avanti Italian · revision 37716

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=before 1250, Giacomo da Lentini (avante)|origins=la-lat abante}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /aˈvan.ti/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''avanti''' (invariable)^(Wiktionary)

+ The old and poetic form is ''avante'', used by Giacomo da Lentini, Dante and Pulci.^(DELI 1999)^(Prati 1951|88)^(Treccani 2011)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|la-lat|abante|t=in front, before]], formed from [[m|la|ab|t=from]] and [[m|la|ante|t=before]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026) The Late Latin word is recorded from the 2nd century, in the Old Latin Bible, and was used above all by Christian writers as a strengthened ⟨ante⟩.^(LEI|1, 10)^(DEI|376)^(REW 1935) The grammarian Placidus condemned it: “Ante me fugit dicimus non abante me” (we say ⟨ante me fugit⟩, not ⟨abante me⟩).^(GDLI)

+

+ The word continues in [[fr|avant]], [[oc|aban]] and [[ca|abans]], and in an old Romanian [[m|ro|ainte]];^(LEI|1, 10)^(Nocentini 2010)^(REW 1935) Spanish and Portuguese ⟨avante⟩ came from Catalan, and the word is missing in Sardinian and not native in southern Italy.^(LEI|1, 10)^(Nocentini 2010)^(REW 1935) Devoto explains the final ⟨-i⟩ as the usual Italian ending of weakly stressed words.^(Devoto 1968|50)

+

+ [[davanti]] continues a Latin ⟨de ab ante⟩.^(Nocentini 2010) French ⟨avantage⟩ gave Italian [[vantaggio]].^(REW 1935)^(LEI|1, 10) De Vaan traces ⟨ab⟩ to [[ine-pro|*h₂ep-|t=away]] and ⟨ante⟩ to [[ine-pro|*h₂enti]], a locative of a noun meaning “front”.^(de Vaan 2008)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The TLIO's first record of the adverb is in the Venetian ''Proverbia que dicuntur'' of the last quarter of the 12th century.^(TLIO) DELI's first record is ''avante'' before 1250 in Giacomo da Lentini, for position in front;^(DELI 1999) GDLI quotes him: “e par ch'eo v'agia avante” (and it seems I have you before me).^(GDLI) The form ''avanti'' is in Brunetto Latini before 1294: “mi trassi più avanti” (I drew further forward).^(DELI 1999)^(GDLI)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The command ''avanti!'' “forward!” is in Boccaccio about 1336, and the temporal sense “before” in 1353.^(DELI 1999) Old Italian also used ''avanti'' for “rather, instead” and ''avanti che'' for “before” and “rather than”.^(TLIO)^(Gabrielli 2020) From the 16th century the learned ''ante-''/''anti-'' and the French ''avan-'' partly replaced ''avanti-'' in compounds, and ''avantieri'' “the day before yesterday” matches French ''avant-hier''.^(LEI|1, 10)

+

+ In modern Italian ''avanti!'' is the usual answer to a knock at the door, and ''avanti Cristo'' “before Christ” (abbreviated ''a.C.'') dates the years before the Christian era.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026) Phrases include ''andare avanti'' “to go on”, ''tirare avanti'' “to scrape by”, ''mettere le mani avanti'' “to cover oneself in advance” and ''d'ora in avanti'' “from now on”.^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011) English borrowed the interjection ''avanti'' in 1814.^(DIFIT)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Last quarter of the 12th century – The ''Proverbia que dicuntur'' have the adverb.^(TLIO)

+ * Before 1250 – Giacomo da Lentini uses ''avante''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1294 – Brunetto Latini uses ''avanti''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * c. 1336 – Boccaccio uses ''avanti!'' as a command to move forward.^(DELI 1999)^(DIFIT)

+ * 1353 – Boccaccio uses ''avanti'' for “before”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1814 – English ''avanti'' is recorded.^(DIFIT)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adverb===

+ # [[m|en|forward]], ahead, in front: ''Fai due passi avanti.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Further on in time; in ''d'ora in avanti'', ''più avanti'', from now on, later: ''Ne parleremo più avanti.''^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+ # ''(literary)'' Before, earlier: ''Dovevi dirmelo avanti.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+ # Well on, advanced; of a clock, fast: ''Il mio orologio è avanti di cinque minuti.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+

+ ===Interjection===

+ # [[m|en|come in]]!, in answer to a knock; also forward!, go on!, and next!^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+

+ ===Adjective===

+ # ''(after a noun)'' Previous, before: ''la sera avanti''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Treccani 2011)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ===Preposition===

+ # Before (in time); ''avanti Cristo'', before Christ, ''(uncommon)'' in front of.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[davanti]]

+ * [[avantieri]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[avanzare]]

+ * [[vantaggio]]

+ * [[davanzale]]

+ * [[innanzi]]

+ * [[la-lat|abante]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}