libero Italian · revision 37844

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=13th century, Monte Andrea|origins=ine-pro *h₁léwdʰeros}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈli.be.ro/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''libero''' (feminine libera, masculine plural liberi, feminine plural libere, superlative liberissimo)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is a learned word, [[bor|la|līber|t=free]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003) In Rome the word named a man free by birth, as opposed to a slave and to a freedman.^(Nocentini 2010) The Latin adjective also had a few popular outcomes, such as Old Veronese [[m|vec|livro]] and Old Logudorese [[m|sc|liveru]].^(DELI 1999) [[pro|liure]] and [[ca|lliure]] are popular too, while [[fr|libre]] and [[es|libre]] are learned like the Italian word.^(REW 1935)^(Körting 1907)^(Nocentini 2010) The popular word for “free” in most of the Romance languages was instead the ancestor of Italian [[franco]].^(Körting 1907)

+

+ DELI calls the origin of the Latin word unclear.^(DELI 1999) Most etymologists trace it, through Old Latin [[m|la|loeber]] (quoted by Varro) and Proto-Italic [[m|itc-pro|*louðeros]], to [[ine-pro|*h₁léwdʰeros]], an adjective of a noun for “people”; the same formation is [[grc|ἐλεύθερος|tr=eleútheros|t=free]].^(de Vaan 2008)^(Nocentini 2010)^(Wiktionary)^(DEI|2221) The noun survives in [[de|Leute|t=people]], [[ru|лю́ди|tr=ljúdi]] and [[lt|liáudis|t=the common people]].^(de Vaan 2008)^(Nocentini 2010) A free man was thus one who “belongs to the people”; the Latin plural [[m|la|līberī|t=children]] comes from the legal use of the word for the free-born offspring of a free couple.^(de Vaan 2008)^(Devoto 1968)

+

+ The verb [[m|la|līberō|t=to set free]], whose French outcome [[m|fr|livrer]] left a trace in Old Italian [[m|roa-oit|liverare|alt=liv(e)rare]], and some modern senses of the Italian adjective came partly from other European languages.^(DELI 1999) [[libero scambio|alt=Libero scambio]] “free trade” is a calque of [[en|free trade]] (1823) according to DELI;^(DELI 1999)^(DEI|2221) DEI traces it through [[fr|libre-échange]], itself a translation of the English phrase.^(DELI 1999)^(DEI|2221) [[libero pensatore|alt=Libero pensatore]] “freethinker” likewise renders [[fr|libre penseur]], recorded in 1659, from the English [[m|en|free thinker]].^(DEI|2221)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The first records are from the 13th century: the Florentine poet Monte Andrea writes “Liber nom son di me lo giorno un'ora” (I am not my own master for an hour of the day), in the sense “having full freedom of action”.^(DELI 1999)^(GDLI) Before 1294 Guittone d'Arezzo uses it for someone free of family or amorous ties.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In the preachers the word took on the sense of free will: Giordano da Pisa (before 1311) says that God made us free so that we are not forced to anything.^(DELI 1999)^(GDLI) The sense “not a slave” appears in Boccaccio (1348–1353), and “not bound by obligations” in 1572.^(DELI 1999) DEI records a 17th-century sense “licentious, indecent”, and modern dictionaries still list ''libero'' for speech or manners that are too bold.^(DEI|2221)^(Treccani 2011)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+

+ Many uses spread in the 19th century: Tommaseo (1869) has ''tempo libero'' “spare time” and verse free of fixed form;^(DELI 1999) ''versi liberi'' “free verse” is recorded in 1891, though Bembo had spoken of ''rime libere'' in 1525.^(DELI 1999) ''Ingresso libero'', for admission without charge, is noted in 1891 as written on shop doors.^(DELI 1999) The football noun ''libero'', the sweeper with no man to mark, dates from 1965; it was borrowed into English (1969), French (1973) and German.^(DELI 1999)^(DIFIT) GDLI also lists two separate words of the same spelling: ''Libero'', the old Italic god of fertility identified with Bacchus, and a dialect ''libero'' “book”.^(GDLI)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 13th century – Monte Andrea uses ''liber'' “free to act”.^(DELI 1999)^(GDLI)

+ * Before 1294 – Guittone d'Arezzo uses it for someone without ties.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1300–1313 – Dante uses ''liberamente''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1348–1353 – Boccaccio uses it for a man who is not a slave.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1823 – ''Libero scambio'' follows English ''free trade''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1869 – Tommaseo records ''tempo libero''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1965 – The football sense “sweeper” is recorded.^(DELI 1999)^(DIFIT)

+ * 1969 – English borrows ''libero'' from Italian.^(DIFIT)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # [[m|en|free|alt=Free]], not a [[m|en|slave]]; enjoying personal liberty and civil rights: ''Tutti nascono liberi.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # Not in prison or held captive; of an animal, not tied up or caged: ''Il prigioniero è stato rilasciato ed è di nuovo libero.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+ # Able to choose and act without constraint: ''Siete liberi di andarvene quando volete.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # Of a country, [[m|en|independent]] and not under a dictatorship: ''un paese libero''.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # Without commitments; of time, not taken up by work: ''Sabato sono libero'', ''il tempo libero''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+ # Not occupied or reserved: ''Questo posto è libero?''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+ # Open to all, free of charge: ''ingresso libero''.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)

+ # Not bound by fixed rules or forms: ''versi liberi'', ''traduzione libera''.^(DELI 1999)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+ # Too bold or [[m|en|uninhibited]] in speech or manners.^(Treccani 2011)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # ''(football)'' The [[m|en|sweeper]], a defender with no opponent to mark.^(DELI 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(volleyball)'' The libero, a defensive specialist who may replace a back-row player.^(Wikizionario)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[liberamente]]

+ * [[liberare]]

+ * [[liberazione]]

+ * [[liberatore]]

+ * [[liberatorio]]

+ * [[liberismo]]

+ * [[liberista]]

+ * [[liberoscambismo]]

+ * [[liberoscambista]]

+ * [[semilibero]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[libertà]]

+ * [[liberale]]

+ * [[liberto]]

+ * [[franco]]

+ * [[la|liber]]

+ * [[grc|ἐλεύθερος|tr=eleútheros]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''A piede libero'' is said of a defendant who is not under arrest, and ''liberi tutti!'' is the cry that frees the caught players in hide-and-seek.^(Zingarelli 2010)^(GRADIT 2003) ''Libero professionista'' is a self-employed professional.^(Zingarelli 2010)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}