tanto Italian · revision 37554

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=1293–1294, Dante|origins=la tam}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈtan.to/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''tanto''' (feminine tanta, masculine plural tanti, feminine plural tante, superlative tantissimo)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|la|tantus|t=so great]], and as an adverb its neuter [[m|la|tantum|t=so much; only]].^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Treccani 2011)^(Devoto 1968|437) The Latin adjective was in use at every period, with the original sense “so great”, in correlation with [[m|la|quantus]] (Italian [[quanto]]); in Romance it moved from “so great” to “so much” and also took the place of [[m|la|tam]] before adjectives and adverbs.^(DELI 1999) The word is panromance: [[fr|tant]], [[oc|tan]], [[ca|tant]], [[es|tanto]], [[pt|tanto]], [[sc|tantu]] and [[ro|atât]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(REW 1935)

+

+ [[m|la|tantus]] is derived from [[la|tam|t=so]], as [[m|la|quantus]] is from [[m|la|quam]].^(Devoto 1968|437)^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary) De Vaan reconstructs [[itc-pro|*tānto-]] and sees in the word a PIE type of adjectives in [[m|ine-pro|*-nt(o)-]] formed from pronoun stems, [[ine-pro|*teh₂-nt-(o-)]];^(de Vaan 2008) Oscan and Umbrian have the prefixed [[osc|etanto]] and [[m|xum|etantu]].^(de Vaan 2008) Nocentini traces [[m|la|tam]] to the pronoun root [[ine-pro|*to-]], the source of [[tale]].^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ DELI's first record is in Dante's ''Vita nuova'' (1293–1294), in correlation with ''quanto'' in comparisons;^(DELI 1999) GRADIT and DIFIT date the word to 1294, Devoto–Oli and Nocentini to the 13th century.^(GRADIT 2003)^(DIFIT)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Nocentini 2010) Monte Andrea's question to Death, “Morte, perché mi se' tanto contesa?” (Death, why do you deny yourself to me so much?), is among GDLI's early quotations.^(GDLI|20, 714)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Dante's ''Commedia'' (1300–1313) has the adjective “so much, so great” and its use with ''che'' or ''da'' before a clause of result.^(DELI 1999) The adverb is in Boccaccio's ''Decameron'' (1348–1353), and the sense “only” in Ferrarese texts of 1385.^(DELI 1999) The neuter pronoun for an unspecified amount (''costa tanto'', so-and-so much) was condemned by Bolza in 1853 and defended by Fanfani and Arlìa in 1877.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ Compounds and derivatives include ''cotanto'' (before 1250), ''intanto'' (13th century), ''frattanto'' (14th century) and the diminutive ''tantino'', recorded by Florio in 1598, with ''un tantino'' “a little” in 1619.^(Nocentini 2010)^(DELI 1999) As a musical direction the adverb was borrowed into German by 1802 and into English by 1876.^(DIFIT)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Before 1250 – ''Cotanto'' is recorded.^(Nocentini 2010)

+ * 1293–1294 – Dante uses ''tanto'' with ''quanto'' in the ''Vita nuova''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1348–1353 – The adverb in Boccaccio's ''Decameron''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1385 – ''Tanto'' “only” in Ferrarese texts.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1598 – ''Tantino'' in Florio.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1802 – German borrows the musical term.^(DIFIT)

+ * 1876 – English borrows the musical term.^(DIFIT)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # So much, so great; a lot of: ''c'è tanta nebbia stamattina''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(plural)'' So many, [[m|en|many]]: ''ho tanti cugini'', ''tante grazie!''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+ # With ''che'' or ''da'', introducing a result: ''aveva tanto sonno da non reggersi in piedi''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # With ''quanto'', as much as, as many as: ''ho tanti libri quanti ne hai tu''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # ''(literary)'' So eminent, so illustrious: ''un onore dovuto a tanto ospite''.^(Treccani 2011)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+

+ ===Pronoun===

+ # Much, a lot, ''(plural)'' many people: ''tanti la pensano così''.^(Wiktionary)^(DELI 1999)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # An unspecified amount: ''ogni mese mette da parte tanto''.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)

+

+ ===Adverb===

+ # So, so much: ''è tanto stanco che non parla''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+ # [[m|en|very]] much, a lot: ''mi manchi tanto''.^(Gabrielli 2020)^(Wiktionary)

+ # With ''quanto'' in comparisons of equality: ''è tanto bella quanto simpatica''.^(Gabrielli 2020)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # Only, just: ''una volta tanto'', ''lo dico tanto per parlare''.^(DELI 1999)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+

+ ===Conjunction===

+ # Anyway, after all, expressing resignation: ''urla pure, tanto non ti sente nessuno''.^(Gabrielli 2020)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[tantino]]

+ * [[intanto]]

+ * [[frattanto]]

+ * [[pertanto]]

+ * [[cotanto]]

+ * [[altrettanto]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[quanto]]

+ * [[tale]]

+ * [[la|tantus]]

+ * [[fr|tant]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ Set phrases include ''ogni tanto'' and ''di tanto in tanto'' (now and then), ''tanto meglio'' (so much the better), ''tanto di cappello'' (hats off), ''non più di tanto'' (not particularly) and ''tanto vale'' (one might as well).^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}