perché Italian · revision 37534

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=compound|attested=before 1250, Giacomo da Lentini}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /perˈke/, /perˈkɛ/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''perché''' (invariable; as a noun, masculine)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary)

+ Older texts also write it separately, ''per che''.^(Gabrielli 2020)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[af|it|per|che]], first a phrase and later written as one word.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Nocentini 2010) The dictionaries number their headwords ⟨che⟩ differently, and Treccani leaves open which of its two it contains.^(Treccani 2011) DEI compares the parallel formation [[fr|pourquoi]].^(DEI|2846) Wiktionary suggests that the combination was probably already formed in Vulgar Latin, and compares [[nap|pecché]], [[scn|pirchì]], [[sc|pro chite]], [[es|porque]], [[m|es|por qué]] and [[pt|porque]].^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ DELI's first records are in Giacomo da Lentini, before 1250, both as an interrogative adverb, “for what reason”, in direct and indirect questions, and as a conjunction of purpose, “so that”.^(DELI 1999) GRADIT's date is also before 1250.^(GRADIT 2003)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The causal conjunction, “because, since”, is recorded at the end of the 13th century in the ''Novellino'', and the noun ''il perché'', “the reason, the motive”, before 1311 in Giordano da Pisa.^(DELI 1999) The plural noun ''i perché'' in the sense “questions, doubts” is recorded in 1909, and the consecutive use with the subjunctive after ''troppo'' or ''abbastanza'' (“for … to”) in 1965.^(DELI 1999)^(Devoto–Oli 2026) Old Italian also used it as a concessive, “although”, as in Petrarch's “i' spero / farmi immortal, perché la carne moia” (I hope to make myself immortal, though the flesh may die).^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+

+ In speech, ''perché sì'' and ''perché no'' are curt answers that refuse an explanation, and ''perché due non fa tre'' is a provocative way of saying the same thing.^(Treccani 2011)^(GRADIT 2003) ''Perché no?'' expresses willingness, and the proverb ''dire a nuora perché suocera intenda'' means to say something to one person so that another will hear it.^(GRADIT 2003)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Before 1250 – Giacomo da Lentini uses ''perché'' as “why” and “so that”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * End of the 13th century – The causal conjunction “because” in the ''Novellino''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1311 – The noun “reason, motive” in Giordano da Pisa.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1909 – The noun in the sense “doubt, question”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1965 – The consecutive use with the subjunctive is recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adverb===

+ # [[m|en|why]], in direct and indirect questions, asking for a cause or a purpose: ''perché hai spento la radio?'', ''non so perché sia partito''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # With ''non'', making a suggestion: ''perché non andiamo al lago domenica?''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+

+ ===Conjunction===

+ # [[m|en|because]], introducing a cause: ''resto a casa perché ho la febbre''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Wiktionary)

+ # So that, in order that, with the subjunctive: ''te lo ripeto perché tu non lo dimentichi''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Wiktionary)

+ # After ''troppo'' or ''abbastanza'', introducing a result, with the subjunctive: ''è troppo tardi perché si possa rimediare''.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(DELI 1999)

+ # ''(archaic)'' Although, even if, with the subjunctive.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # The reason, the cause: ''nessuno ha capito il perché della sua scelta''.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(DELI 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(in the plural)'' Questions, doubts: ''i perché dei bambini''.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[per]]

+ * [[che]]

+ * [[poiché]]

+ * [[affinché]]

+ * [[fr|pourquoi]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ Phrases include ''chissà perché'' (who knows why) and ''perché mai'' (why on earth), with emphatic ''mai''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010) The word is written with an acute accent, for a closed final vowel, though Wiktionary records an open pronunciation as well.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}