allora Italian · revision 37525

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=1219, Breve di Montieri|origins=la hōra}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /alˈlo.ra/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''allora'''^(Wiktionary)

+ The shortened form is ''allor''.^(Treccani 2011)^(Wiktionary) Old Italian forms include ''alora'', ''allore'', ''lora'' and ''ador''.^(TLIO)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|la|ad illam hōram|t=at that hour]], a phrase of [[m|la|ad|t=to, at]], [[m|la|ille|t=that]] and [[m|la|hōra|t=hour]].^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Wiktionary)^(Körting 1907|153) Nocentini starts instead from the Late Latin ablative phrase [[m|la-lat|illā hōrā|t=in that hour]], without the preposition.^(Nocentini 2010) Italian [[ora]] continues the noun.^(Nocentini 2010)^(Prati 1951)

+

+ The same phrase gave [[fr|alors]], beside [[m|fr|lors]], and Nocentini compares [[oc|loras]] and [[ca|llavors]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(Körting 1907) Wiktionary also compares [[oc|alara]].^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ DELI's first record is in the Breve di Montieri of 1219, in the sense “at that moment”.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003) The TLIO's first attestation is the Venetian ''Proverbia que dicuntur super natura feminarum'' of the last quarter of the 12th century.^(TLIO)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The Old Italian senses are already those of today: “at that moment, at that time”, ''da allora'' (from then on), ''fino allora'' (until then), ''allora allora'' (just then), and as a conjunction “so, in that case”.^(TLIO) Dante writes “Allor fu la paura un poco queta” (then the fear was a little calmed, ''Inferno'' 1).^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861)^(Treccani 2011)

+

+ Zingarelli observes that ''allora'' gradually came to be used as an invariable noun meaning “that time” (''i giovani di allora''), which is why the newer ''fino ad allora'' now prevails over the traditional ''fino allora''.^(Zingarelli 2010) Placed before a noun it works as an adjective: ''l'allora ministro'', the minister at that time.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Treccani 2011) In speech it opens or resumes what one is saying, and on its own it asks for a reply: ''allora?''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+

+ Istriot and Molise Croatian borrowed it as ''alora''.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Last quarter of the 12th century – The Venetian ''Proverbia que dicuntur'' use the word.^(TLIO)

+ * 1219 – ''Allora'' “at that moment” in the Breve di Montieri.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1300–1321 – Dante uses the shortened ''allor''.^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861)

+ * Before 1375 – ''Allorché'' “when” is formed with ''che''.^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adverb===

+ # [[m|en|then]], at that moment, at that time, of the past or the future: ''allora abitavamo in campagna'', ''quando sarai pronto, allora partiremo''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # After a preposition: ''da allora'', ''fino ad allora'', ''per allora'' (from then on, until then, for that time).^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+ # ''allora allora'': just a moment before: ''era rientrato allora allora''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+

+ ===Adjective===

+ # ''(invariable, before a noun)'' Of that time, then: ''l'allora sindaco della città''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+

+ ===Conjunction===

+ # [[m|en|so]], in that case, therefore: ''se non ti piace, allora lascialo''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # In questions and exclamations, asking for a decision or an answer: [[m|en|well]]: ''allora, che facciamo?''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Treccani 2011)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+ # ''(colloquial)'' To begin or resume speaking: ''allora, dicevo…''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+ # ''(mathematics, logic)'' With ''se'', introducing the consequence: ''se X allora Y''.^(GRADIT 2003)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[allorché]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[ora]]

+ * [[ancora]]

+ * [[la|hōra]]

+ * [[fr|alors]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ Fixed phrases include ''allora come allora'' (as things stood at that moment) and ''e allora?'' (so what?).^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Gabrielli 2020)^(GRADIT 2003) ''Allora'' with an open /ɔ/ is also the name of two varieties of pear.^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}