incontro Italian · revision 37988

+ Italian has two words spelled ''incontro'': the noun “meeting”, formed in Italian from the verb ''incontrare'', and the adverb “towards”, inherited from Latin.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Nocentini 2010)

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+ {{homograph|1|meeting, encounter}}

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+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=back-formation|attested=1530, Pietro Bembo|origins=la contrā}}

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+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /inˈkon.tro/^(Wiktionary)

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+ ==Forms==

+ '''incontro''' ''m'' (plural incontri)^(Wiktionary)

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+ ==Etymology==

+ The noun is formed from the verb [[incontrare]], without a suffix.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary) The verb, recorded as [[roa-oit|emcontrare]] in the late 12th century, is [[inh|la-lat|incontrō|alt=incontrāre]], found in the Itala about the 3rd century and made from the adverb [[m|la-lat|incontrā]] (the adverb below).^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010) The same verb is [[fro|encontrer]] (modern [[fr|rencontrer]]), [[oc|encontrar]], [[ca|encontrar]], [[es|encontrar]] and [[pt|encontrar]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(REW 1935)

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+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ DELI and GRADIT date the noun to Pietro Bembo (1530).^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003) In a poem Bembo writes that at the first meeting with the lady (''al primo incontro vostro'') a thought arises that makes a coarse soul noble.^(DELI 1999)^(GDLI|7, 734)

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+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Luigi Alamanni had ''buono incontro'' in 1548, and Salvini ''buono e cattivo incontro'' in 1726;^(DELI 1999) ''fare un brutto incontro'', to run into criminals on one's way, is recorded in 1957.^(DELI 1999) The sense “favour, success with the public” is found in Giuseppe Baretti (1764), “meeting, conference” in Giuseppe Mazzini (before 1872), and “sports match” in 1921.^(DELI 1999) An older sense, a clash of arms or between two duellists, is recorded before 1533 and is now uncommon.^(DIFIT)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

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+ German took ''Incontro'' as a fencing term for a double hit of which only one counts.^(DIFIT)

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+ ==Timeline==

+ * Late 12th century – The verb appears as ''emcontrare'' in the Ritmo di Sant'Alessio.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1530 – Pietro Bembo uses the noun ''incontro''.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)

+ * Before 1533 – It is used for a clash between duellists.^(DIFIT)

+ * 1764 – Giuseppe Baretti uses it for favour or success.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1872 – Mazzini uses it for a meeting or conference.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1921 – It is used for a sports match.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A [[m|en|meeting]] or [[m|en|encounter]], especially a chance one: ''È stato un incontro inatteso, dopo tanti anni.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # An appointment; a meeting or conference: ''un incontro al vertice'' (a summit).^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # ''(sport)'' A match or bout: ''un incontro di scherma''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(uncommon)'' An armed clash.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+ # The point where two roads or rivers meet, ''(geometry)'' ''punto d'incontro'', the point common to two figures, ''(figurative)'' a compromise.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+ # ''(uncommon)'' Favour, success with the public: ''un genere che ha poco incontro''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

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+ {{homograph|2|towards}}

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+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=1313–1319, Dante|origins=la contrā}}

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+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /inˈkon.tro/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''incontro''' (invariable; old and poetic ''incontra'')^(Wiktionary)^(Treccani 2011)^(Gabrielli 2020)

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+ ==Etymology==

+ The adverb is [[inh|la-lat|incontrā|t=opposite, against]], made of [[m|la|in]] with intensive force and [[la|contrā|t=against]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary) DELI dates the Latin word to the 4th century, in the veterinary writer Chiron, but notes that Väänänen counts it among the fused invariable words of the Pompeian inscriptions, so it must have been in popular use earlier;^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010) Nocentini places it in those inscriptions of the 1st century AD.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010) The same word is [[fr|encontre]], [[oc|encontra]], [[ca|encontra]] and [[es|encontra]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(REW 1935)

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+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ DELI and GRADIT date ''incontro a'' “towards” to Dante (1313–1319).^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003) Bono Giamboni (before 1292) already writes of Philosophy that she rose and came towards Faith: “scese della sedia, e vennele incontro” (she came down from her seat and came to meet her).^(GDLI|7, 734)

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+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In 1525 Bembo noted that ''contro'' and ''contra'' were also said ''incontro'' and ''incontra'', but that the last form belonged only to the poets.^(DELI 1999) Old Italian could attach pronouns to it, as in Boccaccio's ''incontrogli'' “towards him”.^(Treccani 2011) Besides direction it meant “opposite” and “against”, now literary uses, and ''all'incontro'' meant “on the contrary”.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Treccani 2011)^(Zingarelli 2010) The figurative phrases ''andare incontro a'' “to face, to run into” and ''venire incontro a qualcuno'' “to help, to meet someone halfway” are common today.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

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+ ==Timeline==

+ * Before 1292 – Bono Giamboni uses ''venire incontro''.^(GDLI|7, 734)

+ * 1313–1319 – Dante uses ''incontro a'' “towards”.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)

+ * 1525 – Bembo comments on ''incontro'' and ''incontra''.^(DELI 1999)

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+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adverb===

+ # ''incontro a'' (or with a dative pronoun): [[m|en|towards]], with verbs of motion: ''Il cane mi è corso incontro scodinzolando.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(figurative)'' ''andare incontro a'': to face, to meet with, ''venire incontro a qualcuno'': to help, to meet someone halfway, ''venirsi incontro'': to reach a compromise.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+ # ''(literary, rare)'' [[m|en|opposite]], facing: ''La farmacia è lì incontro.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+ # ''(literary, archaic)'' Against.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # ''all'incontro'': on the contrary.^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+ # ''(boxing)'' ''d'incontro'': as a counterpunch, struck as the opponent attacks.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

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+ ==Related words==

+ * [[incontrare]]

+ * [[contro]]

+ * [[scontro]]

+ * [[riscontro]]

+ * [[la-lat|incontrā]]

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+ ==Usage notes==

+ The GDLI also has a minor technical word ''incontro'' in geometry, the [[m|en|incenter]] of a triangle, formed from ''in-'' (of ''inscritto'') and ''centro''.^(GDLI|7, 653)

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+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}