anche Italian · revision 37553

+ {{infobox|confidence=disputed|formation=inherited|attested=1211, Florentine account book|origins=la-vul *anque}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈan.ke/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''anche''' (invariable; literary and Tuscan ''anco'')^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ Northern Italian has the form ''anca'', and central Italy ''anco''.^(Nocentini 2010)^(LEI|2, 1486)

+ Old northern texts write ''an'', ''anc'' and ''anq'': Venetian ''an'' is recorded about 1250 and Lombard ''anc'' at the start of the 13th century.^(LEI|2, 1486)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The origin is uncertain.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026) The starting point of the LEI and Meyer-Lübke is [[inh|la-vul|*anque]], the form that best explains the outcomes in every Romance language;^(DELI 1999)^(LEI|2, 1486)^(REW 1935) the LEI takes it, after Löfstedt, as an extension of an earlier ⟨anc⟩, a blend of [[la|an|t=or]] and [[m|la|ac|t=and]], built like [[m|la-vul|*dunque]] beside [[m|la|dunc]], and thinks the ending may have been reinforced by [[che]].^(LEI|2, 1486) Meyer-Lübke found none of the explanations offered in his time satisfactory.^(REW 1935)

+

+ Nocentini rejects the particle [[m|la|an]], because the oldest Romance meanings are temporal (“still”, and “ever” in negative clauses), and revives a proposal made by Nicholson almost a century ago: [[la|antequam|t=before]], syncopated to [[m|la-vul|*anquam]], which passed from “before now” through “until now” to “still”.^(Nocentini 2010) In his account the older ⟨*anquam⟩ survives in Sardinian and Romanian, and ⟨*anque⟩ arose when the endings ⟨-quam⟩ and ⟨-que⟩ fell together in Vulgar Latin.^(Nocentini 2010) Devoto–Oli and Körting instead derive it from [[m|la|hanc|t=this]] [[m|la|hōra|alt=hōram|t=hour]], the source of [[ancora]], with ⟨anco⟩ turned into ⟨anche⟩ under the influence of ⟨che⟩.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Körting 1907)^(Devoto 1968|32) DELI, Prati and Gabrielli also consider a form taken out of ⟨ancora⟩,^(DELI 1999)^(Prati 1951|52)^(Gabrielli 2020) and Wiktionary a rebracketing of ⟨ancora⟩ as ⟨anc'ora⟩.^(Wiktionary) Nocentini objects that the type also exists in Romansh and Romanian, which have no word like ⟨ancora⟩.^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ The same word is [[ro|încă]], [[rm|aunc]], [[fur|anc]], [[fro|ainc]], [[pro|anc]] and [[sc|anca]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(LEI|2, 1486)^(REW 1935) The older Romance meanings, “still” and “ever”, survive in Romanian and in Occitan and Catalan [[m|ca|anc]].^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ DELI and GRADIT date the first record to 1211, in a Florentine account book, with the sense “also, too”;^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003) the form ''anco'' is in Dante, before 1321.^(DELI 1999) The LEI lists Florentine ''anke'' in a record of 1255 and Guittone d'Arezzo's ''anche'' before 1294.^(LEI|2, 1486)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Old Italian also used the word for “again” and “still”: in ''Inferno'' 34 Dante thinks he is returning to hell, “sì che 'n inferno i' credea tornar anche”.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Gabrielli 2020) In the old language it could stand for “other, more”, as in Giovanni Villani's “con anche genti venne da Lucca” (he came from Lucca with more people).^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861)^(Prati 1951|52) The literary phrase ''per anche'' or ''per anco'' meant “yet, so far”, and ''non anche'' “not even”.^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011)

+

+ In modern Italian the word adds an item to what has been said, strengthens a statement (“even”), and introduces concessive clauses, chiefly in ''anche se'' “even if” and with a gerund.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Devoto–Oli 2026) It formed [[neanche]] “not even”.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1211 – First record, in a Florentine account book.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)

+ * Early 13th century – Lombard ''anc'' in Gerardo Patecchio.^(LEI|2, 1486)

+ * 1255 – Florentine ''anke'' in a private record.^(LEI|2, 1486)

+ * Before 1294 – Guittone d'Arezzo writes ''anche''.^(LEI|2, 1486)

+ * Before 1321 – Dante uses ''anco'' and ''anche'' in the sense “again”.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Conjunction===

+ # [[m|en|also]], [[m|en|too]], as well: adds a person or thing to what was said before: ''ho invitato Luca e anche sua sorella''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # Moreover, in addition: ''bisogna anche pensare al ritorno''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+ # [[m|en|even]], strengthening a statement or a possibility: ''hai aspettato anche troppo'', ''potrebbe anche piovere''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Treccani 2011)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # Even if, although, introducing a concessive clause with a gerund or ''a'' and an infinitive, or in ''anche se'': ''anche correndo non arriverai in tempo'', ''anche se fa freddo, esco''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # In short answers, “me too, him too”: ''«Io prendo il treno.» «Anch'io.»''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+

+ ===Adverb===

+ # ''(literary)'' [[m|en|again]], once more, ''per anche'', ''per anco'': yet, so far.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[neanche]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[ancora]]

+ * [[pure]]

+ * [[la-vul|*anque]]

+ * [[ro|încă]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ Before ''io'' the word is usually elided: ''anch'io''.^(Wiktionary)^(GRADIT 2003) It normally stands just before the word it adds to: ''anche Maria è venuta'' adds Maria, ''Maria è venuta anche oggi'' adds today.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026) Common combinations are ''anche se'' (even if), ''quand'anche'' (even if, even supposing), ''pur anche'' and ''fors'anche'' (perhaps even).^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}