soltanto Italian · revision 38094

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=compound|attested=before 1353}}

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+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /solˈtan.to/^(Wiktionary)

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+ ==Etymology==

+ It is a compound [[af|it|solo|tanto]], literally “only so much”.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary) The second part has the sense “only” that [[la|tantum]] already had in Latin, where the neuter of [[m|la|tantus|t=so great]] meant both “so much” and “so much and no more, merely”.^(Wiktionary) In older texts the parts are written apart, as “sol tanto”.^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Gabrielli 2020)

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+ The sources disagree on the date: DEI finds it in Boccaccio in the 14th century, Zingarelli dates it before 1353 and GRADIT before 1375, while DELI's first record is John Florio's dictionary of 1611 and Nocentini, Devoto–Oli and Sabatini–Coletti give the 17th century.^(DEI|3538)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

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+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ In the earliest records it means “only, solely”, limiting what is said to one thing, as it still does.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)

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+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Beside its use as an adverb, ''soltanto'' came to work as a conjunction with adversative force, “but, however”, introducing a reservation after a positive statement.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026) With the subjunctive, ''soltanto che'' means “provided that”.^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Gabrielli 2020) In poetry and prose of the 18th–20th centuries it often follows the word it limits, as in Foscolo and Manzoni.^(GDLI|19, 360)

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+ ==Timeline==

+ * 14th century – Boccaccio uses ''soltanto''.^(DEI|3538)

+ * Before 1353 – Zingarelli's date of first record.^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ * 1611 – John Florio's dictionary records it.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adverb===

+ # [[m|en|only]], just, merely: ''Ho dormito soltanto quattro ore.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Solely, exclusively: ''Si fida soltanto di sua sorella.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # Not until, only (of time): ''L'ho saputo soltanto ieri.''^(Zingarelli 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)

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+ ===Conjunction===

+ # [[m|en|but]], however, except that: ''La casa è bella, soltanto un po' buia.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # ''soltanto che'' (with the subjunctive): provided that.^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Gabrielli 2020)

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+ ==Related words==

+ * [[solo]]

+ * [[tanto]]

+ * [[solamente]]

+ * [[la|tantum]]

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+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Soltanto'' is a synonym of [[solo]] and [[solamente]], with the same uses.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

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+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}