dante.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003) Nocentini dates the pronoun to about 1300, and Sabatini–Coletti to the 11th century.^(Nocentini 2010)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026) In ''Inferno'' 20 Dante writes “e visse, e vi lasciò suo corpo vano” (and lived, and left there his empty body).^(GDLI|21, 834)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Boccaccio uses ''vi'' for “to it, in it” in the ''Decameron'', 1348–1353.^(DELI 1999) In 1525 Pietro Bembo described ''ci'' and ''vi'' as shortened forms of ''qui'' and ''ivi'', “here” and “there”, and allowed both ''vi'' and ''ve'' in verse;^(DELI 1999) Salviati reproached Tasso for using ''vi'' for ''ci'', calling it a “privilege of foreigners”.^(DELI 1999) In the 17th century the distinction between ''ci'' “here” and ''vi'' “there” was lost.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ In modern Italian the adverb is a more formal equivalent of ''ci'', as in ''vi sono'' “there are”, and the pronoun, often capitalized as ''Vi'', serves as a polite form for one person in letters.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1293–1294 – Dante uses ''vi'' “to you”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1300–1313 – Dante uses it as a direct object “you”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1321 – Dante uses the adverb “there”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1348–1353 – Boccaccio uses it for “to it, in it”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1525 – Bembo describes ''ci'' and ''vi'' as forms of ''qui'' and ''ivi''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 17th century – The difference between ''ci'' and ''vi'' as adverbs of place is lost.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Pronoun===

+ # [[m|en|you]], plural, as a direct object: ''vi aspettiamo all'ingresso''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # To you, plural, as an indirect object: ''vi mando l'indirizzo stasera''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # In [[m|en|reflexive]] and pronominal verbs of the second person plural: ''vi siete divertiti?''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Treccani 2011)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+ # ''(formal, often written Vi)'' You, to you, addressing one person politely: ''Vi ringraziamo per la cortese attenzione''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(formal)'' To it, in it, about it, like ''ci'': ''non vi vedo alcun problema''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+

+ ===Adverb===

+ # ''(formal)'' [[m|en|there]], here, in the place mentioned: ''vi abitò per vent'anni''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(formal)'' With ''essere'', there is, there are: ''vi sono diverse ragioni''.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[voi]]

+ * [[ci]]

+ * [[ivi]]

+ * [[ne]]

+ * [[la|ibī]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ Before ''lo'', ''la'', ''li'', ''le'' and ''ne'' it takes the form ''ve'' and comes first (''ve lo spiego dopo''); it comes before ''ci'' and ''si''.^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Treccani 2011) It can be elided before a vowel: ''v'è''.^(Zingarelli 2010)

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+ ''Vi'' is also a name of the letter ''v'', more often called ''vu''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(GDLI|21, 835)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}