davanti Italian · revision 37880

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=early 13th century, Uguccione da Lodi|origins=la ante}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /daˈvan.ti/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''davanti''' (adverb and preposition; adjective and masculine noun, invariable)^(Wiktionary)^(GRADIT 2003)

+ Old forms include [[roa-oit|davante]], [[roa-oit|davant]] and northern [[roa-oit|devant]].^(TLIO)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|la-lat|dē abante|t=from in front]], a Late Latin combination of [[m|la|dē|t=from]] and [[m|la|abante|t=in front; before]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(DEI) According to the LEI, the adverb and preposition [[m|la|abante]], formed from [[m|la|ab|t=from]] and [[m|la|ante|t=before]], is recorded from the 2nd century in the early Latin Bible translations and expressed position in front in space and earlier in time.^(LEI|1, 10) The GDLI describes it as a popular form that reinforced the plain preposition.^(GDLI|4, 44) The same combination with the preposition for “from” grew up in Gallo-Romance and in Italian, and gave [[fr|devant]] and [[pro|davan]].^(LEI|1, 10)^(REW 1935)^(DEI)

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+ Wiktionary describes the word instead as a formation from the older [[davante]], presumably [[di]] plus [[avante]].^(Wiktionary) The simple adverb is [[avanti]].^(Prati 1951)^(Nocentini 2010)

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+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The TLIO's first record is in the ''Libro'' of Uguccione da Lodi, written in the dialect of Cremona early in the 13th century.^(TLIO) DELI dates the adverb, “in front”, to Pier della Vigna in 1249, and the preposition, “opposite, facing”, to Giacomo da Lentini before 1250.^(DELI 1999) Giacomo's poem about a portrait of his lady ends with a believer who “ancor non ha davante” (does not yet have before him) what he trusts in.^(GDLI|4, 44)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In Old Italian the word was also used of time, for “before, earlier”, as in Dante's “ché nol vedea davanti” (for I had not seen it before), and ''davanti che'' meant “before” as a conjunction.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(TLIO)^(Zingarelli 2010) Boccaccio used it as an adjective for “previous” (1353), and Andrea Palladio for “front” (1570); the noun, “the front part”, appears in Francesco Milizia before 1798.^(DELI 1999) The construction with ''a'', “in front of, in the presence of”, is now the normal one, and ''davanti'' directly before a noun is literary, as in the title of Carducci's poem ''Davanti San Guido''.^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

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+ The derivative ''davanzale'', the window sill, is recorded before 1400 in Franco Sacchetti; the LEI explains its /ts/ by the influence of the verb ''avanzare''.^(DELI 1999)^(LEI|1, 10) ''Davantino'', a decorative bib on women's dresses, is a Florentine word that Florio and Oudin recorded in 1598 and 1643.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Early 13th century – Uguccione da Lodi uses the word in Cremonese.^(TLIO)

+ * 1249 – Pier della Vigna uses ''davanti'' as an adverb.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1250 – Giacomo da Lentini uses it as a preposition.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1353 – Boccaccio uses it as an adjective, “previous”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1400 – ''Davanzale'' (window sill) is recorded in Franco Sacchetti.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1570 – Andrea Palladio uses ''davanti'' for “front, anterior”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1798 – Francesco Milizia uses ''il davanti'' for “the front part”.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adverb===

+ # [[m|en|in front]], ahead: ''Siediti davanti, così vedi meglio.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # At or on the front part: ''La macchina è rovinata davanti.''^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Treccani 2011)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # ''(archaic)'' [[m|en|before]], earlier.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+

+ ===Preposition===

+ # ''davanti a'': in front of, opposite: ''Ci vediamo davanti alla stazione.''^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # ''davanti a'': in the [[m|en|presence]] of, before: ''giurare davanti al giudice''.^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011)^(Gabrielli 2020)

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+ ===Adjective===

+ # [[m|en|front]], placed at the front (invariable): ''i fari davanti''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # The front part of something: ''il davanti del cappotto''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

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+ ==Word family==

+ * [[davanzale]]

+ * [[davantino]]

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+ ==Related words==

+ * [[avanti]]

+ * [[avanzare]]

+ * [[dinanzi]]

+ * [[fr|devant]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Davanti'' is the opposite of ''dietro'', and ''dinanzi'' is a synonym.^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026) A common saying is ''mettere il carro davanti ai buoi'', to put the cart before the horse.^(GRADIT 2003)

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+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}