aspettare Italian · revision 37557

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=second half of the 12th century, Ritmo di Sant'Alessio|origins=ine-pro *speḱ-}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /as.petˈta.re/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''aspettare''' (first-person singular present aspètto, first-person singular past historic aspettài, past participle aspettàto, auxiliary avére)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old forms are ''espettare'' and ''spettare''.^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861)^(Prati 1951|77)

+ Lapo Mazzei, about 1400, has ''astettare''.^(Prati 1951|77)

+ The southern dialects have forms such as Sicilian ''astittari''.^(DEI|324)^(REW 1935)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It continues [[inh|la|exspectō|alt=exspectāre|t=to wait for, expect]], from [[m|la|spectō|t=to look at]], with a change of prefix.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026) Nocentini, Sabatini–Coletti and Gabrielli start from a popular form [[la-vul|*aspectō|alt=*aspectāre]], with [[m|la|ad-]] in place of [[m|la|ex-]];^(Nocentini 2010)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Gabrielli 2020) Treccani and Devoto speak of a crossing with [[m|la|aspectō|alt=aspectāre|t=to look at attentively]].^(Treccani 2011)^(Devoto 1968|44)^(Körting 1907) The LEI finds no need for a reconstructed form: pretonic ⟨e-⟩ often became ⟨a-⟩ in Italian, and forms in ⟨es-⟩ are sporadically attested.^(LEI|22, 605)

+

+ The LEI notes that the Romance languages expressed “waiting” differently: Spanish and Portuguese with continuants of [[m|la|spērō]], French and Occitan with those of [[m|la|attendō]], while Italian and Romanian kept the Latin verb: [[ro|aștepta]], [[sc|isettare]] and [[fur|setâ]].^(LEI|22, 605) Meyer-Lübke traced Romanian, Sardinian, Friulian and southern Italian forms to [[la-vul|*astectō|alt=*astectāre]], with assimilation of the consonants;^(REW 1935)^(DEI|324) [[oc|aspeitar]] means “to look”.^(Nocentini 2010)^(REW 1935)

+

+ [[m|la|spectō]] is the frequentative of [[la|speciō|t=to see]], from [[ine-pro|*speḱ-|t=to look]], the root of [[grc|σκέπτομαι|tr=sképtomai]] and [[goh|spehōn|t=to spy]].^(de Vaan 2008)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The TLIO's first record is the Ritmo di Sant'Alessio, from the Marche, in the second half of the 12th century,^(TLIO) where the verb means to wait for a person or event, with anxiety, fear, hope or desire.^(TLIO) DELI dates it to the beginning of the 14th century, in Giacomino Pugliese, and GRADIT to the second half of the 13th century.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Old Italian already used the verb for delaying an action, for what lies in store (''non sa cosa lo aspetta''), and, with an abstract subject, for consequences.^(TLIO) A separate use, “to belong, be due to”, goes back to [[m|la|spectō]] in its figurative sense and survives in GRADIT as an old meaning, close to ''spettare''.^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861)^(GRADIT 2003)

+

+ Derivatives followed: ''aspetto'' “waiting”, before 1363 in Matteo Villani, now mostly in ''sala d'aspetto'' (1865); ''aspettativa'', “expectation” (1565, Doni), “right to an office” (1590), and “leave from work” (1908); and ''inaspettato'' (1525).^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010) The colloquial ''aspettare'' “to be pregnant” comes from ''aspettare un bambino''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Second half of the 12th century – The Ritmo di Sant'Alessio uses the verb.^(TLIO)

+ * Before 1363 – ''Aspetto'' “waiting” in Matteo Villani.^(DELI 1999)

+ * About 1400 – ''Astettare'' in Lapo Mazzei.^(Prati 1951|77)

+ * 1525 – ''Inaspettato'' is recorded.^(Nocentini 2010)

+ * 1565 – ''Aspettativa'' “expectation” in Anton Francesco Doni.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1865 – ''Sala d'aspetto'' in Tommaseo–Bellini.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1908 – ''Aspettativa'' “leave of absence” in Panzini.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To [[m|en|wait]] for, [[m|en|await]] a person or event: ''aspetto il pullman da mezz'ora'', ''aspettiamo che smetta di nevicare''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(colloquial)'' Used alone or in ''aspettare un bambino'', to be expecting a baby.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+ # To look forward to, hope for: ''è da mesi che aspetto le vacanze''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+ # To put off an action until something happens: ''aspetta a rispondere''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # Of things, to lie in store for someone: ''vi aspetta una lunga salita''.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+ # ''aspettarsi'': to [[m|en|expect]], foresee: ''non mi aspettavo tanta gente''.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Treccani 2011)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # ''(obsolete)'' To be due to, belong to.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[aspettativa]]

+ * [[aspetto]]

+ * [[inaspettato]]

+ * [[aspettazione]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[spettare]]

+ * [[attendere]]

+ * [[la|exspectō]]

+ * [[ro|aștepta]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ Phrases include ''farsi aspettare'' (to be late), ''aspettare al varco'' (to lie in wait for someone at a testing moment), ''aspettare la manna dal cielo'' (to wait for things to sort themselves out) and the proverb ''chi la fa l'aspetti'' (as you sow, so shall you reap).^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}