verità Italian · revision 37793

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=before 1294, Brunetto Latini|origins=ine-pro *weh₁ros}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ve.riˈta/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''verità''' ''f'' (invariable)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old forms include [[roa-oit|veritate]], [[roa-oit|veritade]] and [[roa-oit|vertà]].^(DEI|4023)^(GDLI|21, 781)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|la|vēritās|t=truth]], from the accusative ⟨vēritātem⟩, a learned word.^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Wiktionary) The older forms [[roa-oit|veritate]] and [[m|roa-oit|veritade]] were shortened to the modern form.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(DEI|4023) Wiktionary calls the modern form semi-learned, remade on the Latin, and the obsolete [[m|roa-oit|vertà]], [[m|roa-oit|vertade]] and [[m|roa-oit|vertate]] inherited;^(Wiktionary)^(DEI|4023) Guittone d'Arezzo already writes the short form in the 13th century.^(Wiktionary)^(DEI|4023)

+

+ The Latin word survives in every Romance language except Romanian.^(DEI|4023) It gave [[fro|verté]], [[pro|verdat]], [[es|verdad]] and [[pt|verdade]], while [[fr|vérité]] and [[ca|veritat]] are learned like the Italian.^(REW 1935)^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ The Latin noun is formed from [[m|la|vērus|t=true, real]] with the suffix [[m|la|-tās]].^(Wiktionary)^(OLD 2012) The adjective goes back to [[itc-pro|*wēros]] and [[ine-pro|*weh₁ros|t=true]], and is related to [[sga|fír|t=true]], [[goh|wār|t=true]] and [[cu|вѣра|tr=věra|t=faith]].^(de Vaan 2008)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ DELI's first record is ''veritate'', in Brunetto Latini before 1294, for what corresponds exactly to reality; the form ''verità'' is in Dante (1304–1308).^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003) In the ''Tesoretto'' Brunetto writes: “E io, ch'ognora atendo / e saper veritate” (and I, who always strive to know the truth).^(GDLI|21, 781)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In the 13th century Guidotto da Bologna already writes that it is the witnesses' duty to tell the truth and the judge's to find it.^(GDLI|21, 781) The abstract sense “the quality of being true” is recorded in the 14th century in an Italian translation of the Bible.^(DELI 1999) The adjective ''veritiero'' “truthful” is of the end of the 13th century.^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ Modern dictionaries record further uses: truth in the absolute sense in Petrocchi (1891), ''verità rivelata'', revealed truth, in Panzini (1905), and ''a dire la verità'' “to be honest” in 1961.^(DELI 1999) The Gospel formula ''in verità vi dico'' renders the Hebrew ''amen''.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026) In apposition the word describes what shows reality as it is, as in ''cinema verità''.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(GRADIT 2003) ''Macchina della verità'', the lie detector, and ''siero della verità'', truth serum, are 20th-century phrases.^(GDLI|Supplemento 2009)^(GRADIT 2003)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 13th century – Guittone d'Arezzo uses ''vertà''.^(DEI|4023)

+ * Before 1294 – Brunetto Latini uses ''veritate''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * End of the 13th century – ''Veritiero'' is recorded.^(Nocentini 2010)

+ * 1304–1308 – Dante uses the form ''verità''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 14th century – A translation of the Bible uses it for the quality of being true.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1905 – ''Verità rivelata'' is recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1961 – ''A dire la verità'' is recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # The quality of being [[m|en|true]], agreement with reality: ''Nessuno dubita della verità del suo racconto.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # What is true; the real facts, as opposed to a [[m|en|lie]] or an error: ''Prima o poi verrà fuori la verità.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # A statement or principle held to be true: ''Ha detto una verità che nessuno voleva sentire.''^(GRADIT 2003)

+ # ''(philosophy, theology)'' Truth in the absolute sense.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(DELI 1999)

+ # [[m|en|sincerity]], good faith.^(GRADIT 2003)

+ # ''(in apposition)'' Showing reality as it is: ''cinema verità''.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(GRADIT 2003)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[veritiero]]

+ * [[semiverità]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[vero]]

+ * [[la|vēritās]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ The noun is invariable: ''le verità''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary) Common phrases are ''a dire la verità'' and ''per la verità'' “to be honest, to tell the truth”, ''in verità'' “truly”, and the witness's oath ''giuro di dire la verità''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}