dimenticare Italian · revision 37998

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=1252–1258, Storie de Troja et de Roma|origins=la mēns}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /di.men.tiˈka.re/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''dimenticare''' (first-person singular present diméntico, first-person singular past historic dimenticài, past participle dimenticàto, auxiliary avére)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old forms include [[roa-oit|dementicare]], [[roa-oit|dementegare]], [[roa-oit|domenticare]] and [[roa-oit|dismenticare]].^(TLIO)^(LEI|19, 982) ''Dismenticare'' is still used in some regions.^(Treccani 2011)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|la-lat|dēmenticō|alt=dēmenticāre|t=to go out of one's mind]], a verb of the Latin glosses.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(LEI|19, 982) DELI and Devoto derive it from [[m|la-lat|dēmenticus|t=out of one's mind]], made of [[m|la|dē-]] and [[la|mēns|t=mind]];^(DELI 1999)^(Devoto 1968)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026) Nocentini from [[m|la|dēmentiō|alt=dēmentīre|t=to lose one's reason]].^(Nocentini 2010) The LEI notes that the sense “to go mad” came first and has not survived, so that the Italian verb continues only the later sense “not to remember”.^(LEI|19, 982) Wiktionary starts from [[la-vul|*dismenticō|alt=*dismenticāre]] with another prefix.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ The verb belongs to Italy: DEI finds it in the Italian area except the far South, and the LEI adds an Engadine form.^(DEI)^(LEI|19, 982) [[dlm|dementicur]] and [[sc|ismenticare]] were taken from Italian.^(Wiktionary) The Latin noun [[m|la|mēns]] goes back to [[ine-pro|*mn̥-ti-|t=thought, mind]].^(de Vaan 2008)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The TLIO's first record is the ''Storie de Troja et de Roma'', written in Roman dialect between 1252 and 1258.^(TLIO) The LEI finds ''dementicare'' in a Tuscan translation of Albertano da Brescia of 1268, and ''dimenticare'' in Brunetto Latini about 1260–1261.^(LEI|19, 982) DELI's first date is Bono Giamboni, before 1292, in the sense “to lose the memory of things”.^(DELI 1999)^(GDLI|4, 465)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Old Italian already had most of the modern senses: “to forgive” (14th century, Bible translations), “to leave out, not mention” (before 1342, Cavalca) and “to leave an object behind” (1353, Boccaccio).^(DELI 1999) The TLIO adds “to neglect someone”, “to give up a custom” and “to fail to do something”.^(TLIO) Cecco Angiolieri writes that poverty had made him almost forget his lady's name: “'l nome ho già quasi dimenticato”.^(GDLI|4, 465)

+

+ ''Dimenticanza'' “forgetfulness” is recorded in Bono Giamboni, ''dimentico'' “forgetful” in Giordano da Pisa (1303–1306), and the jocular ''dimenticatoio'', the imaginary place where forgotten things end up, before 1565 in Varchi.^(DELI 1999) ''Indimenticabile'' dates from the 18th century;^(Nocentini 2010)^(DELI 1999) DELI thinks ''dimenticabile'' was drawn from it.^(Nocentini 2010)^(DELI 1999) Tommaseo distinguished ''dimenticare'', a more deliberate forgetting or neglect, from the pronominal ''dimenticarsi'', which is often involuntary.^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1252–1258 – The verb appears in the Roman ''Storie de Troja et de Roma''.^(TLIO)

+ * c. 1260–1261 – Brunetto Latini uses ''dimenticare''.^(LEI|19, 982)

+ * Before 1292 – Bono Giamboni uses the verb and ''dimenticanza''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1303–1306 – ''Dimentico'' “forgetful” is recorded in Giordano da Pisa.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1353 – Boccaccio uses it for leaving something behind.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1565 – ''Dimenticatoio'' appears in Varchi.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 18th century – ''Indimenticabile'' is recorded.^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To [[m|en|forget]], to lose the memory of something or someone; with ''di'' and an infinitive or ''che'': ''Ho dimenticato il titolo di quel film'', ''Non dimenticare di chiudere il gas.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # To [[m|en|neglect]], to leave someone without care or affection: ''Con gli anni ha dimenticato i vecchi amici.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # To [[m|en|overlook]], to forgive: ''Cerchiamo di dimenticare quello che è successo.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # To leave something somewhere by mistake: ''Ho dimenticato l'ombrello in treno.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''dimenticarsi'' (di): not to remember, to forget: ''Mi sono dimenticata del compleanno di mia sorella.''^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[dimenticanza]]

+ * [[dimentico]]

+ * [[dimenticatoio]]

+ * [[indimenticabile]]

+ * [[dimenticabile]]

+ * [[dimenticone]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[mente]]

+ * [[demente]]

+ * [[scordare]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ The pronominal ''dimenticarsi'' takes ''essere''; it can have a direct object (''mi sono dimenticato il libro'') or ''di''.^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026) The synonym ''scordare'' is more colloquial, ''obliare'' literary.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}