preferire Italian · revision 37983

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=14th century|origins=la ferō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /pre.feˈri.re/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''preferire''' (first-person singular present preferìsco, first-person singular past historic preferìi, past participle preferìto, auxiliary avére)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old Italian also had the form ''proferire'' in this sense, and a literary past historic ''prefèrsi'' and past participle ''prefèrto''.^(GDLI|14)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is a learned word, [[bor|la|praeferō|t=to carry in front; to prefer]], moved into the Italian conjugation in ⟨-ire⟩ (⟨preferisco⟩).^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Wiktionary) The Latin verb is formed from [[m|la|prae-|t=before]] and [[m|la|ferō|t=to carry]], so that it first meant “to carry forward”.^(DELI 1999)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011) Devoto explains the change of conjugation by crossing with [[offrire]] and [[soffrire]].^(Devoto 1968) The same Latin verb gave [[fr|préférer]], recorded from 1355, and [[es|preferir]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)

+

+ Latin [[m|la|ferō]] continues [[itc-pro|*fere/o-]] and [[ine-pro|*bʰer-|t=to carry]], the root of [[grc|φέρω|tr=phérō]] and [[got|𐌱𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌰𐌽|tr=bairan]].^(de Vaan 2008)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Nocentini, GRADIT and Zingarelli date the verb to the 14th century.^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010) DELI's earliest dated records are from the early 16th century, in Ariosto (1517–1524) and Firenzuola (1518–1525), for “to put one thing before another in judgement or choice”.^(DELI 1999) In his ''Satire'' Ariosto speaks of life, “a cui poche o nessuna / cosa ho da preferir” (to which I have few things or none to prefer).^(GDLI|14)^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The verb was slow to win acceptance in Tuscany: at the end of the 16th century Diomede Borghesi wrote that authoritative Tuscan writers did not use it, preferring [[anteporre]] and [[preporre]].^(DELI 1999)^(GDLI|14) Ariosto's ''Orlando furioso'' already has the participle ''preferito'' (1516), and Paolo Segneri used ''preferibile'' (1686).^(DELI 1999) ''Preferenza'' entered in the 17th century, recorded by Florio in 1611, after Medieval Latin ''praeferentia'' (1062).^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ Tommaseo found ''preferisco di fare'' “not nice” and recommended the construction without ''di''.^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861) ''Preferenziale'' (1919–1922), in phrases such as ''voto preferenziale'', is a derivative of ''preferenza'' for Nocentini and follows French ''préférentiel'' for DELI.^(Nocentini 2010)^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1062 – Medieval Latin ''praeferentia'' is recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 14th century – First record according to Nocentini and GRADIT.^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)

+ * 1516 – Ariosto uses ''preferito''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1517–1524 – Ariosto uses ''preferire''.^(DELI 1999)^(GDLI|14)

+ * Late 16th century – Diomede Borghesi notes that Tuscan authors avoid the verb.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1611 – ''Preferenza'' is recorded by Florio.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1686 – Paolo Segneri uses ''preferibile''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1922 – ''Voto preferenziale'' appears in the Zingarelli dictionary.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To [[m|en|prefer]], to like one person or thing better than another: ''Preferisco il tè al caffè.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Wiktionary)

+ # With an infinitive or a clause with the subjunctive, to choose to do something rather than something else; to rather: ''Stasera preferisco restare a casa'', ''Preferirei che venissi tu.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # To choose a person or thing over others on a particular occasion: ''Al concorso hanno preferito un candidato più esperto.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[preferenza]]

+ * [[preferito]]

+ * [[preferibile]]

+ * [[preferenziale]]

+ * [[preferibilmente]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[anteporre]]

+ * [[offrire]]

+ * [[la|praeferō]]

+ * [[fr|préférer]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ The present takes ⟨-isc-⟩, like ''ferire'': ''preferisco, preferisci''.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Gabrielli 2020)^(Wiktionary) The thing put second takes ''a'' (''preferire il mare alla montagna''); with infinitives, the alternative is introduced by ''piuttosto che''.^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}