ancora Italian · revision 37506

+ {{homograph|1|still, again}}

+

+ {{infobox|confidence=disputed|formation=inherited|attested=before 1294, Brunetto Latini|origins=la hōra}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /anˈko.ra/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''ancora'''^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The adverb is [[inh|la-vul|*hancōra]], from the phrase [[la|hanc|t=this]] [[m|la|hōra|alt=hōram|t=hour]], “at this hour”, according to DELI, GRADIT, Devoto–Oli and Sabatini–Coletti.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026) Wiktionary takes it from a Late Latin ⟨in hanc hōram⟩ “until this hour”, and Körting thought ⟨(ad) hanc hōram⟩ the likely base of the Italian, French and Occitan words.^(Wiktionary)^(Körting 1907)

+

+ Nocentini instead makes it a borrowing of [[fro|encore]] or ⟨ancore⟩, a compound of ⟨anc⟩ (the same as Italian [[anche]]) and ⟨ore⟩ “now”, itself from ⟨*hā hōra⟩, parallel to [[oc|encara]] and [[ca|encara]].^(Nocentini 2010) Devoto and Treccani also derive it from the Old French adverb, Treccani from a Latin ⟨hinc ad hōram⟩ “from then until this hour”.^(Devoto 1968|32)^(Treccani 2011) Meyer-Lübke traced the Old French word, whose oldest form is ⟨uncore⟩, to [[m|la|umquam|t=ever]] with “hōra”, and remarked that Gamillscheg's ⟨hac hōra⟩ fits only the Italian form;^(REW 1935)^(Prati 1951|53) Prati likewise wavers between the French source and Latin “hanc hōram”.^(REW 1935)^(Prati 1951|53) DELI mentions the French hypothesis only in passing.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ DELI's earliest sense is “moreover”, in Brunetto Latini before 1294;^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003) “until then, up to now” follows in Iacopone da Todi before 1306.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003) Nocentini dates the word to the early 13th century.^(Nocentini 2010) The GDLI's first quotation is Iacopone's “pochi presente da voi n’abi ancore” (I have had few gifts from you so far).^(GDLI)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Nocentini explains that the sense “until now” grew up in negative sentences such as ''ancora non si è svegliato'' (he has not woken up yet), so the adverb implies that what it describes runs against expectation.^(Nocentini 2010) Old Italian could also use it for “already, once before”, a use kept in Venetian, where ''l'ho visto ancora'' means “I have seen it before”.^(Nocentini 2010) The sense “again” is in Dante, before 1321, and Petrarch writes “Io amai sempre, et amo forte ancóra” (I always loved, and still love strongly).^(DELI 1999)^(GDLI)

+

+ As a conjunction meaning “although” it is now archaic;^(GRADIT 2003)^(Treccani 2011)^(Gabrielli 2020) Dante has “ch'i' ti conosco, ancor sie lordo tutto” (for I know you, even though you are all filthy).^(GRADIT 2003)^(Treccani 2011)^(Gabrielli 2020) The compound ''ancorché'' “although” dates from the 13th century.^(Nocentini 2010) English took ''ancora'' as a call for a repeat performance in 1712, later replaced by French ''encore'', and German had it by 1806.^(DIFIT)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Before 1294 – Brunetto Latini uses ''ancora'' for “moreover”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 13th century – ''Ancorché'' “although” is recorded.^(Nocentini 2010)

+ * Before 1306 – Iacopone da Todi uses it for “until now”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1321 – Dante uses it for “again”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1712 – English uses ''ancora'' as a call for a repeat.^(DIFIT)

+ * 1806 – The same call is recorded in German.^(DIFIT)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adverb===

+ # [[m|en|still]], showing that an action or state goes on at the time in question: ''alle dieci dormiva ancora''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # [[m|en|yet]], in negative sentences: ''il treno non è ancora partito''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+ # [[m|en|again]], once more; also as an exclamation asking for a repeat or showing annoyance: ''ho sbagliato ancora''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Treccani 2011)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # More, in addition: ''vuoi ancora un po' di caffè?''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Treccani 2011)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+ # [[m|en|even]], strengthening a comparative: ''oggi fa ancora più caldo''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Treccani 2011)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+

+ ===Conjunction===

+ # ''(archaic)'' [[m|en|although]], even though.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Treccani 2011)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[ancorché]]

+

+ {{homograph|2|anchor}}

+

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=c. 1250, Pamphilus volgarizzato (Venetian)|origins=grc ἄγκυρα}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈan.ko.ra/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''ancora''' ''f'' (plural ancore)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old Italian also had ''ancola'', which appears in the ''Fiore''.^(DELI 1999)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ Dialect forms include Genoese ''àncoa'' and Sicilian ''àngula''.^(REW 1935)^(Prati 1951|52)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The anchor is [[inh|la|ancora|t=anchor]], [[bor|grc|ἄγκυρα|tr=ánkura]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(LEI|2, 1102) DELI, GRADIT and Sabatini–Coletti derive the Greek word from [[m|grc|ἄγκος|tr=ánkos|t=bend, curve]], and Nocentini from a base meaning “curvature” that is also behind [[angolo]].^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Nocentini 2010) Wiktionary notes that Beekes instead takes it as a Pre-Greek word because of its suffix.^(Wiktionary) DEI thinks Latin took it through an Etruscan form, and Devoto explains the short Latin vowel the same way.^(DEI|190)^(Devoto 1968|32)

+

+ The Latin word lives on in the whole Romance domain: [[fr|ancre]], [[pro|ancora]], [[ca|àncora]], [[es|áncora]] and [[m|es|ancla]], and [[pt|âncora]]; it also passed into [[de|Anker]] and [[en|anchor]].^(LEI|2, 1102)^(Nocentini 2010) DELI finds it hard to explain why the Old Italian variant with ⟨l⟩ and the verb ⟨ancolarsi⟩ in the poem known as the Fiore are followed by no further record until the 16th century.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The TLIO's first record is the Venetian translation of the ''Pamphilus'', about 1250, for the iron tool that holds a boat to the sea bottom.^(TLIO) DELI dates it to the 13th century in the portolans.^(DELI 1999) Dante uses it in ''Inferno'' 16: “a solver l'ancora ch'aggrappa / o scoglio o altro” (to free the anchor that grips a rock or something else).^(GDLI)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Fra Giordano compares the Cross of Christ to the anchor that keeps the ship safe in a storm.^(GDLI) Technical senses followed: the iron bar held across the poles of a magnet in 1865 in Tommaseo–Bellini (1863 in the Crusca), and the anchor-shaped piece of a clock's escapement in 1863.^(DELI 1999) The figurative ''ancora di salvezza'', the spare anchor kept for emergencies, came to mean a last hope or the person one relies on in need.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+

+ Derivatives include ''ancoraggio'', found as ''ancoragium'' in the administrative Latin of Rome in 1465 and in Italian in a Florentine document of 1488, ''ancoretta'' in Galileo (1630–1631), and the verb ''ancorare'', which DELI dates to 1768 and Nocentini to the early 16th century.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1250 – The Venetian ''Pamphilus'' uses ''ancora'' “anchor”.^(TLIO)

+ * Before 1321 – Dante uses the word in the ''Inferno''.^(GDLI)

+ * 1488 – ''Ancoraggio'' appears in a Florentine document.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1630–1631 – Galileo uses ''ancoretta''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1768 – ''Ancorare'' is recorded in Targioni Tozzetti.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1863 – The Crusca records the sense “part of a clock's escapement”.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # ''(nautical)'' An [[m|en|anchor]], a heavy iron or steel device with curved arms that grips the bottom and holds a vessel in place: ''gettarono l'ancora davanti al porto''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # Any device with a similar function: the anchor of an [[m|en|airship]].^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+ # ''(physics)'' The soft iron [[m|en|keeper]] placed across the poles of a magnet or worked by an electromagnet.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # ''(horology)'' The anchor of a clock's [[m|en|escapement]].^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+ # The bar of a [[m|en|ski lift]] to which one or two skiers hold on.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # ''(figurative)'' In ''ancora di salvezza'', a last resort, or a person one relies on.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[ancoraggio]]

+ * [[ancorare]]

+ * [[ancoretta]]

+ * [[disancorare]]

+ * [[ancorotto]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[anche]]

+ * [[ora]]

+ * [[angolo]]

+ * [[fr|encore]]

+ * [[la|ancora]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ The adverb is stressed on the second syllable, ''ancóra'', and the noun on the first, ''àncora'';^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Devoto–Oli 2026) Zingarelli notes that the accent is sometimes written to tell them apart.^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Devoto–Oli 2026) Before a consonant the adverb is often shortened to ''ancor'' (''ancor più'').^(Wiktionary)^(Treccani 2011)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}