aiutare Italian · revision 37719

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=last quarter of the 12th century, Proverbia que dicuntur|origins=ine-pro *h₁i-h₁euH-}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /a.juˈta.re/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''aiutare''' (first-person singular present aiùto, first-person singular past historic aiutài, past participle aiutàto, auxiliary avére)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old forms include ''adiutare'', ''agiutare'', ''aitare'' and ''atare''.^(GDLI)^(Wiktionary)^(TLIO) ''Aitare'' and ''atare'' survive in poetry.^(Treccani 2011)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|la|adiūtō|t=to help]], an intensive of [[m|la|adiuvō|t=to help]], which is formed from [[m|la|ad-]] and [[m|la|iuvō|t=to help, please]], the source of [[giovare]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026) DEI notes that Bede already called the verb an intensive.^(DEI|103) The verb is pan-Romance: [[fr|aider]], [[oc|ajudar]], [[ca|ajudar]], [[es|ayudar]], [[pt|ajudar]], [[sc|azudare]] and [[ro|ajuta]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(REW 1935)

+

+ The LEI sorts its Romance outcomes into two series.^(LEI|1, 715) One comes from the forms stressed on the ending, where ⟨-iu-⟩ was reduced, as in [[fro|aidier]] and the old Italian ⟨aitare⟩ and ⟨atare⟩; the other keeps the ⟨u⟩, as in Romanian, Spanish, Portuguese and standard Italian.^(LEI|1, 715) Meyer-Lübke and Sabatini–Coletti take the old Italian ⟨aitare⟩ from Old French or Occitan.^(REW 1935)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026) The LEI calls the phonetic shape of the standard verb learned or half-learned, probably spread by the language of the Church and the law courts;^(LEI|1, 715) Wiktionary adds that ⟨aggiutare⟩ would be the regular Tuscan outcome and that the modern form may reflect central or southern speech, where /j/ is regular.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ De Vaan derives the Latin root from [[itc-pro|*ijow-]] and [[ine-pro|*h₁i-h₁euH-|t=to help]], related to [[sa|अवति|tr=ávati|t=helps, protects]].^(de Vaan 2008)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The TLIO's first record is in the ''Proverbia que dicuntur'', a Venetian poem of the last quarter of the 12th century, and its first sense is “to come to the help of someone in difficulty, danger or need”.^(TLIO) DELI's first date is before 1292, in Bono Giamboni.^(DELI 1999) GDLI quotes Giamboni: “aiutò la povertade” (it relieved poverty).^(GDLI|1, 277)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Old Italian already used the verb for legal assistance in court, military support, financial help and the help of God or a saint, and in oaths such as ''se Dio m'aiuta'' “so help me God”.^(TLIO) The reflexive ''aiutarsi'' “to do one's best, manage” is in Dante (1293–1294).^(DELI 1999) In the ''Inferno'' Dante asks Virgil “aiutami da lei, famoso saggio” (help me against her, famous sage), with the old sense “to defend”.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+

+ The noun ''aiuto'' is recorded before 1249 in Pier della Vigna, and as a cry for help, ''aiuto!'', in Boccaccio (1348–1353); ''aiutante'' “assistant” dates from 1671, and ''aiutante di campo'' “aide-de-camp” from 1797.^(DELI 1999) In the south of Italy the verb also means to lift a load onto someone's head or shoulders.^(DEI|103) The proverb ''aiutati che Dio t'aiuta'' means “God helps those who help themselves”.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+

+ ==Timeline==

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

+ * Before 1249 – Pier della Vigna uses the noun ''aiuto''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1292 – Bono Giamboni uses ''aiutare'' “to help”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1293–1294 – Dante uses reflexive ''aiutarsi'' “to strive”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1348–1353 – Boccaccio has the cry ''aiuto!''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1797 – ''Aiutante di campo'' “aide-de-camp” is recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To [[m|en|help]], [[m|en|assist]] someone who is in difficulty or cannot manage alone; with ''a'' and the infinitive, to help someone do something: ''Mi aiuti a spostare il tavolo?''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # To make something easier, to [[m|en|favour]]: ''Una passeggiata aiuta a dormire.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(archaic)'' To defend, protect.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # ''(aiutarsi)'' To do one's best, to manage, also with the means used: ''Si aiutava con un bastone.''^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # ''(aiutarsi, reciprocal)'' To help one another.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[aiuto]]

+ * [[aiutante]]

+ * [[aiutatore]]

+ * [[aiutevole]]

+ * [[aitare]]

+ * [[aitante]]

+ * [[aita]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[giovare]]

+ * [[coadiuvare]]

+ * [[la|iuvo]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}