passare Italian · revision 37668

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=before 1250, Giacomo da Lentini|origins=ine-pro *peth₂-}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /pasˈsa.re/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''passare''' (first-person singular present pàsso, first-person singular past historic passài, past participle passàto, auxiliary (intransitive) èssere or (transitive) avére)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|la-vul|*passō|alt=*passāre|t=to step, to go through]], a verb formed in spoken Latin from the noun [[m|la|passus|t=step, pace]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary) DEI describes it as a verb of Italy and the western Romance languages:^(DEI|2792) it is [[fr|passer]], [[oc|pasar]], [[ca|passar]], [[es|pasar]] and [[pt|passar]], and Meyer-Lübke adds Logudorese and Engadine forms.^(Nocentini 2010)^(REW 1935)

+

+ The Latin noun is formed on the participle stem of [[m|la|pandō|t=to spread out, extend]].^(de Vaan 2008)^(Wiktionary)^(OLD 2012) De Vaan traces that verb to a nasal present of the root [[ine-pro|*peth₂-|t=to spread]], also seen in [[grc|πίτνημι|tr=pítnēmi|t=to spread out]].^(de Vaan 2008)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ DELI takes the noun [[passo]] “step” in Italian for a back-formation from the verb, while Nocentini derives it directly from the Latin noun.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010) Because the Italian verb is so close to the French one, many French phrases and compounds were copied in Italian: [[passaporto]] follows [[m|fr|passeport]], [[passatempo]] follows [[m|fr|passe-temps]], and the Italian phrase for executing by firing squad follows [[m|fr|passer par les armes]], recorded in 1611.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ DELI's first record is in Giacomo da Lentini, before 1250, with the sense “to go from one place to another, cross the space between them”.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003) GDLI quotes the line: “quando passo e non guardo / a voi, viso amoruso” (when I pass and do not look at you, loving face).^(GDLI|12, 739)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Most of the modern senses were in place by the 14th century.^(DELI 1999) An anonymous 13th-century text uses the verb of time going by, Bonvesin da la Riva (before 1315) for piercing someone through, the ''Novellino'' (late 13th century) for crossing a place, and Dante for spending one's time.^(DELI 1999) Boccaccio (1336) uses it for going away, ceasing to be,^(DELI 1999) and in old Tuscan the infinitive used as a noun could mean death, the passing of a person.^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861|3, 818) Dante's line “non ragioniam di lor, ma guarda e passa” (let us not speak of them, but look and pass on) remains proverbial.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861|3, 812)

+

+ The senses of being accepted came later: “to have a reputation as” in Giovanni Pontano (before 1503), “to be approved” in Bernardo Segni (before 1558), and “to be promoted to a higher rank” in Luigi Giuglaris (before 1653).^(DELI 1999) “To send, hand on” is recorded before 1598, “to apply over a surface” in Lorenzo Lippi before 1665, and “to put through a food mill” in 1958.^(DELI 1999) The use for putting someone through on the telephone is recent.^(GDLI|Supplemento 2009)

+

+ French lies behind several phrases: ''passar sopra'' “to overlook” copies ''passer par dessus'', and DELI quotes an 1833 military dictionary on ''passare per le armi'', once a punishment by which the culprit had to pass between two files of pikemen, later carried out by musket fire.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Before 1250 – Giacomo da Lentini uses ''passare'' for going from one place to another.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)

+ * 13th century – The verb is used of time going by.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1315 – Bonvesin da la Riva uses it for piercing through.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1321 – Dante uses it for spending one's time.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1336 – Boccaccio uses it for going away, ceasing to be.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1558 – Bernardo Segni uses it for being approved.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1611 – French ''passer par les armes'' is recorded, the model of ''passare per le armi''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1653 – Luigi Giuglaris uses it for being promoted.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1958 – The sense “to put through a food mill” is recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To [[m|en|pass]], go through or past a place, usually without stopping: ''Il corteo è passato sotto le nostre finestre.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # To call in, stop by somewhere for a short time: ''Domani passo in farmacia.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # Of a road or river, to run through or by a place.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # Of time, to go by, [[m|en|elapse]]; transitively, to spend a period of time: ''Abbiamo passato una settimana in montagna.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To come to an end, go away, of a pain, a storm or a mood: ''Il mal di denti mi è passato.''^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(GRADIT 2003)

+ # To move on to another place, state, side or subject: ''passare all'opposizione'', ''passare a un altro argomento''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To be approved, of a law or proposal; to pass an examination, be promoted to the next class.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To be taken for, be considered, with ''per'': ''Con quella barba passa per un professore.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To cross something; to go beyond, [[m|en|exceed]] a limit.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # To hand, give, pass on something; on the telephone, to put someone through.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary)^(GDLI|Supplemento 2009)

+ # ''(cooking)'' To [[m|en|mash]] food through a food mill or sieve.^(GRADIT 2003)^(DELI 1999)

+ # To go through hardships, to undergo: ''passarne tante''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[passata]]

+ * [[passato]]

+ * [[passante]]

+ * [[passatempo]]

+ * [[passaporto]]

+ * [[passaparola]]

+ * [[passamontagna]]

+ * [[passabile]]

+ * [[passeggiare]]

+ * [[passatore]]

+ * [[ripassare]]

+ * [[oltrepassare]]

+ * [[sorpassare]]

+ * [[trapassare]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[passarsi]]

+ * [[passaggio]]

+ * [[passo]]

+ * [[passeggero]]

+ * [[passerella]]

+ * [[la|passus]]

+ * [[fr|passer]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ Used intransitively the verb takes ''essere'' (''sono passato da te''), used transitively ''avere'' (''ho passato l'esame'').^(Wiktionary)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011) Set phrases include ''passare di moda'' “to go out of fashion”, ''passare inosservato'' “to go unnoticed”, ''passare a miglior vita'' “to die”, and ''ne è passata di acqua sotto i ponti'' “a lot of time has gone by”.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}