dietro Italian · revision 37787

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=before 1292, Bono Giamboni|origins=la dē, la retrō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈdjɛ.tro/, /ˈdje.tro/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''dietro''' (invariable)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old forms include [[roa-oit|drieto]], [[roa-oit|dreto]], [[roa-oit|dirieto]] and [[roa-oit|dereto]].^(Prati 1951|376)^(LEI|1, 1322)

+ In the northern dialects it is [[lmo|dree]] and [[vec|drio]].^(Prati 1951|376)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|la-lat|dē retrō|t=behind]], a Late Latin phrase recorded in the Itala, the old Latin translation of the Bible, formed from [[m|la|dē|t=from]] and [[m|la|retrō|t=backwards, behind]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(LEI|1, 1322)^(DEI|1295)

+

+ The older forms show how it developed: [[roa-oit|dereto]] and [[m|roa-oit|dirieto]] keep both /r/ sounds, the standard form lost the first by dissimilation, and [[m|roa-oit|drieto]] and [[m|roa-oit|dreto]] show metathesis.^(LEI|1, 1322)^(GRADIT 2003) Devoto and DEI start from an intermediate [[m|roa-oit|*drietro]].^(Devoto 1968)^(DEI|1295)

+

+ The same phrase gave [[fro|derere]], modern [[fr|derrière]], [[pro|dereire]] and [[ca|darrera]].^(LEI|1, 1322)^(Nocentini 2010)^(REW 1935) DEI notes that the southern dialects took the French word, beside a native type continuing [[la|ad]] and [[m|la|retrō]].^(DEI|1295)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ DELI's first record of the preposition is in Bono Giamboni, before 1292, for “at the back of” and “behind someone”; the adverb follows in Dante.^(DELI 1999) Giamboni describes an army: “Il sesto ordine di dietro da tutti erano uomini, finissimi combattitori con scudi” (the sixth rank, behind all the others, were men, very fine fighters with shields).^(GDLI|4, 367) Nocentini and GRADIT date the adverb to the second half of the 13th century.^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The temporal sense “after” is in Giovanni Villani before 1348.^(DELI 1999) In older Italian the preposition could take ''da'', as in Dante's “dietro dalla coppa” (behind the nape), and Guittone d'Arezzo writes the form ''dirieto''.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(GDLI|4, 367)^(Prati 1951|376) Modern usage adds a bureaucratic sense, “upon, in return for”, as in ''dietro pagamento'' and ''dietro richiesta'', and uses the word as an invariable adjective and as a noun for the back of something.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+

+ The derivatives are old: ''addietro'' is recorded in 1252–1258, ''indietro'', from a Vulgar Latin phrase with [[m|la|in]], in 1304–1308, and ''didietro'' “backside” in the second half of the 14th century.^(Nocentini 2010) ''Dietrofront'', the military about-turn, is recorded before 1906, and ''dietrologia'', the habit of looking for hidden motives behind events, before 1974.^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1252–1258 – ''Addietro'' is recorded.^(Nocentini 2010)

+ * Before 1292 – Bono Giamboni uses ''dietro'' as a preposition.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1304–1308 – ''Indietro'' is recorded.^(Nocentini 2010)

+ * Before 1321 – Dante uses ''dietro'' as an adverb.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1348 – Giovanni Villani uses it for “after”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1974 – ''Dietrologia'' is recorded.^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Preposition===

+ # [[m|en|behind]], at the back of; also with ''a'', and with ''di'' before a stressed pronoun: ''Il gatto si è nascosto dietro il divano.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # After, following, in space or time: ''Ha fatto una telefonata dietro l'altra.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+ # ''(figurative)'' Behind someone's back, without their knowledge: ''Non mi piace chi critica gli altri dietro le spalle.''^(GRADIT 2003)

+ # ''(bureaucratic)'' Upon, in return for: ''Il modulo viene consegnato dietro richiesta.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+

+ ===Adverb===

+ # Behind, at the back: ''In macchina i bambini stanno dietro.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(colloquial)'' With oneself, along: ''Ti sei portato dietro l'ombrello?''^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ===Adjective===

+ # ''(invariable)'' Rear, back: ''i sedili dietro''.^(GRADIT 2003)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # The back or rear part of something, such as the seat of trousers.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[indietro]]

+ * [[addietro]]

+ * [[didietro]]

+ * [[dietrologia]]

+ * [[indietreggiare]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[retro]]

+ * [[deretano]]

+ * [[fr|derrière]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ With an unstressed pronoun the word follows the verb: ''tutti gli corrono dietro''.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026) Phrases include ''andare dietro a qualcuno'' “to court someone”, ''stare dietro a qualcosa'' “to look after something” and ''ridere dietro a qualcuno'' “to laugh at someone behind their back”.^(Devoto–Oli 2026) Wiktionary gives the pronunciation with both an open and a closed /e/: /ˈdjɛ.tro/ and /ˈdje.tro/.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}