sposato Italian · revision 37973

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=1348–1353, Giovanni Boccaccio|origins=la spondeō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /spoˈza.to/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''sposato''' (feminine sposata, masculine plural sposati, feminine plural sposate)^(Wiktionary)

+ An old form is [[roa-oit|sponsato]].^(GDLI|19, 1019)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is the past participle of [[sposare|t=to marry]], used as an adjective and as a noun.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Wiktionary) The verb is recorded before 1250 in Cielo d'Alcamo and comes from [[la-lat|spōnsō|alt=spōnsāre|t=to betroth, promise in marriage]], an intensive of [[la|spondeō|t=to pledge, promise]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003) Meyer-Lübke lists the verb as a northern Italian form taken into the standard language; its cognates are [[fr|épouser]], [[pro|espozar]], [[ca|esposar]], [[es|esposar]] and [[pt|esposar]].^(REW 1935)

+

+ De Vaan explains [[m|la|spondeō]] as an old iterative “to pour libations again and again”, from which “to pledge” developed, and connects it with [[grc|σπένδω|tr=spéndō|t=to pour a libation]].^(de Vaan 2008)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Tommaseo's first example is from Boccaccio's ''Decameron'': “Se tu ardentemente ami Sofronia a me sposata, io non me ne maraviglio” (If you love Sofronia, who is married to me, so ardently, I do not wonder at it).^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861) Battaglia quotes Franco Sacchetti in the same sense: “O giovinetta, poi che se' sposata, / non mi dimenticar s'io t'ho amata” (Young girl, now that you are married, do not forget me if I loved you).^(GDLI|19, 1019)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The participle was used as a noun early: the Old Italian ''Ritmo di sant'Alessio'' speaks of the wife left alone as ''la sposata'', and Carducci still wrote that a Greek emperor “ripudiò la sposata” (repudiated his bride).^(GDLI|19, 1019) In poetry it could also mean “joined, wedded” in a figurative sense, as in a verse of Tommaseo's in which the new Italian speech is “sposato ai numeri” (wedded to rhythm).^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861)

+

+ Devoto–Oli and Sabatini–Coletti date the modern adjective to 1838.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026) It is the everyday word for “married”, less formal than [[coniugato]], and is set against [[celibe]] for men and [[nubile]] for women.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Before 1250 – The verb ''sposare'' is recorded in Cielo d'Alcamo.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)

+ * 1348–1353 – Boccaccio uses the reflexive ''sposarsi'' and the participle ''sposata'' in the ''Decameron''.^(DELI 1999)^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861)

+ * Before 1838 – The adjective ''sposato'' “married” is dated by the modern dictionaries.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # [[m|en|married]], bound by marriage: ''Mia sorella è sposata da vent'anni.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # A married person: ''Al corso di ballo c'erano più sposati che single.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[sposare]]

+ * [[sposo]]

+ * [[sposa]]

+ * [[coniugato]]

+ * [[la|spondeō]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ The feminine is ''sposata''.^(Wiktionary) Devoto–Oli and Sabatini–Coletti both illustrate the noun with the traditional football match between bachelors and married men.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}