caro Italian · revision 37780

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=late 12th century, Proverbia que dicuntur (Venetian)|origins=ine-pro *keh₂-}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈka.ro/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''caro''' (feminine cara, masculine plural cari, feminine plural care, superlative carissimo)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|la|cārus|t=dear, beloved; precious; costly]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary) The Latin adjective already had both its senses, and Plautus played on the double meaning.^(Devoto–Oli 2026) The word continues in all the Romance languages except Romanian: [[dlm|kuor]], [[fur|kar]], [[fr|cher]], [[oc|car]], [[ca|car]], [[es|caro]], [[pt|caro]] and [[sc|caru]].^(LEI|12, 836)^(Nocentini 2010)^(REW 1935)

+

+ Latin [[m|la|cārus]] goes back to [[itc-pro|*kāro-]] and [[ine-pro|*kéh₂ros|t=desired, desirable]], an adjective of the root [[ine-pro|*keh₂-|t=to desire, wish]].^(de Vaan 2008)^(Wiktionary) The same formation is [[lv|kārs|t=lustful]] and [[got|𐌷𐍉𐍂𐍃|tr=hōrs|t=adulterer]], and Celtic has [[sga|carae|t=friend]];^(de Vaan 2008)^(Nocentini 2010)^(DEI|775) Nocentini notes that the sense of excess in Latvian turns into transgression in Gothic and in [[goh|huora|t=prostitute]].^(de Vaan 2008)^(Nocentini 2010)^(DEI|775)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The TLIO's first record is in the Venetian ''Proverbia que dicuntur'' of the late 12th century.^(TLIO) DELI dates the sense “precious, valued” to Giacomo da Lentini, before 1250, “dear, beloved” to Brunetto Latini, before 1294, and “costly” to the 13th–14th century;^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003) GRADIT dates the word to 1253.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003) In Dante, Brunetto is remembered for “la cara e buona imagine paterna” (the dear and kind fatherly image).^(GDLI|2, 788)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Old Italian also used the adjective for “rare”, “hard, difficult”, “scarce, meagre” and “stingy”, and for a refined poetic style.^(TLIO) As a noun ''caro'' meant a dearth and the high prices it caused, in Brunetto Latini's ''Tesoretto'' (before 1274) and Bono Giamboni.^(TLIO)^(DEI|775) Bernardo Davanzati's Tacitus has “Lamentandosi la plebe del troppo caro” (as the common people complained of the high prices), before 1600.^(DELI 1999)^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861)

+

+ The noun returned in the 20th century in compounds for rising prices: ''caroviveri'' (1916) and ''carovita'' (before 1941), and then jokingly in many more, which Migliorini listed in 1963.^(DELI 1999) The Tuscan derivative ''carezze'' “caresses” (about 1300) and the verb ''carezzare'' passed into French as ''caresse'' (1534) and ''caresser''.^(LEI|12, 836)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Late 12th century – The Venetian ''Proverbia que dicuntur'' use ''caro''.^(TLIO)

+ * Before 1250 – Giacomo da Lentini uses it for “precious, valued”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1274 – Brunetto Latini's ''Tesoretto'' uses ''caro'' as a noun.^(TLIO)

+ * Before 1294 – Brunetto Latini uses it for “dear, beloved”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * About 1300 – Tuscan ''carezze'' “caresses” is recorded.^(LEI|12, 836)

+ * 1534 – French ''caresse'' is borrowed from Italian.^(LEI|12, 836)

+ * Before 1600 – Bernardo Davanzati uses ''caro'' for a rise in prices.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1916 – ''Caroviveri'' appears in the ''Nuova Antologia''.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # [[m|en|dear]], beloved; of things, to which one is attached: ''Quella foto è un ricordo molto caro.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # As an affectionate form of address and in letters (''Cara Laura'', ''cari saluti''); ironically or impatiently, ''caro mio''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # Kind, sweet, likeable: ''Sei stata davvero cara a passare.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # Precious, important to someone: ''La libertà è cara a tutti.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # [[m|en|expensive]], costly; of a shop or professional, charging high prices: ''In centro i ristoranti sono più cari.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+

+ ===Adverb===

+ # At a high price, with ''costare'', ''pagare'', ''vendere''; figuratively in ''pagarla cara'', to pay dearly for something.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # A dear one, a [[m|en|darling]], ''i miei cari'', one's family.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Treccani 2011)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A rise in the price of necessities, especially as the first part of compounds: ''carovita'', ''caro-affitti''.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Gabrielli 2020)^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[carezza]]

+ * [[carezzare]]

+ * [[accarezzare]]

+ * [[carino]]

+ * [[caramente]]

+ * [[carissimo]]

+ * [[rincarare]]

+ * [[rincaro]]

+ * [[carovita]]

+ * [[caroviveri]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[carità]]

+ * [[la|cārus]]

+ * [[fr|cher]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ Two minor homographs come from Greek: ''caro'' the caraway plant (genus ''Carum''), recorded in 1563, from scientific Latin, from Greek ''káron'', and the obsolete medical ''caro'' “deep, morbid sleep”, from Greek ''káros''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(GDLI|2, 788)^(DEI|775)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}