davvero Italian · revision 37551

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=compound|attested=late 13th century, Bonvesin de la Riva}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /davˈve.ro/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''davvero'''^(Wiktionary)

+ Old forms include ''da vero'', ''davero'', ''daver'' and ''davver'', the last two from northern texts.^(TLIO)^(GDLI)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is the phrase [[af|it|da|vero|t2=true]], written as one word.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(TLIO) The double ⟨vv⟩ fixes in spelling the doubling of the consonant after ⟨da⟩ in the traditional Tuscan pronunciation; a pronunciation with a single /v/ follows the regional and now standard pronunciation of ⟨da⟩.^(Wiktionary)^(Treccani 2011) The same pattern, with [[per]], is found in [[vec|parvéro]] and [[fur|parvér]]; compare [[es|de veras]].^(DEI|1218)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The TLIO's first record is in the Milanese poems of Bonvesin de la Riva, in the late 13th century, with the sense “truly, really”.^(TLIO) DELI dates the phrase ''da vero'' to Dante's ''Convivio'' (1304–1308) and the form written as one word to Bartolomeo da San Concordio, before 1347.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Dante's ''Convivio'' uses the phrase to stress a statement: “E da vero non sarebbe qua giù generazione né vita d'animale o di piante” (and truly there would be no generation here below, nor life of animal or plant).^(GDLI|4, 46) Tommaseo describes it as the opposite of ''da beffe'' (in jest), and notes that it strengthens a negation (''no davvero'').^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861) The question ''davvero?'', expressing doubt or surprise, is recorded before 1742 in Giovan Battista Fagiuoli, and the use before an adjective (“really, very”) in Giuseppe Baretti in 1763–1765.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ DEI dates the adverb to the 16th century and notes that it passed into southern dialects as an interjection, ''(d)avèru''.^(DEI|1218)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Late 13th century – Bonvesin de la Riva uses the word.^(TLIO)

+ * 1304–1308 – Dante writes ''da vero'' in the ''Convivio''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1347 – ''Davvero'' in Bartolomeo da San Concordio.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1742 – Fagiuoli uses the question ''davvero?''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1763–1765 – Baretti uses it before an adjective, “very”.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adverb===

+ # [[m|en|really]], [[m|en|truly]], in fact: ''ha vinto davvero lui''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # In earnest, [[m|en|seriously]], also ''per davvero'': ''non scherzo, lo dico davvero''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Treccani 2011)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+ # Very, really, before or after an adjective: ''una serata davvero piacevole''.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # Strengthens a negation: ''no davvero'', ''non saprei davvero''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+ # On its own, as a question or reply, expresses surprise or doubt (“really?”) or confirms (“it's true”).^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[vero]]

+ * [[daddovero]]

+ * [[veramente]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}