interessante Italian · revision 38026

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=1756, Francesco Algarotti|origins=la intersum}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /in.te.resˈsan.te/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''interessante''' ''m or f'' by sense (plural interessanti, superlative interessantissimo)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[af|it|interessare|-ante]], the present participle used as an adjective.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010) DELI and Treccani note the influence of [[fr|intéressant]] (1718), which is why the purist Antonio Cesari opposed the word.^(DELI 1999)^(Treccani 2011)

+

+ [[interessare|alt=Interessare]] is a denominal verb from [[interesse]], a learned word from [[la-med|intersum|alt=interesse]], the Latin infinitive of [[m|la|intersum|t=to be between; to matter]] used as a noun in the Middle Ages.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010) Nocentini describes it as a legal term meaning “advantage, profit”, from the impersonal use “it matters”, literally “it is in between”.^(Nocentini 2010) The Latin verb is formed from [[m|la|inter-|t=between]] and [[m|la|sum|t=to be]].^(DELI 1999) Panzini wrote that the noun, the verb and the adjective had been taken from French long ago but were so common that condemning them was pointless.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The first record is in Francesco Algarotti's ''Lettere filologiche'' (1756), and the word is also in Antonio Cocchi before 1758, in the sense “arousing interest”.^(DELI 1999)^(Zingarelli 2010) Cocchi writes of ''osservazioni naturali e interessanti'' “natural and interesting observations”.^(GDLI|8, 228)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In the 18th and 19th centuries the word kept a foreign flavour: Tommaseo–Bellini quotes Fanfani's judgment that it is “not a nice word” when used as an adjective.^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861) It became common all the same, for what is worth attention, for an advantageous price or offer, and for a person who attracts others by qualities of mind.^(GDLI)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026) The euphemism ''in stato interessante'' means “pregnant”, and ''fare l'interessante'' means to put on airs in order to attract attention.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1718 – French ''intéressant'' is recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1756 – Algarotti uses ''interessante''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1758 – Antonio Cocchi uses it.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1861–1879 – Tommaseo–Bellini reports objections to its use as an adjective.^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # [[m|en|interesting]]: arousing attention or [[m|en|curiosity]]: ''Ieri sera ho visto un documentario molto interessante.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Attractive in economic terms, [[vantaggioso|alt=advantageous]]: ''Mi hanno fatto un'offerta interessante per la macchina.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # Of a person, attractive for qualities of character or mind: ''Al convegno ho conosciuto una donna davvero interessante.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(euphemistic)'' ''in stato interessante'': pregnant.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[ininteressante]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[interessare]]

+ * [[interesse]]

+ * [[fr|intéressant]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}