fondo Italian · revision 37883

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=before 1313|origins=ine-pro *bʰudʰmḗn}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈfon.do/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''fondo''' ''m'' (plural fondi)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|la|fundus|t=bottom; farm, estate]], and both Latin senses live on.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary) The word is found in all the Romance languages: [[fr|fond]] (beside [[m|fr|fonds]]), [[oc|fons]], [[es|hondo]], [[pt|fundo]], [[sc|fundu]] and [[ro|fund]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(REW 1935)^(Körting 1907) In Italian, Spanish and Portuguese it is also an adjective, “deep”.^(Nocentini 2010)^(REW 1935) DELI finds the link between the noun and the adjective not entirely clear and thinks the adjective grew out of the noun under the influence of [[profondo]], while the GDLI and Devoto speak of a cross with [[la|profundus|t=deep]].^(DELI 1999)^(GDLI)^(Devoto 1968)

+

+ The Latin noun goes back through [[itc-pro|*fundo-]] to [[ine-pro|*bʰudʰnó-|t=bottom]], with the nasal moved forward.^(de Vaan 2008)^(Wiktionary) Its relatives are [[sa|बुध्न|tr=budhná|t=bottom, root]], [[grc|πυθμήν|tr=puthmḗn|t=bottom]] and [[goh|bodam|t=ground]], whence [[de|Boden]], and [[ang|botm]], whence [[en|bottom]].^(de Vaan 2008)^(Nocentini 2010)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ DELI's first record is Dante (before 1321), for the lowest part of something: “In questo fondo della trista conca / discende mai alcun del primo grado…?” (Does anyone of the first circle ever come down into the bottom of this dismal hollow?).^(DELI 1999)^(GDLI) GRADIT dates the word to before 1313.^(GRADIT 2003) Dante also has the adjective “thick, dense”, in “per la selva fonda” (through the thick wood).^(DELI 1999)^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861|2, 860)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Domenico Cavalca (before 1342) uses the noun for the innermost, hidden part of something, and Busone da Gubbio (before 1349) has the adjective “deep”.^(DELI 1999) Later senses are the background of a picture (1550, Vasari), what is left in a vessel (before 1564), a piece of land (1565, Ramusio), money set aside for a purpose (1593) and the far end of a place (before 1712, Magalotti).^(DELI 1999) Carducci uses ''fondo'' for a newspaper's leading article (1875); the long-distance race appears in 1935 and background noise in 1970.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ''Fondiario'' “of landed property” translates French ''foncier''.^(DELI 1999) The ''fondi di carciofo'', artichoke bottoms, are a Venetian dish.^(DELI 1999) Ottoman Turkish borrowed the word for “capital”.^(DEI|1681)^(Wiktionary) Common phrases are ''andare a fondo'' “to sink; to fail”, ''in fondo'' “after all”, ''toccare il fondo'' “to hit rock bottom” and ''a notte fonda'' “in the dead of night”.^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Before 1313 – ''Fondo'' is first recorded.^(GRADIT 2003)

+ * Before 1321 – Dante uses the noun “bottom” and the adjective “dense”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1342 – Domenico Cavalca uses it for the innermost part of something.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1349 – Busone da Gubbio uses the adjective “deep”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1550 – Giorgio Vasari uses it for the background of a picture.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1565 – Giovanni Battista Ramusio uses it for a piece of land.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1593 – Tuscan edicts use it for a fund of money.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1797 – ''Fondiario'' is recorded at Venice.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1875 – Carducci uses it for a newspaper's leading article.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1935 – ''Corsa di fondo'' “long-distance race” is recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # The [[m|en|bottom]], the lowest part of something hollow: ''Ho trovato le chiavi in fondo alla borsa.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Wiktionary)

+ # The bed of a sea, lake or river: ''La nave è andata a fondo.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # The far end of a place: ''La camera è in fondo a destra.''^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+ # What is left in a container; dregs: ''i fondi del caffè''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # A [[m|en|background]], a base colour: ''un tessuto a fiori su fondo verde''.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A piece of land, an [[m|en|estate]]: ''fondo rustico''.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Wiktionary)^(DELI 1999)

+ # A [[m|en|fund]]; in the plural, money available: ''Il comune non ha i fondi per riparare la strada.''^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Wiktionary)^(DELI 1999)

+ # ''(sports)'' A long-distance race: ''sci di fondo''.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Wiktionary)^(DELI 1999)

+ # ''(cooking)'' A [[m|en|stock]] of meat or fish.^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Deep: ''piatto fondo''.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(literary)'' Thick, dense; of night, late: ''a notte fonda''.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[fondale]]

+ * [[fondello]]

+ * [[fondiario]]

+ * [[fondina]]

+ * [[fondista]]

+ * [[fondovalle]]

+ * [[fondotinta]]

+ * [[fondoschiena]]

+ * [[affondare]]

+ * [[sfondare]]

+ * [[sfondo]]

+ * [[sottofondo]]

+ * [[mezzofondo]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[profondo]]

+ * [[fondare]]

+ * [[la|fundus]]

+ * [[en|bottom]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}