niente Italian · revision 37569

+ {{infobox|confidence=disputed|formation=inherited|attested=first half of the 13th century}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈnjɛn.te/^(Wiktionary)

+ * Regional: /ˈɲɛn.te/, /ˈnjɛn.te/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''niente'''^(Wiktionary)

+ Old forms are ''neente'', ''neiente'' and ''nente''.^(GDLI|11, 433)

+ The dialect forms include [[scn|nenti]] and [[pms|gnente]].^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The origin is disputed.^(Nocentini 2010)^(GDLI)^(Treccani 2011) DELI, GRADIT, DEI, Prati, Devoto and Gabrielli derive it from a Medieval Latin phrase of the philosophers, [[la-med|nec ens|alt=nec entem|t=not even a being, not even a thing]], with the participle [[m|la|ēns|t=being]] (compare [[ente]]).^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)^(DEI|2585)^(Prati 1951|698)^(Devoto 1968|296)^(Gabrielli 2020) Nocentini rejects it because such a learned term was unlikely to become a word of everyday speech; for him the word is [[inh|la-vul|*nē gentem|t=no person]], from [[la|nē|t=not]] and [[m|la|gēns|t=people, clan]].^(Nocentini 2010) The old Sienese and Aretine forms ⟨neiente⟩ are the regular outcome of that phrase, and a parallel is [[roa-oit|caiente|t=which]], recorded in Old Pisan, from [[la-vul|*quem gentem]], which gave Old Italian ⟨chente⟩ “which, how”.^(Nocentini 2010) The GDLI, following Rohlfs, and Treccani also prefer this explanation.^(GDLI|11, 433)^(Treccani 2011) A third proposal, Ascoli's [[la|nē|alt=ne inde]], was criticised by Meyer-Lübke and is judged improbable by the GDLI.^(REW 1935)^(GDLI|11, 433)

+

+ The word is shared with Gallo-Romance: [[fro|neient]] (modern [[fr|néant]]) and [[oc|neen]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(Wiktionary)^(DEI|2585)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Nocentini dates the word to the first half of the 13th century.^(Nocentini 2010) The GDLI quotes Brunetto Latini's ''Rettorica'': the three sciences are needed for speaking and writing, “che sanza loro sarebbe neente” (for without them it would be nothing).^(GDLI|11, 433) DELI's first record of the pronoun “nothing” is in Iacopone da Todi, before 1306, and the noun and the adverb “not at all” are in the ''Novellino'' at the end of the 13th century.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ From the start the pronoun needed a second negation when it followed the verb (''non ho visto niente'') but not when it came first (''niente lo ferma'').^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003) In questions and doubtful clauses it means “anything”, and as a noun “a trifle” or “nothingness”.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026) The compounds ''nientedimeno'' (before 1292, Bono Giamboni) and ''nientemeno'' (1525) are modelled on Latin [[m|la|nihilominus|t=nevertheless]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(DEI|2585)

+

+ Many set phrases are built on it: ''di niente'' as an answer to thanks, ''non fa niente'' (never mind), ''per niente'' (for nothing; not at all), ''fare finta di niente'' (to pretend not to notice) and ''dolce far niente'', pleasant idleness.^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Gabrielli 2020)^(Treccani 2011) Colloquially it is also a determiner, “no”: ''niente paura!''.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Wiktionary) German used ''niente'' in 1838.^(DIFIT)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * First half of the 13th century – Nocentini's date for the word.^(Nocentini 2010)

+ * Before 1292 – Bono Giamboni uses ''nientedimeno''.^(DELI 1999)

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

+ * Before 1306 – Iacopone da Todi uses the pronoun.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)

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

+ * 1838 – German records ''niente''.^(DIFIT)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Pronoun===

+ # [[m|en|nothing]]: with a second negation when it follows the verb: ''non ho capito niente'', ''niente è cambiato''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # [[m|en|anything]], in questions and doubtful clauses: ''ti serve niente dal supermercato?''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # A trifle, something of no importance: ''litigano per niente''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # [[m|en|nothingness]], the void: ''creare dal niente''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+ # A person who counts for nothing: ''fino a ieri era un niente''.^(GRADIT 2003)

+

+ ===Determiner===

+ # ''(colloquial)'' No, not any: ''niente dolci prima di cena''.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ===Adverb===

+ # Not at all: ''non mi piace niente'', ''niente affatto'', not in the least.^(GRADIT 2003)^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[nientedimeno]]

+ * [[nientemeno]]

+ * [[annientare]]

+ * [[annientamento]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[nulla]]

+ * [[ente]]

+ * [[nessuno]]

+ * [[fr|néant]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ Before a vowel the word is often elided: ''nient’altro''.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026) ''Niente'' and ''nulla'' are synonyms in most uses.^(Devoto–Oli 2026) Wiktionary notes a regional pronunciation /ˈɲɛn.te/, and a hypercorrect one with a doubled consonant by speakers correcting it after the spelling.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}