nostro Italian · revision 37560

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=end of the 12th century, Ritmo cassinese|origins=ine-pro *nōs}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈnɔs.tro/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''nostro''' (feminine nostra, masculine plural nostri, feminine plural nostre)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old Italian also had the form ''nosso'', used in Albertano's translation and common across Italy.^(Prati 1951|702)^(DEI|2602)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|la|noster|t=our]], from [[la|nōs|t=we]], with the suffix [[m|la|-ter]] that marks a contrast between two, as in [[m|la|alter]] (Italian [[altro]]).^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto 1968|297) The word is panromance: [[fr|notre]], [[oc|nostre]], [[ca|nostre]], [[es|nuestro]], [[pt|nosso]], [[sc|nostru]], [[fur|nestri]], [[dlm|nuester]] and [[ro|nostru]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(REW 1935)

+

+ De Vaan reconstructs [[itc-pro|*nosteros]] and, with a question mark, a PIE possessive [[ine-pro|*n̥s-tero-]].^(de Vaan 2008)^(Wiktionary) Devoto finds a similar formation only in Greek [[m|grc|ἡμέτερος|tr=hēméteros]], while [[de|unser]] has a simpler derivative.^(Devoto 1968|297) The Latin genitive [[m|la|nostrum]] “of us” was originally the genitive plural of the possessive.^(de Vaan 2008)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ DELI's first record is in the Ritmo cassinese, at the end of the 12th century, as the adjective “belonging to us”;^(DELI 1999) GRADIT dates the word to the second half of the 12th century.^(GRADIT 2003) The plural ''i nostri'', “our family, our relatives, our side”, appears in the Ritmo bellunese of 1193–1196.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Old Italian already used ''Nostro Signore'' for Christ, as in Dante's “Quanto tesoro volle Nostro Segnore / in prima da san Pietro” (how much treasure our Lord asked of Saint Peter, ''Inferno'' 19), and ''Nostra Donna'' for the Virgin.^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861)^(Treccani 2011) The plural ''i nostri'' named one's own people or party, as in Petrarch.^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861)

+

+ Two adjectives meaning “of our country, local” grew from it: ''nostrano'', recorded in the Statute of the Gabella of Siena (1301–1303), and ''nostrale'', in the translation of Crescenzi of about 1350.^(DELI 1999) DEI finds Medieval Latin ''nostranus'' at Arezzo as early as 994.^(DEI|2602) The naval ''nostromo'', the boatswain, comes from older ''nostr'homo'', “our man”.^(Prati 1951|702)

+

+ Modern uses include the plural of majesty or modesty (''a nostro avviso''), ''il nostro'' for an author already under discussion, and the exclamation ''arrivano i nostri!'', from the rescue scenes of old adventure films.^(Treccani 2011)^(Wiktionary) GRADIT lists ''Cosa Nostra'' and ''Padre nostro'' among its phrases.^(GRADIT 2003)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 994 – Medieval Latin ''nostranus'' is recorded at Arezzo.^(DEI|2602)

+ * End of the 12th century – The Ritmo cassinese uses ''nostro''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1193–1196 – ''I nostri'' “our people” in the Ritmo bellunese.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1301–1303 – ''Nostrano'' in the Statute of the Gabella of Siena.^(DELI 1999)

+ * About 1350 – ''Nostrale'' in the translation of Crescenzi.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # [[m|en|our]], belonging to us: ''il nostro giardino'', ''casa nostra''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # That is part of us or comes from us: ''i nostri progetti'', ''la nostra ultima e-mail''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # Marking kinship, friendship or other ties, without the article before a singular noun of kinship: ''nostro zio'', ''i nostri vicini''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # As a plural of majesty or modesty: ''a nostro parere''.^(Treccani 2011)

+ # ''(religion)'' In ''Nostro Signore'' (Christ) and ''Nostra Signora'' (the Virgin Mary).^(Treccani 2011)^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861)

+

+ ===Pronoun===

+ # [[m|en|ours]]: ''la vostra auto è grigia, la nostra è rossa''.^(Treccani 2011)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''il nostro'': what belongs to us; also an author or person already mentioned or familiar to speaker and listener.^(Wiktionary)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # ''i nostri'': our family, friends, troops or side: ''arrivano i nostri!''.^(Treccani 2011)^(Wiktionary)^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[nostrano]]

+ * [[nostrale]]

+ * [[nostromo]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[loro]]

+ * [[mio]]

+ * [[suo]]

+ * [[tuo]]

+ * [[vostro]]

+ * [[noi]]

+ * [[la|noster]]

+ * [[fr|notre]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Nostro'' placed after the noun is more emphatic: ''è roba nostra''.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010) With singular nouns of kinship it takes no article (''nostra madre''), except when the noun is altered or affectionate (''la nostra nonnina''), with regional variation for ''mamma'' and ''papà''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Gabrielli 2020) Phrases include ''essere dei nostri'' (to join us, to be on our side).^(Treccani 2011)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}