facile Italian · revision 37838

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=after 1298, Questioni filosofiche|origins=ine-pro *dʰeh₁-}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈfa.t͡ʃi.le/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''facile''' ''m or f'' by sense (plural facili, superlative facilissimo)^(Wiktionary)

+ The old superlative ''facillimo'' follows Latin ''facillimus''.^(GDLI)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is a learned word, [[bor|la|facilis|t=easy, feasible; compliant]], formed with [[m|la|-ilis]] from [[m|la|faciō|t=to do, make]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(Wiktionary) The Latin adjective was both passive, “that can be done”, and active, “that lets things be done, yielding”, and both senses reached Italian.^(GDLI)^(Devoto 1968) The TLIO suggests that the adverbial use may come straight from the Latin adverb [[m|la|facile|t=easily]].^(TLIO) [[fr|facile]] (1441) and [[es|fácil]] are learned as well.^(DEI|1580)^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ The Latin verb continues the Proto-Indo-European root [[m|ine-pro|*dʰeh₁-|t=to put]], whose aorist had a /k/ that Italic generalized.^(de Vaan 2008)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The TLIO's first record is in the ''Questioni filosofiche'', a text from south-eastern Tuscany written after 1298, in the sense “requiring no effort”.^(TLIO) DELI's first dated record is in Domenico Cavalca (before 1342): the goods of this life are fleeting and “facili a dispregiare” (easy to despise).^(DELI 1999)^(GDLI)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ From the 14th century ''facile'' competed with the older [[agevole]], which had been in use since the 13th.^(DELI 1999) Old Italian already used it for people inclined to something, in a good sense (“willing”) and a bad one (“frivolous”), and had ''di facile'' “probably”.^(TLIO) The adverbial ''facile'' “easily” was spread in the literary language by Ariosto in the 16th century.^(DEI|1580)^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861)

+

+ Around 1960 journalists began to write ''avere il grilletto facile'' “to be trigger-happy”, after the English phrase, and then many similar phrases.^(DELI 1999) The derivatives ''facilità'' (before 1419), ''facilitare'' (before 1460), ''facilone'' “one who thinks everything is easy” (1909) and ''faciloneria'' (1920, Gramsci) followed.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * After 1298 – The ''Questioni filosofiche'' have the first record.^(TLIO)

+ * Before 1342 – Domenico Cavalca uses it for “easy”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1419 – Giovanni Dominici uses ''facilità''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1460 – ''Facilitare'' is recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 16th century – Ariosto uses ''facile'' as an adverb.^(DEI|1580)

+ * c. 1960 – ''Avere il grilletto facile'' follows English ''trigger-happy''.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # [[m|en|easy|alt=Easy]], done without effort or difficulty: ''Il test era più facile del previsto.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # Easy to understand, plain: ''un manuale facile''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # Obtained without effort, often by doubtful means: ''soldi facili''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+ # Easy-going, [[m|en|affable]]: ''Mio nonno ha un carattere facile.''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # Prone, inclined (''a'' “to”): ''facile alle lacrime''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # ''(of a woman, pejorative)'' Of loose morals: ''di facili costumi''.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # Likely, probable: ''È facile che il negozio sia già chiuso.''^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+

+ ===Adverb===

+ # ''(colloquial)'' Easily.^(Treccani 2011)^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[facilità]]

+ * [[facilitare]]

+ * [[facilitazione]]

+ * [[facilmente]]

+ * [[facilone]]

+ * [[faciloneria]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[fare]]

+ * [[difficile]]

+ * [[agevole]]

+ * [[la|facilis]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Facile come bere un bicchier d'acqua'', “as easy as drinking a glass of water”, means very easy.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026) ''Più facile a dirsi che a farsi'' is “easier said than done”.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}