su Italian · revision 37559

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=end of the 13th century, Novellino|origins=la vertō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈsu/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''su''' (combines with the article as ''sul'', ''sullo'', ''sulla'', ''sui'', ''sugli'', ''sulle'')^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ Old forms are ''suso'', ''so'', ''sun'' and ''suné''.^(GDLI|20)^(DEI|3665)

+ Old Italian also had ''sur'' before a vowel, especially ''u''.^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|roa-oit|suso]], shortened;^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Nocentini 2010) the Old Italian word is [[inh|la|sūsum|t=up, upward]], the assimilated variant of [[m|la|sūrsum]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(Wiktionary) The Latin adverb comes from [[m|la|*subvorsum]] “from below upward”, with [[m|la|sub]] and [[m|la|vorsum]], an old form of [[m|la|versum]] “turned toward”, from [[m|la|vertō|t=to turn]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(Devoto 1968|430)^(DEI|3665) The word is panromance: [[fro|sus]], [[oc|sus]], [[ca|sus]], [[es|suso]], [[pt|suso]], [[sc|susu]], [[fur|su]], [[dlm|sois]] and [[ro|sus]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(REW 1935)

+

+ DEI notes that the 14th century still preferred ⟨suso⟩, keeping the short form for compounds such as [[lassù]] and [[insù]].^(DEI|3665) Devoto explains the doubling of the following consonant after the word, as in [[suddetto]], by analogy with the old preposition ⟨so(b)⟩.^(Devoto 1968|430)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ DELI's first records are in the ''Novellino'', at the end of the 13th century, both as a preposition of position and motion (“on, onto”) and as an adverb (“up, upward”).^(DELI 1999) GRADIT, Devoto–Oli and Nocentini date the word to the second half of the 13th century.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In early texts ''su'' already meant “on top of”: Jacopone writes of Christ “su ne la croce appiso” (hung up on the cross), and Dante of “la trista riviera d'Acheronte” on whose bank they will stop.^(GDLI|20) The exclamation of encouragement or command (''su!'', “come on!”) is in Boccaccio, 1353.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ Later centuries added abstract uses: approximation in time (''sul far del giorno''), recorded before 1321 in Dante; approximate age, before 1638 in Chiabrera; and the topic (“about, on”), first in the Milanese press in 1800.^(DELI 1999) Approximate price, weight and measure were recorded in 1960, and the duration “for about” in 1970.^(DELI 1999) Combinations with ''su'' gave the adverbs ''insù'' (14th century), ''suvvia'' (1757) and ''suppergiù'' (1863).^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * End of the 13th century – The ''Novellino'' uses ''su'' as preposition and adverb.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1321 – Dante uses ''su'' for approximate time.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1353 – The exclamation ''su!'' in Boccaccio.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 14th century – ''Insù'' is recorded.^(Nocentini 2010)

+ * 1757 – ''Suvvia'' is recorded.^(Nocentini 2010)

+ * 1800 – ''Su'' “about, on (a topic)” in the Milanese press.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1863 – ''Suppergiù'' is recorded.^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Preposition===

+ # [[m|en|on]], upon, on top of, with or without contact: ''il gatto dorme sul divano'', ''un ponte sul torrente''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # [[m|en|onto]], with verbs of motion; also into a vehicle: ''la neve cade sui tetti'', ''montare sul tram''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+ # Facing, overlooking: ''una camera sul mare''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+ # Over, expressing authority or influence: ''regnare su un vasto territorio''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # [[m|en|about]], on a topic: ''un saggio su Leopardi''.^(DELI 1999)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Wiktionary)

+ # About, around, in approximate time, age, price or measure: ''sul tardi'', ''un uomo sui sessant'anni''.^(DELI 1999)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+ # Out of, in proportions: ''tre studenti su dieci''.^(Wiktionary)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # In phrases of manner: ''su misura'', ''su richiesta''.^(Wiktionary)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+

+ ===Adverb===

+ # [[m|en|up]], upward; upstairs: ''guarda su!'', ''la nonna è su in camera''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ===Interjection===

+ # Come on!, urging or encouraging: ''su, sbrigati!''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary)^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[insù]]

+ * [[suppergiù]]

+ * [[suvvia]]

+ * [[lassù]]

+ * [[quassù]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[sopra]]

+ * [[verso]]

+ * [[la|sursum]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ Before a stressed personal pronoun the preposition takes ''di'': ''contate su di me''.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010) Common phrases are ''su e giù'' (up and down, back and forth), ''su per giù'' (more or less), ''su due piedi'' (on the spot), ''mettere su casa'' (to set up home) and ''tirarsi su'' (to cheer up).^(GRADIT 2003)^(Gabrielli 2020)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}