importante Italian · revision 37706

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=1482–1484, Lorenzo de' Medici|origins=la portō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /im.porˈtan.te/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''importante''' ''m or f'' by sense (plural importanti, superlative importantissimo)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is the present participle of [[importare]] “to matter”, used as an adjective: [[af|it|importare|-ante]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Wiktionary) The verb is [[bor|la|importō|t=to bring in; to bring about]], formed from [[m|la|in-|t=in]] and [[m|la|portō|t=to carry]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010) Nocentini explains that the Latin sense “to bring about, cause” moved to “to involve, concern”, and so to “to matter”.^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ DELI, following Migliorini, regards the use of the adjective for a person or thing of consequence as an 18th-century Gallicism.^(DELI 1999) French [[m|fr|important]] had itself been borrowed from Italian in the 15th and 16th centuries.^(DIFIT)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The TLIO has a plural ''importanti'' in the Florentine translation of Pietro de' Crescenzi (14th century).^(TLIO) DELI's first record is in Lorenzo de' Medici (1482–1484), in the sense “of great interest or weight”.^(DELI 1999) GDLI quotes him: “Forse saranno ancora scritte in questa lingua cose sottile ed importanti e degne d'essere lette” (perhaps subtle and important things, worthy of being read, will yet be written in this language).^(GDLI|7, 495)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The noun ''l'importante'' “the main point” is recorded before 1535 in Francesco Berni.^(DELI 1999) The adjective is used of influential people and cities from 1602 (Cesare Campana), and of what gives social prestige from 1887.^(DELI 1999) Modern Italian also uses it for what is formal and elegant, such as a dinner or a dress, and, as a euphemism, for something large or noticeable, such as a nose.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026) French borrowed the noun ''l'important'' in 1630.^(DIFIT)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 14th century – The plural ''importanti'' appears in the Florentine Crescenzi.^(TLIO)

+ * 1482–1484 – Lorenzo de' Medici uses ''importante'' “of great weight”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1535 – Francesco Berni uses ''l'importante'' “the main point”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1602 – Cesare Campana uses the word of influential people and cities.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1630 – French borrows the noun ''l'important''.^(DIFIT)

+ * 1887 – The sense “socially prestigious” is recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # [[m|en|important]], of great interest or consequence: ''È importante leggere bene il contratto.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # Of a person, [[m|en|influential]], having authority or fame.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # Formal and elegant: ''un pranzo di nozze importante''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # ''(euphemistic)'' Large, noticeable: ''Ha un naso piuttosto importante.''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # ''(singular only, with the article)'' The main thing, what matters most: ''L'importante è non perdere la calma.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # ''fare l'importante'', to give oneself airs.^(GRADIT 2003)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[importare]]

+ * [[importanza]]

+ * [[portare]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}