importare Italian · revision 37740

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=1268, Andrea da Grosseto|origins=la portō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /im.porˈta.re/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''importare''' (first-person singular present ''impòrto'', past participle ''importato''; auxiliary ''essere'' in the sense “to matter”, ''avere'' in the sense “to import”)^(Wiktionary)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is a learned word, [[bor|la|importō|t=to carry in, bring in; to cause]], formed with [[m|la|in-|t=in]] and [[m|la|portō|t=to carry]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026) The older senses, “to bring about, entail” and then “to matter”, come straight from Latin: the verb passed from “cause, bring with it” to “concern, be of interest”.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010) The commercial sense “to bring in goods from abroad” is younger: it was taken up by [[en|import]] (1508, with the noun ⟨importation⟩ in 1601) and reached Italian through [[fr|importer]] (1669).^(DELI 1999)^(GDLI)^(DEI|1965) For this reason Nocentini and GRADIT give the verb two numbered entries, while DELI treats it as one word with senses of different routes.^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(DELI 1999)

+

+ The same Latin verb gave [[fro|emporter]], which was remade as [[m|fr|importer]] in the 16th century; [[es|importar]] has both senses as well.^(DEI|1965)^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The TLIO's first record is in Andrea da Grosseto's Tuscan translation of 1268, where the verb means “to have as a consequence, entail”.^(TLIO)^(Zingarelli 2010) Dante uses it in this sense in the ''Convivio'' (1304–1308): nobility “importa sempre ben del suo subietto” (always implies the good of the one who has it).^(DELI 1999)^(GDLI|7, 496)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In Old Italian the verb also meant “to signify, express”, as in Petrarch's “Che voglion importar quelle due frondi?” (what do those two branches mean?), and even “to carry off by stealth”.^(TLIO)^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861)^(GRADIT 2003) The intransitive sense “to matter, be of concern” and the impersonal ''importa'' appear in Machiavelli before 1527, and the sense “to be necessary” in Ariosto in 1532.^(DELI 1999)^(DIFIT) The derivatives ''importante'' (1482–1484, Lorenzo de' Medici) and ''importanza'' (15th century) belong to this branch.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ The trade sense was rare among 18th-century economists and is first clearly recorded in 1828, in a translation from English;^(DELI 1999) ''importazione'' had already won out over ''asportazione'' as the opposite of ''esportazione'' in Antonio Genovesi before 1769.^(DELI 1999) ''Importo'' “total amount” (1797) was long rejected by purists.^(DELI 1999) In computing the verb now also means to transfer data from one program to another.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1268 – Andrea da Grosseto uses the verb for “to entail”.^(TLIO)

+ * 1304–1308 – Dante uses it in the ''Convivio''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1482–1484 – Lorenzo de' Medici uses ''importante''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1527 – Machiavelli uses it in the sense “to matter”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1532 – Ariosto uses it in the sense “to be necessary”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1797 – ''Importo'' “total amount” is recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1828 – The sense “to import goods” appears in a translation from English.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # ''(intransitive, auxiliary essere)'' To [[m|en|matter]], be important or of concern to someone: ''Non mi importa cosa pensano gli altri.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(impersonal)'' ''Non importa'': it doesn't matter, never mind.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # ''(impersonal)'' To be necessary: ''Non importa che tu venga domani.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+ # ''(transitive)'' To [[m|en|import]], to bring goods or services in from abroad: ''L'Italia importa gas dall'Algeria.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(transitive)'' To introduce a fashion, custom or idea from another country.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(computing)'' To transfer data or open a file in another program.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+ # ''(rare)'' To entail, involve; to cost: ''un lavoro che importa una forte spesa''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Treccani 2011)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[importante]]

+ * [[importanza]]

+ * [[importazione]]

+ * [[importatore]]

+ * [[importo]]

+ * [[importabile]]

+ * [[reimportare]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[portare]]

+ * [[esportare]]

+ * [[apportare]]

+ * [[la|importō]]

+ * [[en|import]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Chi se ne importa?'' “who cares?” is widespread but considered a solecism, modelled on popular ''chi se ne frega?''.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}