mai Italian · revision 37562

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=1158, Testimonianze di Travale|origins=ine-pro *m̥ǵh₂-is}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈma.i/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''mai''' (invariable; old shortened form ''ma’'')^(Wiktionary)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(DEI|2320)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|la|magis|t=more; rather]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary) DELI notes that the Latin word was easily cut short at the end of a phrase,^(DELI 1999) and Devoto ties the full form ⟨mai⟩ to [[m|la|magis]] in final position, as in [[m|la|iam]] magis, while the shortened form gave [[ma|t=but]].^(Devoto 1968|267) The same Latin adverb is [[ca|mai|t=ever]], [[fr|mais|t=but]], [[oc|mais|t=more]], [[es|más]], [[pt|mais]] and [[ro|mai|t=more]];^(REW 1935)^(Nocentini 2010) Romanian, Old Occitan, Catalan, Spanish and Portuguese use it to form the comparative.^(REW 1935)^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ Nocentini explains the negative meaning as a later development: the adverb first strengthened other adverbs, as in [[sempre]] mai, [[ora]] mai and [[già]] mai, and its frequent use after the negation [[non]] made it negative by itself.^(Nocentini 2010) DELI quotes Rohlfs, for whom it originally marked the duration of an action, as in [[ormai|t=by now]] and ⟨sempre mai⟩ “for ever”.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ Latin [[m|la|magis]] is formed from the stem of [[la|magnus|t=great]] with the zero grade of the comparative suffix, like [[m|osc|mais|t=more]].^(OLD 2012)^(de Vaan 2008) It goes back to [[itc-pro|*magis]] and [[ine-pro|*m̥ǵh₂-is]].^(Wiktionary)^(de Vaan 2008)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ DELI's first record is in the Testimonianze di Travale, a Tuscan record of 1158, in the sense “at no time, never”.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Nocentini 2010) Sabatini–Coletti dates the word to the 12th century.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The positive sense “ever, at some time” is first recorded in Dante's ''Commedia'' (1300–1313),^(DELI 1999) and Old Italian used it freely in questions, as in Dante's “Quai barbare fuor mai, quai saracine?” (what barbarian or Saracen women were ever…?, ''Purgatorio'' 23).^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861) Compounds grew from the strengthening use: Dante has ''oramai'' and Jacopone ''ormai'', and Boccaccio writes ''mainò'' and ''maisì'' (“certainly not”, “certainly”).^(Prati 1951|618) In Petrarch's “per far sempre mai verdi i miei desiri” (to keep my desires ever green) the word still reinforces ''sempre''.^(Treccani 2011)

+

+ Modern Italian keeps both values: “never” with a negation or alone before the verb, and “ever” in questions and conditions, where it can express surprise or doubt (''come mai'', ''chi mai'').^(GRADIT 2003)^(Treccani 2011) DELI places the phrase for an impossible date, ''il giorno del mai'' or ''di san mai'', in a popular pattern of expressions for “never” found in all languages, with Portuguese ''dia de São Nunca'' as a parallel.^(DELI 1999)^(Treccani 2011)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1158 – First record, in the Testimonianze di Travale, in the sense “never”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1300–1313 – Dante uses ''mai'' in the sense “ever”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 14th century – ''Ormai'' is in Jacopone and ''mainò'' and ''maisì'' in Boccaccio.^(Prati 1951|618)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adverb===

+ # [[m|en|never]], at no time, in no case, usually after ''non'': ''non ho mai assaggiato il sushi''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # Before the verb or in elliptical phrases, with negative force by itself: ''mai vista tanta pioggia'', ''mai una volta che risponda al telefono!''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # Alone, as an emphatic refusal, also in ''mai e poi mai'': “''Ti scuserai?''” “''Mai!''”^(GRADIT 2003)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # [[m|en|ever]], at any time, in questions and conditions: ''sei mai salito sull'Etna?'', ''se mai passi da Bari, chiamami''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # After an interrogative word, stressing surprise or doubt: ''come mai sei già qui?'', ''dove mai l'avrà messo?''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # In comparisons, “than ever”: ''oggi è più nervoso che mai''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+ # ''(literary)'' Strengthening ''sempre'', ''sì'' and ''no''.^(Treccani 2011)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # ''(jocular)'' In ''il giorno del mai'' or ''di san mai'', a day that will never come.^(Treccani 2011)^(GRADIT 2003)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[giammai]]

+ * [[ormai]]

+ * [[casomai]]

+ * [[mainò]]

+ * [[maisì]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[ma]]

+ * [[più]]

+ * [[la|magis]]

+ * [[fr|mais]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ Set phrases include ''mai più'' (never again), ''come mai?'' (how come?), ''caso mai'' or ''se mai'' (if by chance), ''più che mai'', ''meno che mai'' and ''quanto mai'' (extremely), and the proverb ''meglio tardi che mai''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011) In literary usage ''mai'' can come before the verb together with ''non'', as in Manzoni's “il santo vero / mai non tradir” (never betray the holy truth).^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}