là Italian · revision 37855

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=1268, Lucca register|origins=la ille}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈla/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|la|illāc|t=that way; there]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(Wiktionary)^(Devoto–Oli 2026) The Latin adverb was the ablative feminine of [[m|la|ille|t=that]], the source of [[il]], with the deictic particle [[m|la|-ce]] added.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003) It came from phrases such as [[m|la|illāc viā|t=by that way]].^(Wiktionary) The same adverb is [[fr|là]], [[oc|la]] and [[es|allá]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(DEI) The double /ll/ of Latin, lost in the standard language, survives in most regional varieties, such as [[scn|ḍḍà]].^(Wiktionary)

+

+ Nocentini derives [[colà]] separately, from [[la-vul|*eccum illāc]] with the word that gave [[ecco]].^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ DELI's first record is ''lae'' in a fragment of a Lucca register of 1268, and ''là'' appears at about the same time, or earlier, in the Elegia giudeo-italiana.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003) There the poet laments ''Vidisi donni là desfare'' “women were seen there to perish”.^(GDLI|8, 649) Sabatini–Coletti date the word to the 12th century.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Dante writes ''tutta rimira là, dove 'l sol veli'' “all gaze there, where you block the sun”, and Petrarch ''Torna tu in là'' “go back over there”.^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861) Old Italian formed compounds such as ''laddove'' “where” (before 1313), ''lassù'' “up there” (13th century) and ''laggiù'' “down there” (before 1313).^(Nocentini 2010) Petrarch also used ''là'' for time, ''là vèr l'aurora'' “towards dawn”, a use that is now literary.^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011)

+

+ Today ''là'' marks a place far from the speaker and usually from the listener, less precisely than [[lì]].^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Treccani 2011)^(Zingarelli 2010) It appears in many fixed phrases: ''chi va là?'' and ''alto là!'' are sentries' challenges, ''va' là!'' expresses disbelief, ''qua e là'' means “here and there”, ''più in là'' “further on, later”, and ''al di là di'' “beyond”, from which comes ''l'aldilà'' “the afterlife”.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1268 – ''Lae'' is recorded in a Lucca register.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 13th century – The Elegia giudeo-italiana uses ''là''.^(DELI 1999)

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

+ * before 1313 – ''Laddove'' and ''laggiù'' are recorded.^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adverb===

+ # [[m|en|there]], in or to that place, away from the speaker: ''Metti la valigia là, vicino alla porta.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # In contrast with ''qua'' or ''qui'': ''Si spostava un po' qua e un po' là.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # With prepositions and adverbs: ''di là'' “in the other room, that way”, ''in là'' “aside, further”, ''là sopra'', ''là dentro''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # After ''quello'' to point at someone or something, often [[m|en|dismissive]]: ''Quel tipo là non mi convince.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # In exclamations and commands: ''Fermo là!'' ''Va' là!'' (disbelief).^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # ''(literary)'' Of time, towards: ''là verso sera''.^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # ''In là con gli anni'': getting on in years.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(GRADIT 2003)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[laddove]]

+ * [[laggiù]]

+ * [[lassù]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[lì]]

+ * [[il]]

+ * [[la|ille]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ In Tuscan ''là'' causes doubling of the next consonant, which is visible in fixed compounds such as ''laddove''.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}