smettere Italian · revision 37907

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=16th century}}

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+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈzmet.te.re/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''smettere''' (first-person singular present smétto, first-person singular past historic smìsi, past participle smésso, auxiliary avére)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is formed [[af|it|s-|mettere]], with the prefix in its subtractive sense: to “un-put”, to put aside.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Wiktionary) Tommaseo glossed it with [[dismettere]] and compared [[la|dīmittō]] and [[m|la|dēmittō]].^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861|4, 931)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Nocentini, GRADIT and Devoto–Oli date the verb to the 16th century, and Zingarelli gives 1582.^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010) DELI's dated evidence is later: the past participle ''smesso'' in Lorenzo Magalotti (before 1712), the verb in G. S. Saccenti (before 1749) according to D'Alberti's dictionary of 1805, with the sense “to break off, temporarily or for good, what one is doing”.^(DELI 1999) Sabatini–Coletti dates it to 1805.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The sense “to stop wearing” a garment is recorded in Manzoni's ''Promessi sposi'' (1840–1842), who wrote that a character took care not to set aside a suit before it was quite worn out; the earlier edition of the novel had ''dismettere'' there.^(DELI 1999) The intransitive use, “to stop, not go on”, is first recorded in Tommaseo's dictionary in 1873.^(DELI 1999) Tommaseo already gave phrases such as ''smettere la bottega'' and ''smettere il mestiere'' (to give up a shop, a trade), and ironic commands such as “Mi faccia la finezza di smettere” (do me the kindness of stopping).^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861|4, 931)

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+ In today's speech the verb is the usual word for stopping an activity, often with ''di'' and an infinitive, and in the form ''smetterla'' it gives impatient commands such as ''smettila!''.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Treccani 2011) In Tuscany ''smettere casa'' meant to give up one's home and furniture and move in with others.^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 16th century – ''Smettere'' is first recorded.^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+ * 1582 – Zingarelli's date for the verb.^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ * Before 1712 – The past participle ''smesso'' appears in Lorenzo Magalotti.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1805 – D'Alberti's dictionary records the verb.^(DELI 1999)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ * 1840–1842 – Manzoni uses it of clothes no longer worn.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1873 – Tommaseo's dictionary records the intransitive use.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # ''(transitive)'' To [[m|en|stop]] or break off, for a time or for good, something one is doing: ''Ha smesso gli studi a vent'anni.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Wiktionary)

+ # With ''di'' and an infinitive: to stop doing something, to [[m|en|quit]]: ''Mio padre ha smesso di fumare l'anno scorso.'' With weather verbs it is impersonal: ''finalmente ha smesso di nevicare''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''smetterla'' (usually as a command): to cut it out, stop doing something annoying: ''Smettila di lamentarti!''^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # To stop wearing a garment that is old or out of fashion.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(figurative, literary)'' To give up an attitude or way of behaving.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # ''(intransitive)'' To stop, come to an end: ''Il vento non smette da tre giorni.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[smesso]]

+ * [[smetterla]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[mettere]]

+ * [[dismettere]]

+ * [[la|dīmittō]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Smettere'' is conjugated like ''mettere'' (past participle ''smesso'').^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Gabrielli 2020) It takes ''avere''; with weather verbs ''essere'' is also found, though less often: ''ha smesso'' or ''è smesso di grandinare''.^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

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+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}