stasera Italian · revision 37756

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=compound|attested=1348–1353, Boccaccio}}

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+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /staˈse.ra/^(Wiktionary)

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+ ==Etymology==

+ It is a compound of ⟨sta⟩ “this” and [[sera|t=evening]], from the phrase ⟨questa sera⟩.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026) Most dictionaries take ⟨sta⟩ for a shortened form of the feminine of [[questo]], with loss of the first syllable.^(Treccani 2011)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Wiktionary) DEI instead refers it to the old demonstrative [[roa-oit|esto]], and GRADIT gives as the probable source a spoken Latin phrase [[la-vul|*ista sēra]], with the feminine of [[la|iste|t=this, that]].^(DEI|3620)^(GRADIT 2003) Körting likewise traced the Italian words of this type to Latin phrases with that demonstrative.^(Körting 1907)

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+ The same formation gives [[stamane]], [[stamattina]] and [[stanotte]].^(DELI 1999)^(DEI|3620)^(Devoto 1968) Compare [[ro|astă-seară]].^(Wiktionary)

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+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ DELI's first record is in Boccaccio's ''Decameron'' (1348–1353), with the sense “this evening, the evening to come or already under way”.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003) GDLI quotes it there: “fate che istasera noi siamo insieme” (make it so that we are together this evening).^(GDLI) Zingarelli dates the word earlier, before 1292.^(Zingarelli 2010)

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+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Old texts often write it separately, as ''sta sera'', or with a prothetic vowel, ''istasera'', and Goldoni wrote ''stasséra''.^(GDLI) Luigi Pulci has “Per istasera la guerra è finita” (for this evening the war is over).^(GDLI) The word can refer to the evening just past as well as the one to come, and in Tuscan use it can mean “this afternoon”.^(GDLI) In online chat it is abbreviated ''stax''.^(Wikizionario)

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+ ==Timeline==

+ * Before 1292 – Zingarelli's date for the word.^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ * 1348–1353 – Boccaccio uses ''stasera'' and ''istasera'' in the ''Decameron''.^(DELI 1999)^(GDLI)

+ * 15th century – Luigi Pulci writes ''istasera''.^(GDLI)

+ * 18th century – Goldoni writes ''stasséra''.^(GDLI)

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+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adverb===

+ # This evening, [[m|en|tonight]]: ''Stasera mangiamo fuori.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(Tuscany)'' This afternoon.^(GDLI)

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+ ==Related words==

+ * [[sera]]

+ * [[stamane]]

+ * [[stamattina]]

+ * [[stanotte]]

+ * [[questo]]

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+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}