dentro Italian · revision 37631

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=last quarter of the 12th century, Proverbia que dicuntur|origins=la dē, la intrō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈden.tro/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''dentro''' (invariable)^(Wiktionary)

+ The popular and dialect form is ''drento'', with the ⟨r⟩ moved by metathesis.^(Nocentini 2010)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Prati 1951|369)

+ Old forms include ''dentra'', ''dintro'', ''dintra'' and ''dentrovi'' “in there”.^(TLIO)^(LEI|19, 772)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|la-lat|deintro|t=inside]], a compound of [[m|la|dē|t=from]] and [[m|la|intrō|t=inside, within]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary) DEI notes that the compound is recorded from the 4th century, as the opposite of [[m|la-lat|deforis|t=outside]].^(DEI|1251) The LEI finds its popular outcomes in [[fur|déntri]], [[pro|dintre]], [[es|dentro]] (from the 14th century), [[pt|dentro]] (from 1186) and Italian.^(LEI|19, 772)^(REW 1935)

+

+ Related compounds went elsewhere: [[m|la-lat|deinter]] survives in Romanian and Dalmatian, and [[m|la-lat|deintus]] (998, Codex Cajetanus) gave [[fro|denz]], the source of modern [[fr|dans]], and [[ca|dins]].^(DEI|1251) The Latin adverb is formed from [[m|la|inter|t=between]], the source of Italian [[entro]].^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The TLIO's first record is the Venetian ''Proverbia que dicuntur'', from the last quarter of the 12th century.^(TLIO)^(LEI|19, 772) DELI's first Tuscan-area record is the preposition in Cielo d'Alcamo, before 1250: ''li frati miei ti trovano dentro chissà magione'' (my brothers will find you inside this house).^(DELI 1999)^(GDLI)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The adverb is in Bono Giamboni before 1292, and the noun “the inside, the soul” in Dante (1304–1308).^(DELI 1999) Giacomo da Lentini writes the variant ''dentra'' in ''Dentra lo core meo / porto la tua figura'' (within my heart I carry your image).^(GDLI) The LEI records the word in almost every old dialect, from Cremonese and Venetian in the early 13th century to Sicilian ''dentru'' around 1380.^(LEI|19, 772)

+

+ The metathesized ''drento'' is in Cavalca, Poliziano, Bembo and Berni,^(Prati 1951|369) but Leonardo Salviati in the 16th century already treated it as a popular form.^(GDLI) In modern colloquial use ''dentro'' also means “in prison”: ''l'hanno messo dentro''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Last quarter of the 12th century – The word appears in the Venetian ''Proverbia que dicuntur''.^(TLIO)

+ * Before 1250 – Cielo d'Alcamo uses it as a preposition.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)

+ * Before 1292 – Bono Giamboni uses it as an adverb.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1292 – ''Addentro'' is recorded.^(Nocentini 2010)

+ * 1304–1308 – Dante uses it as a noun.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 14th century – ''Indentro'' and ''addentrarsi'' are recorded.^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adverb===

+ # [[m|en|inside]], within: ''entra pure, è aperto dentro''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # [[m|en|indoors]]: ''fa freddo, restiamo dentro''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(figurative)'' Inwardly, in one's heart: ''sorrideva, ma dentro piangeva''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # ''(colloquial)'' In prison.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Involved, taking part: ''in quell'affare c'era dentro anche lui''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+

+ ===Preposition===

+ # In, inside (directly, or with ''a''; with ''di'' before personal pronouns): ''dentro la borsa'', ''dentro di sé''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # ''(of time)'' Within, by: ''dentro la fine del mese''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # The inside: ''il dentro della scatola''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[addentro]]

+ * [[addentrarsi]]

+ * [[indentro]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[entro]]

+ * [[fuori]]

+ * [[la|intrō]]

+ * [[es|dentro]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ Common phrases are ''darci dentro'' (to put one's back into it), ''o dentro o fuori'' (make up your mind) and ''tenersi tutto dentro'' (to keep everything to oneself).^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}