vero Italian · revision 37568

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=1300–1313, Dante|origins=ine-pro *weh₁-}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈve.ro/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''vero''' (feminine vera, masculine plural veri, feminine plural vere, superlative verissimo, adverb veramente)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|la|vērus|t=true, real]];^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary) the noun use continues the Latin neuter used as a noun, [[m|la|vērum|t=the truth]].^(DELI 1999)^(Prati 1951) The word is panromance: [[fro|voir]] (modern [[fr|vrai]] is a separate formation), [[oc|ver]], [[ca|ver]], [[osp|vero]], [[sc|béru]] and [[ro|văr]], which means “cousin” after a phrase for a cousin of the first degree.^(Nocentini 2010)^(REW 1935) DEI notes that in southern Italy the word is a loan from the standard, since the dialects there use the descendants of [[m|la|vērāx|t=truthful]].^(DEI|4028)

+

+ The Latin word continues [[itc-pro|*wēros]], from [[ine-pro|*weh₁-ros]], built on [[m|ine-pro|*weh₁-|t=true]].^(Wiktionary)^(de Vaan 2008) Its relatives are [[sga|fír]] and [[cy|gwir]], [[goh|wār]] (modern [[de|wahr]]), and [[cu|вѣра|tr=věra]], which means “faith”.^(Nocentini 2010)^(de Vaan 2008)^(Devoto 1968|468) Devoto takes the Slavic word as showing the original sense, “worthy of belief”.^(Devoto 1968|468)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ DELI's first record is in Dante's ''Convivio'' (1300–1313), in the sense “right, proper, exact”.^(DELI 1999) GRADIT dates the word to before 1313, Nocentini and Devoto–Oli to the beginning of the 14th century.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Nocentini 2010)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Dante also uses it for what is real and effective, and before a noun to stress a person's quality, and Boccaccio for what is genuine, between 1348 and 1353.^(DELI 1999) The noun ''il vero'' “the truth” is in Dante, and Vasari used it in 1550 for nature as the painter's model.^(DELI 1999) Tommaseo distinguishes ''vero'', for objective truth, from ''verace'', for what tells the truth, and Old Italian also used ''vero'' as an adverb, “truly”.^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861)

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+ The emphatic use before a noun, as in ''un vero disastro'', is recorded only from 1891.^(DELI 1999) Derivatives include ''davvero'' (early 14th century), ''avverare'', ''nevvero'' (16th century) and ''verismo'', the realist movement in literature and art, recorded in 1871;^(Nocentini 2010)^(DELI 1999)^(Prati 1951) DELI and Prati compare its formation with English ''truism''.^(Nocentini 2010)^(DELI 1999)^(Prati 1951)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1300–1313 – Dante uses ''vero'' for “right, exact”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1313–1319 – Dante uses it for “real, actual”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1321 – ''Il vero'' “the truth” in Dante.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1348–1353 – Boccaccio uses it for “genuine”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1550 – Vasari uses ''il vero'' for nature as a model.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1871 – ''Verismo'' is first recorded.^(Nocentini 2010)

+ * 1891 – The emphatic use before a noun is recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # [[m|en|true]]: in accordance with the facts: ''è una storia vera''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Wiktionary)

+ # In questions asking for agreement: ''vero?'', ''non è vero?'', ''tant'è vero che'', so much so that.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # [[m|en|real]], actual: ''non conosco il suo vero nome''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # Right, exact: ''il vero senso di una frase''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # [[m|en|genuine]], not imitation: ''una borsa di vera pelle''.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Gabrielli 2020)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Sincere, deep: ''un vero affetto''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # Before a noun, stressing a quality: ''è stato un vero disastro''.^(DELI 1999)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # The [[m|en|truth]], what is true: ''dire il vero''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary)^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861)

+ # ''(art)'' Reality, nature as a model: ''disegnare dal vero''.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[davvero]]

+ * [[invero]]

+ * [[nevvero]]

+ * [[avverare]]

+ * [[veramente]]

+ * [[verismo]]

+ * [[verista]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[verace]]

+ * [[verità]]

+ * [[verificare]]

+ * [[verosimile]]

+ * [[severo]]

+ * [[la|vērus]]

+ * [[de|wahr]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ Common phrases are ''a dire il vero'' (to tell the truth), ''fosse vero!'' (if only it were true), ''non mi pare vero'' (I can't believe it) and ''com'è vero Dio'' (as God is my witness).^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Gabrielli 2020) The old conjunction ''ovvero'' “or, that is” is a compound with ''o''.^(REW 1935)^(Prati 1951)

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+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}