partire Italian · revision 38038

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=1186, Fabriano charter|origins=la pars}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /parˈti.re/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''partire''' (first-person singular present pàrto, first-person singular past historic partìi, past participle partìto, auxiliary èssere)^(Wiktionary)

+ In the old sense “to divide” the verb is conjugated ''partisco'', ''partisci'' (literary ''parto''), with the auxiliary ''avere''.^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|la|partiō|t=to divide, share out]], the Late Latin active form of classical [[m|la|partior]], from [[m|la|pars|t=part]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Wiktionary) DELI treats the verb “to divide” as a learned word, while Nocentini, Wiktionary and Meyer-Lübke count it as inherited.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(Wiktionary)^(REW 1935) It is found in the western Romance languages: [[fr|partir]], [[oc|partir]], [[ca|partir]], [[es|partir]], [[pt|partir]] and [[sc|partire]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(REW 1935)^(DEI|2785)

+

+ The sense “to leave” came from the reflexive [[partirsi]] “to separate oneself”, hence “to go away”, a development French [[m|fr|partir]] also went through: [[fro|partir]] meant “to divide” in the 12th century, and its reflexive “to go away” in the 13th.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(DEI|2785) DELI and GRADIT therefore derive the verb “to leave” from the verb “to divide”.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003) The old sense lives on in [[spartire]] and in derivatives such as [[partita]], at first a “portion”, [[partito]] and [[partitura]].^(Nocentini 2010) [[partenza|alt=Punto di partenza]] is a calque on [[fr|point de départ]].^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The first record is a charter from Fabriano of 1186, with the sense “to cut into parts, to share out among several people”.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)^(DIFIT) The reflexive in the sense “to originate” is found in Guido Faba before 1243, and “to leave, set off” in Giacomo da Lentini before 1250.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In literary Italian the verb “to divide” remained in use: Petrarch's “il bel paese / ch'Appennin parte, e 'l mar circonda e l'Alpe” (the fair land that the Apennines divide and the sea and the Alps surround) and Dante's Magra, which “parte lo Genovese dal Toscano” (divides the Genoese from the Tuscan), are the classic examples.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011) German borrowed it as ''partiren'' in 1741.^(DIFIT)

+

+ The sense “to leave” became the everyday one, with new uses in the 20th century: “to start a race” (1958), and in film jargon “to start shooting”, as in Mario Soldati in 1964.^(DELI 1999) In colloquial speech a person who ''parte'' loses control, especially after drinking, and a mechanism that ''è partito'' is broken.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Wiktionary) ''Partire dal mondo'' is a euphemism for dying.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1186 – A Fabriano charter has ''partire'' “to share out”.^(DELI 1999)^(DIFIT)

+ * Before 1243 – Guido Faba uses the reflexive for “to originate”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1250 – Giacomo da Lentini uses ''partire'' “to leave”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1294 – ''Partenza'' “departure” in Brunetto Latini.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1741 – German ''partiren'' is recorded.^(DIFIT)

+ * 1846 – ''Punto di partenza'' is recorded in the Milanese press.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1958 – ''Partire'' “to start a race”.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # ''(intransitive, auxiliary essere)'' To [[m|en|leave]], to set off for a place: ''Domani mattina partiamo per la montagna.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+ # Of a train, ship or other vehicle, to start its journey: ''L'ultimo autobus parte a mezzanotte.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+ # To start moving, especially quickly; to start a race; of a shot, to go off.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # Of an engine or mechanism, to [[m|en|start]]: ''Con questo freddo la moto non parte.''^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(figurative)'' To start from something, take it as a starting point; to begin: ''partire da zero''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(colloquial)'' To lose one's head, especially from drink; of a mechanism, to break.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(literary, transitive)'' To [[m|en|divide]]; to share out: ''partire il bottino''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[partenza]]

+ * [[partente]]

+ * [[partita]]

+ * [[partito]]

+ * [[partitura]]

+ * [[partizione]]

+ * [[partitivo]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[dipartire]]

+ * [[impartire]]

+ * [[parte]]

+ * [[ripartire]]

+ * [[spartire]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ Common phrases are ''partire in quarta'' (to start with great energy), ''partire per la tangente'' (to go off at a tangent) and ''partire soldato'' (to go off to do military service).^(GRADIT 2003)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}