felice Italian · revision 37678

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=before 1294, Guittone d'Arezzo|origins=ine-pro *dʰeh₁(y)-}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /feˈli.t͡ʃe/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''felice''' ''m or f'' by sense (plural felici, superlative felicissimo)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old and dialect forms include [[roa-oit|filice]] and [[roa-oit|felize]].^(GDLI)^(TLIO)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is a learned word, [[bor|la|fēlīx|t=fruitful; fortunate, happy]], from the accusative ⟨felicem⟩.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary) The Latin adjective first meant “fruitful, productive”: Festus records that Cato called trees that bear fruit ⟨felices⟩ and those that do not ⟨infelices⟩, and only later did it come to mean “favoured by the gods, fortunate” and “happy”.^(GDLI) It survives as a popular word only in [[ro|ferice|t=happy; happiness]].^(REW 1935)^(DEI|1613) [[es|feliz]] matches the Italian word.^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ Latin [[m|la|fēlīx]] shares a root with [[m|la|fēcundus|t=fertile]], the root of suckling and nourishing.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(Treccani 2011) De Vaan reconstructs [[itc-pro|*fēl(w)ī-|t=suckling, with young]], from [[ine-pro|*dʰeh₁-l(u)-i-]], and compares [[grc|θηλή|tr=thēlḗ|t=nipple]] and [[grc|θῆλυς|tr=thêlus|t=female]]; the sense developed from “with young” to “fruitful” and then “fortunate”.^(de Vaan 2008) Wiktionary takes the base to [[ine-pro|*dʰeh₁(y)-|t=to suckle]].^(Wiktionary) Devoto connects [[fecondo]], [[femmina]] and [[figlio]] with the same root.^(Devoto 1968|180)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The TLIO's first record is in Guittone d'Arezzo, before 1294, in the sense “content, satisfied in the soul”: “e mostra omo felice / vertù ovrando” (and shows a man happy by practising virtue).^(TLIO) DELI dates the sense “fully satisfied in one's wishes” to Dante, before 1321, and “successful in what one undertakes” to Dante's ''Convivio'' (1304–1308), the date GRADIT gives for the word; the ''Convivio'' itself glosses being ''felice'' as being content.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)^(TLIO)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In Old Italian the adjective also meant “admitted to the bliss of Paradise”, as in Dante's Beatrice, “ridere e felice” (smiling and blessed), and of plants “thriving, luxuriant”, an echo of the Latin “fruitful”.^(TLIO) Francesco da Barberino, before 1348, uses it for something begun under good auspices.^(DELI 1999) ''Felicità'' is in Guittone, before 1294, and ''felicitare'' “to make happy” in Dante.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ The reflexive ''felicitarsi'' “to congratulate” (1747, Scipione Maffei, with transitive ''felicitare'' in this sense in Gregorio Leti in 1663) and ''felicitazioni'' “congratulations” (before 1764, Algarotti) are calques of French ''féliciter'' and ''félicitation''.^(DELI 1999)^(DEI|1613) Modern Italian uses the adjective for apt, well-chosen things as well as happy people, and in courtesy formulas such as ''felice di conoscerla''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011) ''Felice'' is also a given name, from the Latin name ''Felix''.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Before 1294 – Guittone d'Arezzo uses ''felice'' and ''felicità''.^(TLIO)^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1304–1308 – Dante's ''Convivio'' uses it for success in one's undertakings.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)

+ * Before 1321 – Dante uses it for a person fully satisfied in their wishes.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1348 – Francesco da Barberino uses it for a happy beginning.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1663 – Gregorio Leti uses ''felicitare'' “to congratulate”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1764 – Francesco Algarotti uses ''felicitazioni''.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # [[m|en|happy]], fully satisfied with one's condition: ''Da quando vive al mare è una donna felice.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # [[m|en|glad]], pleased about something, also in polite formulas such as ''felice di conoscerla'': ''Siamo felici del tuo successo.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # [[m|en|lucky]], fortunate, in exclamations: ''Felice te che hai già finito!''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # Bringing or marked by happiness: ''Ricordo un'estate felice in campagna.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(figurative)'' Successful, apt, well chosen: ''una battuta felice''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Treccani 2011)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Skilful in what one does: ''avere la mano felice'', to have a deft touch.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # ''(obsolete, literary)'' Fertile, fruitful.^(Wiktionary)^(TLIO)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[felicità]]

+ * [[felicitare]]

+ * [[felicitazione]]

+ * [[felicemente]]

+ * [[infelice]]

+ * [[infelicità]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[fecondo]]

+ * [[femmina]]

+ * [[la|fēlīx]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ A different, obsolete ''félice'', stressed on the first syllable, is an old southern form of ''felce'' “fern” (14th–16th centuries).^(DEI|1613)^(GDLI)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}