chi Italian · revision 37508

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=before 1250, Giacomo da Lentini|origins=ine-pro *kʷís, ine-pro *kʷos}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ki/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''chi''' (invariable; masculine or feminine, normally singular)^(Wiktionary)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|la|quī|t=who, which]], the nominative singular of the Latin relative pronoun, according to DELI, GRADIT and Devoto–Oli.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026) Nocentini and Treccani derive it from both the interrogative [[m|la|quis|t=who?]] and the relative, and Sabatini–Coletti speaks of a Late Latin form in which the relative and the interrogative and indefinite pronouns had merged.^(Nocentini 2010)^(Treccani 2011)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026) Nocentini notes that the Latin relative had itself grown out of the interrogative, and that the Romance languages gave up the distinction between them.^(Nocentini 2010) Körting points out that Italian keeps the nominative as ⟨chi⟩ only where no noun comes before it, and uses [[che]] otherwise.^(Körting 1907)

+

+ The same nominative is [[fr|qui]], [[oc|qui]], [[ca|qui]] and [[sc|chie]], while [[es|quién]], [[pt|quem]] and [[ro|cine]] continue the accusative [[m|la|quem]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(REW 1935) Meyer-Lübke notes that only Logudorese kept that accusative as an object form; everywhere else it also serves as the subject.^(REW 1935)

+

+ The relative goes back to Old Latin [[m|la|quei]] and [[itc-pro|*kʷoi]], and the interrogative to [[m|itc-pro|*kʷis]]; both continue the Indo-European pronoun stems [[ine-pro|*kʷís]] and [[m|ine-pro|*kʷos]].^(Wiktionary)^(de Vaan 2008) De Vaan describes the Latin paradigm as a mixture of forms of these two stems.^(de Vaan 2008) Cognates are [[grc|τίς|tr=tís|t=who?]], [[hit|kuis]], [[osc|pis]] and [[cu|чьто|tr=čĭto|t=what]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(de Vaan 2008)^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ DELI's first record, for both “the one who” and “which person”, is in Giacomo da Lentini, before 1250.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003) The GDLI quotes his question “Chi vide mai così begli occhi in viso”, “who ever saw such beautiful eyes in a face?”.^(GDLI|3, 40) Sabatini–Coletti dates the word to the 13th century.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Old Italian could use ''chi'' as a plural, as in Fra Giordano's “beati chi non vedranno e crederanno” (blessed are those who will not see and will believe), and after a preposition in place of [[cui]], as in Petrarch's “a chi 'l ben piace” (to whom the good is pleasing).^(Treccani 2011)^(Zingarelli 2010) The correlative use, “some … others”, is found in the early Judaeo-Italian elegy: “chi abbe la soro e chi lo frate” (one got the sister and one the brother); Boccaccio has the young people walking about carrying “chi fiori, chi erbe odorifere” (some flowers, some fragrant herbs).^(GDLI|3, 40)

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+ As an interrogative it is often strengthened by ''mai'' or ''diavolo'' or used in the cleft form ''chi è che…''.^(GDLI|3, 40) Fixed phrases include the sentry's challenge ''chi va là?'', ''chi vive?'', which Körting compares with French ''qui vive?'', and proverbs such as ''chi cerca trova''.^(Treccani 2011)^(Körting 1907) The indefinite ''chicchessia'', formed with [[che]] and the subjunctive ''sia'', dates from the 18th century.^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Before 1250 – Giacomo da Lentini uses ''chi'' as a relative and an interrogative pronoun.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1321 – Dante writes “Non so chi sia” (“I don't know who he is”, ''Purgatorio'' 14).^(GDLI|3, 40)

+ * 1348–1353 – Boccaccio's ''Decameron'' uses the correlative ''chi … chi''.^(GDLI|3, 40)

+ * 18th century – ''Chicchessia'' “anyone at all” is first recorded.^(Nocentini 2010)

+ * 1892 – ''Chi'' is recorded as the name of the Greek letter.^(GRADIT 2003)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Pronoun===

+ # The one who, whoever, joining a main clause to a relative clause: ''chi arriva tardi resta senza posto''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # Someone who, anyone who, with an indefinite sense: ''c'è chi preferisce il tè''; in a negative clause, no one who.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # With a [[m|en|conditional]] sense, if anyone: ''chi volesse iscriversi lo dica entro venerdì''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+ # Repeated as a [[m|en|correlative]], some … others: ''chi leggeva, chi giocava a carte''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # [[m|en|who]], whom, asking about a person's identity, in direct and indirect questions: ''chi ha lasciato la porta aperta?'', ''dimmi con chi parlavi''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # In exclamations: ''guarda chi c'è!''.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[chicchessia]]

+ * [[chiunque]]

+ * [[chissà]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[che]]

+ * [[cui]]

+ * [[quale]]

+ * [[la|quis]]

+ * [[fr|qui]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ In Tuscan pronunciation ''chi'' doubles the consonant that follows it.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Treccani 2011) Set phrases include ''chi di dovere'' (the person responsible), ''chi più chi meno'' (some more, some less) and ''chi sa'', now usually written ''chissà''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Gabrielli 2020)

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+ A separate word ''chi'' (masculine or feminine, invariable) is the name of the Greek letter χ, recorded in 1892; it comes from [[grc|χεῖ|tr=kheî]] through [[la|chī]], a learned word found in Columella.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary)^(DEI|891) It is used in the statistical ''test del chi quadrato''.^(GRADIT 2003)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}