succedere Italian · revision 37645

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=before 1313|origins=la cēdō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /sutˈt͡ʃɛ.de.re/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''succedere''' (first-person singular present succèdo, first-person singular past historic succèssi or (more common in the sense "to succeed (someone in an office)"; not in the sense "to happen") succedétti or (ditto, traditional) succedètti or (more common in the sense "to succeed (someone in an office)"; not in the sense "to happen") succedéi, past participle succèsso or (more common in the sense "to succeed (someone in an office)"; not in the sense "to happen") succedùto, auxiliary èssere)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old forms include ''soccedere'', ''soccidere'', ''socedere'' and ''subcedere''.^(GDLI|20, 472)

+ In the sense “to happen” the past historic is ''successi'' and the past participle ''successo''.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011) In the sense “to succeed someone” ''succedetti'' or ''succedei'' and ''succeduto'' are also used.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is a learned word, [[bor|la|succēdō|t=to go under; to follow; to turn out well]], from [[m|la|sub-|t=under]] and [[m|la|cēdō|t=to go]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary) The Latin verb meant literally “to come up from below” and so “to take someone's place”.^(DELI 1999)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026) In Plautus and Terence it means only “to turn out well”.^(de Vaan 2008) The same Latin verb gave [[fr|succéder]] and [[es|suceder]].^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ Latin ⟨cēdō⟩ first meant “to give way, withdraw” and only later “to go”.^(de Vaan 2008) De Vaan reconstructs Proto-Italic ⟨*kesd-e/o-⟩ and, following Lubotsky, connects it with [[sa|सेधति|tr=sedhati|t=drives away]] from [[ine-pro|*ḱiesdʰ-|t=to drive away; to go away]].^(de Vaan 2008)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ DELI's first records are in Dante, before 1321: Semiramis ''che succedette a Nino e fu sua sposa'' “who succeeded Ninus and was his wife” (''Inferno'' 5), and the sense “to come after” in time or space.^(DELI 1999)^(GDLI|20, 472) GRADIT dates the word before 1313.^(GRADIT 2003)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The sense “to happen”, now the usual one, is first recorded before 1540 in Francesco Guicciardini, and the reflexive ''succedersi'' “to follow one another” in 1812.^(DELI 1999) An old sense “to turn out well, succeed” survives only in literary Italian, as in Machiavelli's ''non gli successe il disegno'' “his plan did not succeed”.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Treccani 2011) An old sense “to pass by inheritance” is obsolete.^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ The noun ''successo'' first meant “event” (before 1342), then “outcome” (1504, Machiavelli).^(DELI 1999) According to Dardi, quoted by DELI, it meant “event” until the mid-17th century and could be qualified as good or bad, and the absolute use “happy outcome, success” spread from historians and diplomats into common Italian in the 18th century.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Before 1321 – Dante uses ''succedere'' for succeeding a ruler.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1342 – ''Successo'' “event” is first recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1348 – Giovanni Villani uses ''successione''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1540 – Guicciardini uses the verb in the sense “to happen”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1812 – The reflexive ''succedersi'' is first recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To [[m|en|happen]], occur, take place: ''Che cosa è successo ieri sera?'' Also with an indirect object: ''Mi succede spesso di perdere le chiavi.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+ # To [[m|en|succeed]] someone, take their place in an office, title or property (with ''a''): ''Al vecchio sindaco succedette la vice.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # ''(chiefly literary)'' To come after, follow in time or space: ''alla collina succede la pianura''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # To follow as a consequence of another event.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+ # ''(succedersi)'' To follow one another: ''Le settimane si succedevano senza novità.''^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(archaic)'' To turn out well, succeed.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[successo]]

+ * [[successione]]

+ * [[successivo]]

+ * [[successivamente]]

+ * [[successore]]

+ * [[succedaneo]]

+ * [[successorio]]

+ * [[succedersi]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[cedere]]

+ * [[accadere]]

+ * [[la|succedo]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Sono cose che succedono'' “these things happen” is said to accept or play down an unpleasant event.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}