spaventare Italian · revision 38087

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=before 1250|origins=la paveō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /spa.venˈta.re/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''spaventare''' (first-person singular present spavènto, first-person singular past historic spaventài, past participle spaventàto, auxiliary avére)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|la-vul|*expaventō|alt=*expaventāre]], an intensive of [[la|expaveō|t=to be terrified at]], which is formed from [[m|la|ex-]] and [[m|la|paveō|t=to be frightened]].^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(OLD 2012) Devoto and Wiktionary derive the Vulgar Latin verb from the present participle [[m|la|expavēns]], with the ending of verbs such as [[m|la|-entō|alt=-entāre]].^(Devoto 1968)^(Wiktionary) The LEI accepts the Vulgar Latin form because so many early outcomes of it are found in the main Romance languages.^(LEI|22, 549)

+

+ Nocentini calls it panromance: [[fr|épouvanter]], [[oc|espantar]], [[ca|espantar]], [[es|espantar]], [[pt|espantar]], [[sc|ispamentare]] and [[ro|înspăimânta]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(Wiktionary) Old French had it about 1000, in the “Passion” of Clermont, and Old Occitan [[m|pro|espaventar]] from 1160.^(LEI|22, 549) In the Iberian forms the second labial was lost by dissimilation, and in Romanian and Gallurese the consonants were assimilated to /m/–/n/.^(REW 1935) Spanish [[m|es|espaventar]] (late 16th century) and Portuguese [[m|pt|espaventar]] (1836) are later loans from Italian.^(LEI|22, 549) Within Italy the inherited forms have lost the initial vowel, and some southern ones voice the cluster, as in Sicilian [[m|scn|sbantàrisi]].^(LEI|22, 549)

+

+ Latin “paveō” is of uncertain origin: De Vaan's [[itc-pro|*pawēō]] is perhaps from [[ine-pro|*pow-]], or it is a stative from the root [[ine-pro|*peh₂w-|t=to strike]], which also gave [[la|paviō|t=to beat]].^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ GRADIT's first record, from before 1250, is the sense “to deter, discourage”.^(GRADIT 2003) The LEI finds the verb in a Tuscan translation of Albertano da Brescia of 1268 and in Dante's ''Vita nuova'' (1292–1293);^(LEI|22, 549) DELI's earliest date is the reflexive “to take fright” in Bono Giamboni's ''Libro de' vizî e delle virtudi'', before 1292.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The transitive “to fill with fear” is in Dante, who died in 1321, and the weaker “to cause worry” in Petrarch, before 1374: “Il mal mi preme, e mi spaventa il peggio” (my trouble weighs on me, and the worse frightens me).^(DELI 1999)^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861) The old sense “to deter”, still in Dante's “non vi spaventi”, survives only in literary use.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011) Old Tuscan also had the form ''ispaventare'', with a prosthetic vowel, in Boccaccio and the 1471 Bible translation.^(LEI|22, 549)

+

+ The family grew early: ''spavento'' “fright” is in the ''Novellino'' at the end of the 13th century, ''spaventoso'' and ''spaventevole'' in Giovanni Villani, and ''spaventacchio'' “scarecrow” from the 14th century, later replaced by ''spaventapasseri'' (before 1866 according to Nocentini, before 1908 according to DELI).^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(Prati 1951)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Before 1250 – First record, in the sense “to deter”.^(GRADIT 2003)

+ * 1268 – A Tuscan translation of Albertano da Brescia uses the verb.^(LEI|22, 549)

+ * Before 1292 – The reflexive ''spaventarsi'' in Bono Giamboni.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Late 13th century – ''Spavento'' “fright” in the ''Novellino''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1374 – Petrarch uses it for causing worry.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1836 – Portuguese borrows ''espaventar''.^(LEI|22, 549)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # ''(transitive)'' To [[m|en|frighten]], scare: ''Il tuono ha spaventato il cane.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(transitive)'' To worry, make anxious: ''Mi spaventa il pensiero di dover ricominciare da capo.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # ''(literary)'' To [[m|en|deter]] or discourage someone from something.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # ''(spaventarsi)'' To take fright, be scared; to become alarmed: ''Non spaventarti, è solo il vento.''^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[spavento]]

+ * [[spaventoso]]

+ * [[spaventevole]]

+ * [[spaventapasseri]]

+ * [[spaventato]]

+ * [[spaventacchio]]

+ * [[spaventamento]]

+ * [[spaventatore]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[paura]]

+ * [[paventare]]

+ * [[fr|épouvanter]]

+ * [[es|espantar]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}