comunque Italian · revision 37669

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=compound|attested=1288, Sienese translation of Giles of Rome|origins=la quōmodo, la umquam}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /koˈmun.kwe/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''comunque''' (invariable)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old Italian forms include ''comunche'', ''chomunche'' and ''comunqua''.^(TLIO)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is formed [[af|it|come|-unque]], with the indefinite suffix of [[chiunque]] and [[qualunque]], giving the sense “in whatever way”.^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Wiktionary) DELI, DEI, the TLIO and the GDLI take the second part from [[la|umquam|t=ever]], as [[m|la|quōmodo|t=how]] + ⟨umquam⟩;^(DELI 1999)^(DEI|1042)^(TLIO)^(GDLI|3, 449) Nocentini sees in ⟨-unque⟩ a blend of that adverb with the Latin indefinite ending [[m|la|-cumque]].^(Nocentini 2010) GRADIT compares [[m|la|quōmodocumque|t=in whatever way]].^(GRADIT 2003)^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The TLIO's first record is in a Sienese translation of Giles of Rome of 1288, with the sense “in whatever way”.^(TLIO) DELI's is in Bono Giamboni, before 1292;^(DELI 1999) the GDLI quotes him: ''Dico che, comunque si sia, egli ha tante ore la notte, quante el dì'' “I say that, however it may be, the night has as many hours as the day”.^(GDLI|3, 449)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Besides “in whatever way”, Old Italian used ''comunque'' with a concessive sense, “although”, and a temporal one, “as soon as”, still found in Pulci and now archaic.^(TLIO)^(Devoto–Oli 2026) In the modern language the adverb is above all a connective, “in any case, anyway; however, all the same”, which can open a sentence or close a topic;^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026) GRADIT also records it as a filler in speech.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1288 – A Sienese translation of Giles of Rome uses ''comunque''.^(TLIO)

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

+ * 14th century – DEI dates the word to this century.^(DEI|1042)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adverb===

+ # In any case, [[m|en|anyway]], no matter what: ''Domani parto comunque.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(adversative)'' [[m|en|however]], nevertheless: ''Ho la febbre, comunque mi sento bene.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Wiktionary)

+ # In any way at all: ''Vestiti comunque, ma sbrigati.''^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+

+ ===Conjunction===

+ # ''(with the subjunctive)'' However, in whatever way: ''comunque finisca la partita''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(archaic)'' Although; as soon as.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(TLIO)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[come]]

+ * [[chiunque]]

+ * [[qualunque]]

+ * [[dovunque]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}