rubato Italian · revision 38060

+ {{infobox|confidence=probable|formation=derivation|attested=1310–1312, Dino Compagni|origins=gmw-pro *raubōn}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ruˈba.to/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''rubato''' (feminine rubata, masculine plural rubati, feminine plural rubate)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old Italian forms include ''robato'', ''robata'' and ''rubata'';^(TLIO) the GDLI also lists ''robao'' and ''robbato''.^(GDLI|17, 193)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is the past participle of [[rubare]] “to steal”, used as an adjective and a noun.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(Devoto–Oli 2026) The verb, older [[roa-oit|robare]] (before 1294, Guittone d'Arezzo), comes from [[gmw-pro|*raubōn|t=to plunder]], a derivative of [[m|gmw-pro|*rauba|t=booty]], the source of [[roba]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(Wiktionary) The same verb is [[goh|roubōn]] (modern [[de|rauben]]), and the Romance cognates are [[fro|rober]], [[pro|raubar]], [[ca|robar]], [[es|robar]] and [[pt|roubar]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(REW 1935)

+

+ DELI quotes Devoto's view that the word entered Italian late, since an early loan would have weakened ⟨b⟩ to ⟨v⟩, but before the Carolingian age, since it kept the sense “booty” and not the Frankish sense “goods”; the ⟨b⟩ is the main difficulty.^(DELI 1999) Meyer-Lübke found Braune's derivation from a Lombardic [[m|lng|*rūbōn]] phonetically doubtful and unnecessary.^(REW 1935) Wiktionary has the verb pass through [[la-lat|raubō|alt=raubāre]].^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The TLIO's first record is Dino Compagni's ''Cronica'' of 1310–1312, a Florentine text, with the sense “taken from its rightful owner, mostly by force”.^(TLIO) DELI dates the participle to the 14th century, citing Giovanni Villani, Franco Sacchetti and the ''Vite dei Santi Padri''.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Old Italian also used ''rubato'' for things unlawful or dishonest, for a person or place that had been robbed or sacked, and for someone carried off by force.^(TLIO) Old Italian distinguished ''involare'', taking by stealth, from ''rubare'', taking by force, as Mengaldo showed in 1961.^(DELI 1999) Tommaseo cites ''rubato'' in Davanzati's Tacitus for a young man “stolen” by an early death, and the phrase ''tempo rubato'' for time taken from one task and given to another.^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861)

+

+ In music ''tempo rubato'', time played with some freedom from the strict values of the notes for expressive effect, is recorded in 1804 in D'Alberti's dictionary.^(DELI 1999)^(DIFIT) English has had ''rubato'' as a musical term since the late 18th century and the noun since 1883;^(DIFIT) German has it from 1838 and French from 1907.^(DIFIT) In modern Italian the figurative uses cover what is obtained secretly or without merit: ''baci rubati'', ''foto rubata'', a photograph taken without the subject knowing, and a ''vittoria rubata''.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Before 1294 – Guittone d'Arezzo uses the verb in the form ''robare''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1310–1312 – Dino Compagni uses ''rubato'' “stolen”.^(TLIO)

+ * Late 18th century – English takes ''rubato'' as a musical term.^(DIFIT)

+ * 1804 – D'Alberti records the musical sense.^(DELI 1999)^(DIFIT)

+ * 1838 – German ''rubato'' is recorded.^(DIFIT)

+ * 1872 – Tommaseo–Bellini records ''rubare il tempo'' in music.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1907 – French ''rubato'' is recorded.^(DIFIT)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # [[m|en|stolen]], taken by theft: ''La polizia ha ritrovato l'auto rubata.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(figurative)'' Obtained undeservedly, by luck or by a mistake of the referee: ''un punto rubato all'ultimo minuto''.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # ''(figurative)'' Snatched in secret or in haste: ''baci rubati''; of a photograph, taken without the subject knowing.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # ''(music)'' Of tempo: played with expressive freedom from the strict note values: ''tempo rubato''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # ''(music)'' [[m|en|rubato]], tempo rubato.^(Treccani 2011)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[rubare]]

+ * [[roba]]

+ * [[derubare]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}