permettere Italian · revision 37976

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=before 1311, Giordano da Pisa|origins=ine-pro *meyth₂-}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /perˈmet.te.re/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''permettere''' (first-person singular present permétto, first-person singular past historic permìsi, past participle permésso, auxiliary avére)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old forms include [[roa-oit|permetere]], [[roa-oit|permittere]], [[roa-oit|permictere]] and [[roa-oit|premetere]].^(GDLI|13, 63)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|la|permittō|t=to let go through; to allow, leave to]], from [[m|la|per-]] and [[m|la|mittō|t=to send, let go]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary) Nocentini classes it as a borrowing from Latin, with the stressed vowel taken over from [[mettere]], the inherited outcome of the simple verb; the GDLI too describes it as remade on that verb.^(Nocentini 2010)^(GDLI|13, 63) GRADIT and Sabatini–Coletti read the prefix as an intensive, while DEI glosses the Latin verb as “to send through, let go”.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(DEI|2859) The same Latin verb gave [[fr|permettre]], [[pro|permetre]], [[es|permitir]] and [[pt|permitir]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(Körting 1907)

+

+ De Vaan traces the simple verb to [[itc-pro|*meitō|alt=*meit-e/o-]] and [[ine-pro|*meyth₂-|t=to exchange, remove]]: the sense went from “exchange” to “give, bestow” and then to “let go, send”.^(de Vaan 2008)^(Wiktionary) The Latin participle [[m|la|permissus]] and its noun [[m|la|permissiō]] reached Italian by the learned route as [[permesso]] and [[permissione]].^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ DELI's first record, for “to give leave, make possible”, is in Giordano da Pisa, who died in 1311.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003) The GDLI quotes his sermon: “Queste cose egli non può fare, se non quanto Iddio gli permette” (he cannot do these things except as far as God allows him).^(GDLI|13, 63) Zingarelli dates the verb to about 1261.^(Zingarelli 2010)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Boccaccio and Dante already use the verb for giving leave, and the early texts often have God as the one who permits.^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861)^(GDLI|13, 63) Courtesy formulas asking leave to do or say something are recorded before 1755, in Scipione Maffei.^(DELI 1999) The pronominal ''permettersi'' “to take the liberty” appears in 1671 in Francesco Buonvisi, and purists objected to it as a French turn of phrase not found in the classics;^(DELI 1999) Luca Serianni notes that its success belongs to the 19th century.^(DELI 1999) Today ''permettersi'' also means “to be able to afford”, as in ''non posso permettermelo''.^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Gabrielli 2020)^(Treccani 2011)

+

+ The noun ''permesso'' “permission” is recorded before 1411, its military sense “short leave” in 1824, and the polite ''è permesso?'' “may I come in?” in Goldoni in 1761.^(DELI 1999) ''Permissione'' (1305–1306) was still alive in the 19th century and then fell out of use, while ''permissivo'' goes back to about 1300 and ''permissibile'' to before 1580.^(DELI 1999) The literary sense “to entrust” survives in Leopardi and Vico.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * About 1261 – Zingarelli's date for the verb.^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ * About 1300 – ''Permissivo'' is recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1311 – Giordano da Pisa uses ''permettere'' for giving leave.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1411 – The noun ''permesso'' is recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1671 – Francesco Buonvisi uses ''permettersi'' for taking a liberty.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1755 – Scipione Maffei records courtesy formulas with the verb.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1761 – Goldoni has ''è permesso?''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1824 – ''Permesso'' is recorded for military leave.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To [[m|en|allow]], [[m|en|permit]] or let someone do something: ''I suoi genitori non le permettono di uscire la sera.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # To [[m|en|authorize]] officially: ''La questura non ha permesso il corteo.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # In polite formulas, to ask leave: ''Permette che le chieda una cosa?'', or simply ''Permette?''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # To make possible: ''Il nuovo ponte permette di attraversare il fiume in pochi minuti''; often in the gerund, ''tempo permettendo'' “weather permitting”.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # To [[m|en|tolerate]], to let something happen: ''Non permetterò che parlino così di mio fratello.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # ''(literary)'' To entrust.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # ''permettersi'': to be able to [[m|en|afford]]: ''Quest'anno non possiamo permetterci le vacanze.''^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Gabrielli 2020)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # ''permettersi'': to take the liberty, to dare: ''Come ti permetti di aprire la mia posta?''^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[permesso]]

+ * [[permissione]]

+ * [[permissivo]]

+ * [[permissibile]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[mettere]]

+ * [[promettere]]

+ * [[la|permittō]]

+ * [[fr|permettre]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Permettere'' is conjugated like ''mettere'' (past historic ''permisi'', past participle ''permesso'') and takes ''avere''; the pronominal ''permettersi'' takes ''essere''.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Wiktionary) The object of the permission is introduced by ''di'' with the infinitive or by ''che'' with the subjunctive.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}