poi Italian · revision 37538

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=second half of the 13th century|origins=ine-pro *pós}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈpɔj/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''poi''' (adverb; also a masculine noun, invariable; literary ''po’'')^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ Old forms include [[roa-oit|pò]], [[roa-oit|pui]], [[roa-oit|puoi]] and, with ''di'', [[roa-oit|dipoi]] and [[roa-oit|depòi]].^(GDLI|13, 720)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|la-vul|*pos]], the archaic and popular form of [[la|post|t=after; behind]].^(Wiktionary)^(DEI|2988)^(GDLI) Devoto explains the final ⟨-i⟩ by the regular change of a final vowel plus ⟨s⟩ into a vowel plus ⟨i⟩, as in [[sei]] from [[m|la|sex]].^(Devoto 1968|335) The word is [[ro|apoi]], [[oc|pos]], [[es|pues]] and [[pt|pois]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(Wiktionary)^(REW 1935) The French word [[m|fr|puis]] goes back instead to a form [[la-vul|*postius]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(DEI|2988)

+

+ The Latin word was first a word of place, “behind”, and only later of time.^(Nocentini 2010)^(Devoto 1968|335) It continues [[itc-pro|*posti]] and [[ine-pro|*pósti]], from [[ine-pro|*pós]];^(Wiktionary)^(de Vaan 2008) related are [[osc|púst]] and [[xum|post]], [[lt|pàs|t=at, by]], [[sq|pas|t=after]] and [[cu|поздѣ|tr=pozdě|t=late]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(de Vaan 2008)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ DELI's first record of the sense “afterwards, later” is in the ''Novellino'' at the end of the 13th century.^(DELI 1999) Nocentini, GRADIT and Devoto–Oli date the word to the second half of the 13th century, and Sabatini–Coletti to the 12th.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026) Brunetto Latini's ''Rettorica'' has “E poi si n'andò in Francia” (and then he went to France).^(GDLI|13, 720)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The sense “moreover, in the second place” is in Jacopone da Todi before 1306, and the noun ''il poi'' “the future” in Dante.^(DELI 1999) Old Italian also used ''poi'' as a preposition, “after”, and as a conjunction, “after, since”: Dante's “Poi fummo dentro al soglio della porta” (when we were inside the threshold of the gate).^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(DEI|2988) The conjunction ''poiché'' “after; since” is in Dante and Boccaccio.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ The sense “after all, in the end” (''hai poi deciso?'') is in Annibal Caro before 1566.^(DELI 1999) The modern word also marks contrast and emphasis: ''questa poi!'' expresses surprise, and ''mai e poi mai'' means “never ever”.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Second half of the 13th century – ''Poi'' “afterwards” is recorded.^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)

+ * Late 13th century – The ''Novellino'' uses ''poi''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1306 – Jacopone da Todi uses ''poi'' “moreover”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1321 – Dante uses the noun ''il poi'' and the conjunction ''poi che''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1566 – Annibal Caro uses ''poi'' “after all”.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adverb===

+ # [[m|en|then]], [[m|en|afterwards]], later: ''ci vediamo poi''; in correlation with ''prima'': ''prima lavo i piatti, poi esco''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # Further on, in space or in a series: ''c'è il ponte e poi la chiesa''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # Besides, moreover: ''non ho tempo, e poi non mi va''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # After all, in the end: ''l'hai poi trovato il libro?'', ''non è poi così difficile''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # Used to take up a topic or for emphasis: ''quanto poi alle spese, ne parliamo domani'', ''questa poi!''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Treccani 2011)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # The future, what comes after: ''non pensa mai al poi''.^(DELI 1999)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[poiché]]

+ * [[dipoi]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[dopo]]

+ * [[poscia]]

+ * [[postumo]]

+ * [[la|post]]

+ * [[es|pues]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ Common phrases are ''prima o poi'' (sooner or later), ''d'ora in poi'' (from now on), ''da allora in poi'' (from then on), ''a poi'' (see you later) and ''il senno di poi'' (hindsight).^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011) The vowel is open, /ɔ/.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}