noi Italian · revision 37505

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=late 12th century, Memoria d'un cambio di terra|origins=ine-pro *nōs}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈnoj/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''noi''' (first person plural, masculine and feminine; unstressed object form ''ci'')^(Treccani 2011)^(GRADIT 2003)

+ Old and poetic Italian also had ''nui''.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ Thirteenth-century texts have an older form ''no''.^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|la|nōs|t=we, us]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary) DELI quotes Rohlfs on the final vowel: Latin final ⟨-s⟩ was lost in Italy only in the course of the Middle Ages and in some words is represented by ⟨-i⟩, as in [[voi]], [[poi]], [[assai]] and the verb forms ⟨hai⟩, ⟨dai⟩, ⟨fai⟩, a development that is not fully clear phonetically.^(DELI 1999) Sabatini–Coletti also calls the ⟨-i⟩ of uncertain origin.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026) Nocentini adds that the stressed form ⟨noi⟩, shaped on [[lui]] and [[lei]], replaced the old ⟨no⟩.^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ The word is panromance: [[fr|nous]], [[oc|nos]], [[ca|nos]], [[es|nos]], [[pt|nos]], [[sc|nois]], [[fur|nus]] and [[ro|noi]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(REW 1935) Latin “nōs” was in origin an accusative, as comparison with [[sa|नस्|tr=nas]], [[got|𐌿𐌽𐍃|tr=uns]], [[de|uns]] and [[en|us]] shows;^(Nocentini 2010)^(Devoto 1968|297) Latin, Celtic and Slavic extended it to the subject.^(Nocentini 2010)^(Devoto 1968|297) De Vaan reconstructs [[itc-pro|*nōs]] and [[ine-pro|*nōs]], and dates the replacement of the old nominative [[m|ine-pro|*wei]] by the stressed accusative to Proto-Italic.^(de Vaan 2008)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ DELI's first record is a Tuscan document of the late 12th century, the ''Memoria d'un cambio di terra'';^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003) GRADIT dates it to the second half of the 12th century.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003) Giacomo da Lentini writes “Ca semo, per leanza ch’è 'ntra nui, / d’uno cor dui” (for we are, through the loyalty between us, two of one heart).^(GDLI|11, 499)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The plural of majesty, used by rulers and popes, and the plural of modesty, used by writers and speakers in place of ''io'', are recorded from Brunetto Latini, before 1294.^(DELI 1999) Migliorini also describes a “sociative” plural, by which a speaker softens the ''tu'' by joining it to the first person, as in ''Abbiamo detto ancora bugie?'' (Have we been telling lies again?).^(DELI 1999) Dante's “Noi leggiavamo un giorno per diletto / di Lancialotto” (We were reading one day for pleasure of Lancelot, ''Inferno'' 5) shows the subject pronoun in early use.^(GDLI|11, 499)

+

+ The form ''nui'' survives in poetry, as in Manzoni's “nui / chiniam la fronte”.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010) The strengthened ''noialtri'' dates from the 14th century.^(Nocentini 2010) The cry ''a noi!'' was used by the shock troops in 1917 and by the legionaries at Fiume in 1919, and became the Fascist salute from 1933.^(Treccani 2011)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Late 12th century – ''Noi'' in the ''Memoria d'un cambio di terra''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1294 – Brunetto Latini uses the plural of majesty and of modesty.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 14th century – ''Noialtri'' is first recorded.^(Nocentini 2010)

+ * 1917 – ''A noi!'' is the cry of the Italian shock troops.^(Treccani 2011)

+ * 1933 – ''A noi!'' becomes the Fascist salute.^(Treccani 2011)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Pronoun===

+ # [[m|en|we]], as the subject, usually left out but expressed for emphasis or contrast: ''noi prendiamo il treno, loro la macchina''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # [[m|en|us]], as a stressed object and after prepositions: ''contate su di noi''.^(Treccani 2011)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+ # ''(formal)'' In place of ''io'', as the plural of [[m|en|majesty]] or of modesty.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Gabrielli 2020)^(DELI 1999)

+ # ''(colloquial)'' In place of ''tu'' or ''voi'', to soften a remark: ''allora, abbiamo fatto i compiti?''^(Zingarelli 2010)^(DELI 1999)

+ # ''da noi'': at our house, in our country: ''da noi d'inverno nevica spesso''.^(Treccani 2011)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[noialtri]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[ci]]

+ * [[nostro]]

+ * [[io]]

+ * [[voi]]

+ * [[la|nōs]]

+ * [[fr|nous]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ The unstressed form for the object and indirect object is ''ci''.^(Treccani 2011) In Tuscan usage ''noi'' can take a verb in the singular with the impersonal ''si'': ''noi si mangia alle otto''.^(Treccani 2011) Fixed phrases include ''detto tra noi'' (between ourselves) and ''veniamo a noi'' (let's get back to the point).^(GRADIT 2003)^(Treccani 2011)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}