buttare Italian · revision 38058

+ {{infobox|confidence=disputed|formation=borrowing|attested=1268, Andrea da Grosseto|origins=frk *bōtan}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /butˈta.re/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''buttare''' (first-person singular present bùtto, first-person singular past historic buttài, past participle buttàto, auxiliary (transitive) avére or (intransitive) èssere)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old Italian forms include ''butar'', ''butare'' and ''butato'', many from northern Italy;^(TLIO) an old variant is ''bottare''.^(GDLI|2, 467)^(Prati 1951|197) The southern forms are [[nap|vottare]] and [[scn|vottare]].^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ Most sources take the word as [[bor|fro|boter]], a form of [[m|fro|buter]] (modern [[fr|bouter]]), or as a loan from [[pro|botar]], of Germanic origin.^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Treccani 2011)^(Gabrielli 2020)^(REW 1935) The Germanic source is usually given as [[frk|*bōtan|t=to strike]], related to [[gmh|bōzen]] and [[en|beat]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(REW 1935) DEI starts from a Frankish [[m|frk|*buttan]] or [[m|frk|*buttōn]], which to judge by [[dum|botten]] meant “to strike” and “to throw, sprout”, and rules out that form and [[got|𐌱𐌰𐌿𐍄𐌰𐌽|tr=bautan|t=to strike]] on phonetic grounds;^(DEI|645) Devoto and Devoto–Oli derive it from the Gothic word.^(Devoto 1968)^(Devoto–Oli 2026) DELI accepts a Germanic source through Gallo-Romance.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ The Germanic etymology is contested because of its sound changes.^(Nocentini 2010) Merlo preferred an onomatopoeic root imitating the sound of something bursting with a bang, a view Prati accepted, and the LEI sets up pre-Latin onomatopoeic bases meaning “blow”.^(DELI 1999)^(Prati 1951|197)^(Nocentini 2010) Nocentini replies that such bases are reconstructed for the purpose and leave no trace in Latin, and that the family has its centre in Gallo-Romance, with derivatives meaning “to strike; push, throw” and “to sprout”.^(Nocentini 2010) The verb was passed on to [[es|botar]] and [[pt|botar]], and [[botta]] “blow” and [[bottone]] “button” belong to the same family.^(REW 1935)^(Nocentini 2010)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The TLIO's first record is the Tuscan translation of Albertano by Andrea da Grosseto, of 1268, with the sense “to give something a push, to move it away or send it into a new place”;^(TLIO)^(Nocentini 2010) Nocentini dates the word to 1264.^(TLIO)^(Nocentini 2010) DELI's first record is Dante's ''Inferno'' (1300–1313): “Là giù il buttò” (he threw him down there).^(DELI 1999)^(GDLI|2, 467)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Old Italian already used the verb for throwing out nets, throwing to the ground, emitting with force, vomiting and the putting forth of leaves and fruit by plants.^(TLIO) DELI dates “to waste” to 1544 (Bandello), “to sprout” to before 1698 (Redi) and the reflexive “to throw oneself” to before 1342 (Cavalca).^(DELI 1999)

+

+ D'Alberti remarked that ''buttare'' is the word of familiar style and ''gettare'' that of the noble style used by the most careful writers.^(DELI 1999) Tommaseo too found it more familiar than ''gettare'', but noted that Dante used it nobly.^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861) Several derivatives are French loans: ''buttafuori'', the stagehand who calls the actors, translates [[fr|boute-hors]], and ''buttasella'', the trumpet call to saddle up, comes from [[fr|boute-selle]].^(DELI 1999) Today the verb has many idioms, as ''buttare giù'' (to knock down; to gulp down; to depress) and ''buttare via'' (to throw away).^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1264 – First record according to Nocentini.^(Nocentini 2010)

+ * 1268 – Andrea da Grosseto uses ''buttare''.^(TLIO)

+ * 1300–1313 – Dante writes “Là giù il buttò”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1342 – Domenico Cavalca has the reflexive ''buttarsi''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1544 – Bandello uses it for “to waste”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1561 – ''Buttasella'' is recorded in Citolini.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1698 – Redi uses it for plants putting out shoots.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1797 – D'Alberti records ''buttafuori''.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To [[m|en|throw]], toss or fling, usually without careful aim: ''Il ragazzo buttò il sasso nel fiume.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To push or knock (someone) down: ''Lo hanno buttato a terra.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # To throw away; by extension, to [[m|en|waste]]: ''Non buttare i soldi in sciocchezze.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(cooking)'' To put pasta or rice into boiling water: ''Butto la pasta tra dieci minuti.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To emit, give out (smoke, water, blood); of a plant, to put out shoots: ''Il rosmarino ha buttato nuove foglie.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(intransitive)'' To tend, turn (towards): ''Oggi il cielo butta al brutto.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(colloquial, intransitive)'' To turn out (well or badly): ''Vediamo come butta.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(reflexive)'' ''buttarsi'': to throw oneself, jump, dive, ''(figurative)'' to throw oneself into an activity: ''Si è buttata nel lavoro.''^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[buttata]]

+ * [[buttafuori]]

+ * [[buttasella]]

+ * [[butto]]

+ * [[ributtare]]

+ * [[ributtante]]

+ * [[buttafuoco]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[botta]]

+ * [[bottone]]

+ * [[fr|bouter]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Buttare'' is the everyday synonym of ''gettare''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(DELI 1999) Fixed phrases include ''buttare all'aria'' (to turn upside down), ''buttare là'' (to say casually) and ''buttare il bambino con l'acqua sporca'' (to throw the baby out with the bathwater).^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}