tempo Italian · revision 37521

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=1065|origins=la tempus}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈtɛm.po/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''tempo''' ''m'' (plural tempi)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old Italian also had ''tempu'' and ''tièmpo'', and the plural forms ''le tempora'' and ''li tempori''.^(GDLI|20, 845)^(DEI|3747)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|la|tempus|t=time, period]], a neuter noun that was reinterpreted as masculine.^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary) The word is panromance: [[fr|temps]], [[oc|temps]], [[ca|temps]], [[es|tiempo]], [[pt|tempo]], [[sc|tempus]] and [[ro|timp]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(REW 1935) The DÉRom reconstructs a Proto-Romance neuter ⟨*ˈtɛmpus⟩ with the senses “time” and “weather”.^(DÉRom)

+

+ Latin ⟨tempus⟩ had only the sense of time; the weather was ⟨tempestās⟩, which Sabatini–Coletti takes as the model for the new Romance sense.^(DELI 1999)^(Treccani 2011)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026) The origin of the Latin word is uncertain.^(DELI 1999)^(Treccani 2011) De Vaan derives it from [[itc-pro|*tempos|t=stretch, measure]] and [[ine-pro|*tempos|t=stretch]], with a development from “stretch” to “stretch of time”.^(de Vaan 2008)^(Wiktionary) Others connect it with [[m|ine-pro|*temh₁-|t=to cut]], as “a section of time”, the root of [[grc|τέμνω|tr=témnō|t=I cut]].^(Wiktionary)^(Devoto 1968)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026) Nocentini thinks it the same word as Latin [[m|la|tempus|t=temple of the head]], from a root [[m|ine-pro|*(s)temb-|t=to strike]], referring to the beat of the pulse.^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Nocentini dates the word to 1065 and Sabatini–Coletti to the 12th century.^(Nocentini 2010)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026) DELI's earliest example is the phrase ''d'in un tempo'' “at once” in the Ritmo laurenziano at the end of the 12th century;^(DELI 1999) Dante defines time in the ''Convivio'' (1304–1308): “Il tempo … è numero di movimento, secondo prima e poi” (time is the number of motion, according to before and after).^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ From the abstract notion, Old Italian derived the time needed for an action (before 1348, Giovanni Villani), a season with its own character and an epoch (Boccaccio, 1348–1353), the right moment (14th century), and a person's age.^(DELI 1999) The sense “weather” is recorded about 1350 in a translation of Pietro de' Crescenzi.^(DELI 1999) Learned uses followed Latin, which had them from Greek ''chrónos'': the tense of a verb (14th century) and a metrical unit.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ Music made ''tempo'' the measure of time (before 1565, Varchi) and then the speed of a piece.^(DELI 1999)^(DIFIT) Sport and entertainment added the half of a match (1955), the time taken in a race (1922) and the part of a film or show (1939–1940).^(DELI 1999) ''Ha fatto il suo tempo'' is a calque of French ''il a fait son temps'', and ''tempo parziale'' (1955) and ''tempo reale'' are calques of English ''part time'' and ''real time''.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ German borrowed ''Tempo'' (1608, “the right moment”; 1732 in music), English ''tempo'' in fencing (1688) and in music (1724), and French ''tempo'' in music (1765).^(DIFIT)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1065 – Nocentini's date for the word.^(Nocentini 2010)

+ * End of the 12th century – ''D'in un tempo'' “at once” in the Ritmo laurenziano.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1304–1308 – Dante defines time in the ''Convivio''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * About 1350 – The sense “weather”, in a translation of Crescenzi.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1565 – ''Tempo'' as a musical measure, in Benedetto Varchi.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1724 – English ''tempo'' in music.^(Etymonline)^(DIFIT)

+ * 1955 – ''Tempo parziale'' is calqued on English ''part time'', ''tempo'' for a half of a match.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # [[m|en|time]], the continuous succession of moments: ''col tempo tutto si dimentica''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # A length of time, the time needed for something: ''quanto tempo ci vuole per arrivare?'', ''oggi non ho un minuto di tempo''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # A period, an [[m|en|age]], an epoch: ''ai tempi dei nonni'', ''un tempo'' (once, formerly).^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # The right moment: ''è tempo di raccogliere le olive''.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # The [[m|en|weather]]: ''che tempo fa domani?''^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(grammar)'' The [[m|en|tense]] of a verb.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(music)'' The [[m|en|tempo]] or measure of a piece; a movement of a symphony or sonata.^(DELI 1999)^(Wiktionary)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # ''(sport)'' A half or period of a match; the time recorded in a race.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)

+ # A part of a film or show; a stroke of an engine cycle.^(DELI 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[maltempo]]

+ * [[tempaccio]]

+ * [[tempismo]]

+ * [[tempista]]

+ * [[attempato]]

+ * [[contrattempo]]

+ * [[frattempo]]

+ * [[contempo]]

+ * [[buontempone]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[contemporaneo]]

+ * [[estemporaneo]]

+ * [[temporale]]

+ * [[temporaneo]]

+ * [[temporeggiare]]

+ * [[tempesta]]

+ * [[tempia]]

+ * [[la|tempus]]

+ * [[en|tempo]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ Common phrases are ''a tempo pieno'' (full-time), ''nel frattempo'' or ''nello stesso tempo'' (meanwhile, at the same time), ''per tempo'' (early), ''dar tempo al tempo'' (to be patient) and ''ammazzare il tempo'' (to kill time).^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Gabrielli 2020) DELI finds the origin of ''al tempo che Berta filava'' hard to establish despite many anecdotal explanations.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}