piede Italian · revision 37763

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=before 1250|origins=ine-pro *pṓds}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈpjɛ.de/, /ˈpje.de/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''piede''' ''m'' (plural piedi, diminutive piedìno, augmentative piedóne, pejorative piedàccio, diminutive-endearing piedùccio)^(Wiktionary)

+ The shortened form [[piè]] is literary or found in set phrases.^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old and regional forms include [[roa-oit|pede]].^(GDLI|13, 376)^(DEI|2907)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|la|pes|alt=pēs|t=foot]], from the accusative [[m|la|pedem]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary) The stressed short /e/ of Latin became the diphthong /jɛ/.^(Wiktionary)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+

+ The same word is [[fr|pied]], [[oc|pe]], [[ca|peu]], [[es|pie]], [[pt|pé]], [[sc|pe]], [[fur|pit]] and [[dlm|pi]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(REW 1935) It is missing from Romanian.^(Körting 1907)

+

+ Latin [[m|la|pes]] belongs to the core vocabulary of Indo-European, from [[ine-pro|*pṓds]]: its cognates include [[grc|πούς|tr=poús]], [[got|𐍆𐍉𐍄𐌿𐍃|tr=fōtus]], [[de|Fuß]] and [[en|foot]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(Wiktionary)^(DEI|2907) Devoto notes that it survives in every branch except Slavic and Celtic.^(Devoto 1968)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ GRADIT dates the first record before 1250 and Nocentini to 1260–1261, and Sabatini–Coletti mention a ''pede'' of the 10th century.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Nocentini 2010)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026) DELI's earliest text is the ''Novellino'', from the end of the 13th century, for the end of the human leg.^(DELI 1999) The short form ''piè'' is recorded before 1274.^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ By the end of the 13th century the word also meant the lower part of something (Bono Giamboni, before 1292) and a unit of length.^(DELI 1999) Boccaccio used it for the metrical foot before 1375.^(DELI 1999) The foot of a mountain follows Late Latin ''pes montis'', and the English foot of 30.48 cm was given its Italian name in 1749.^(DEI|2907) Dante and Boccaccio also used it for the stump or the plant of a tree or herb.^(DEI|2907)

+

+ Several modern expressions are calques: ''a piede libero'' “free, at large” probably follows German ''auf freiem Fusse'', ''piedipiatti'' “cop” follows American English ''flatfoot'', and ''piede di guerra'' (1853) follows French ''pied de guerre''.^(DELI 1999)^(DEI|2907) ''Piedi dolci'' “flat feet” comes from the northern dialects.^(DELI 1999) The idiom ''mettere qualcuno su un piedistallo'' is recorded in 1871.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 10th century – A form ''pede'' is recorded.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ * Before 1250 – First record according to GRADIT.^(GRADIT 2003)

+ * 1260–1261 – First record according to Nocentini.^(Nocentini 2010)

+ * Before 1274 – The short form ''piè'' appears.^(Nocentini 2010)

+ * Before 1292 – Bono Giamboni uses it for the lower part of something.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Late 13th century – The ''Novellino'' uses it for the human foot, and it is also recorded as a unit of length.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1375 – Boccaccio uses it for the metrical foot.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1749 – ''Piede'' is used for the English foot.^(DEI|2907)

+ * 1853 – ''Piede di guerra'' appears.^(DEI|2907)

+ * 1871 – ''Mettere su un piedistallo'' is recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # [[m|en|foot]], the end of the human leg: ''Dopo la camminata mi fanno male i piedi.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(zoology)'' The end of an animal's leg, and the muscular organ on which a [[m|en|mollusc]] moves.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # The lower part or base of something, a leg of a piece of furniture: ''Uno dei piedi della sedia è rotto.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # The foot of a mountain or hill: ''un paese ai piedi delle Alpi''.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(DEI|2907)

+ # The base of a plant.^(GRADIT 2003)

+ # A unit of length, the Roman foot of about 30 cm or the English one of 30.48 cm.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(metrics)'' A [[m|en|metrical foot]], and in Italian metre each of the two parts of the opening of a canzone stanza.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[piedino]]

+ * [[piedistallo]]

+ * [[piedritto]]

+ * [[pedana]]

+ * [[pedata]]

+ * [[peduccio]]

+ * [[pedule]]

+ * [[pedula]]

+ * [[appiedare]]

+ * [[contropiede]]

+ * [[dappiè]]

+ * [[sottopiede]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[pedestre]]

+ * [[pedemontano]]

+ * [[peduncolo]]

+ * [[la|pes]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''A piedi'' means “on foot” and ''in piedi'' “standing”.^(Gabrielli 2020)^(Devoto–Oli 2026) Common idioms include ''andare con i piedi di piombo'' (“to tread carefully”), ''partire con il piede giusto'' (“to get off to a good start”) and ''avere un piede nella fossa'' (“to have one foot in the grave”).^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}