merito Italian · revision 38117

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=before 1250, anonymous poet (as merto)|origins=la mereō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈmɛ.ri.to/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''merito''' (feminine merita, masculine plural meriti, feminine plural merite)^(Wiktionary)

+ The poetic and Old Italian form is [[merto]].^(DELI 1999)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861) Old Italian also had a feminine plural ''le merita''.^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is a learned word, [[bor|la|meritum|t=reward; service; merit]], the noun use of the neuter of [[m|la|meritus|t=earned, deserved]], the past participle of [[m|la|mereō|t=to earn, deserve]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Wiktionary) The Latin noun was common in Medieval Latin from the 7th to the 11th century, and DEI notes that at Florence in 1260 the Italian word could also mean the interest on a loan.^(DEI|2431) The same learned word is [[fr|mérite]] and [[es|mérito]].^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ The shorter [[merto]] arose by loss of the vowel after the stress, according to Sabatini–Coletti,^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026) and Körting, after Canello, notes that it had a narrower sense than the full form.^(Körting 1907)

+

+ De Vaan reconstructs [[itc-pro|*mer-ē-|t=to earn]] and, with a question mark, the root [[ine-pro|*(s)mer-]], and compares [[grc|μείρομαι|tr=meíromai|t=to receive one's share]] and [[m|grc|μέρος|tr=méros|t=part, share]].^(de Vaan 2008)^(Nocentini 2010) Nocentini also connects the root with [[la|mors|t=death]], through the idea of the share allotted by fate.^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ DELI's first record is the sense “reward, prize”, in the form ''merto'' in an anonymous poet before 1250 and as ''merito'' in Brunetto Latini before 1294.^(DELI 1999) The sense “right to praise and esteem earned by one's qualities” is found in Guittone d'Arezzo (''merto'', before 1294) and in Dante's ''Paradiso'' (''merito'', 1313–1319).^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Old Italian used the word chiefly in a religious sense, for the good works that earn a reward in heaven: in the ''Paradiso'' Piccarda says “Perfetta vita e alto merto inciela / donna più su” (a perfect life and high merit place a lady higher in heaven).^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026) Giordano da Pisa used it in 1303–1306 for an action or quality that makes one worthy of praise, the translation of Pietro de' Crescenzi about 1350 for “value, worth”, and Boccaccio before 1375 for the substance or inner reason of a matter.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ That last sense lives on in ''entrare nel merito'' “to go into the substance” and ''in merito a'' “concerning”, and in law, where a judgment ''di merito'' rules on the substance of a case rather than on procedure.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Gabrielli 2020) Honours are named with it, as in ''cavaliere al merito del lavoro''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+

+ [[meritocrazia|alt=Meritocrazia]] (1966) follows the English ''meritocracy'' of the sociologist Michael Young, whose book ''The Rise of the Meritocracy'' appeared in 1958.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Before 1250 – ''Merto'' “reward” in an anonymous poet.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1294 – Guittone d'Arezzo uses ''merto'' for the right to praise, Brunetto Latini has ''merito'' “reward”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1302–1305 – ''Meritorio'' in Giordano da Pisa.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1313–1319 – ''Merito'' in Dante's ''Paradiso''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * About 1350 – The sense “value, worth” in the translation of Pietro de' Crescenzi.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1375 – Boccaccio uses the word for the substance of a matter.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1505 – ''Meritevole'' in Pietro Bembo.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1966 – ''Meritocrazia'' is first recorded in Italian.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # [[m|en|merit]], the right to esteem, praise or reward earned by one's qualities or deeds: ''Le borse di studio sono assegnate in base al merito.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # A quality or action that deserves praise; by extension, worth, value: ''Il libro ha il merito di essere breve e chiaro.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # ''(literary)'' Reward, especially moral: ''Dio ve ne renda merito!''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+ # ''(theology)'' The value of good works done in the grace of God; the saving work of Christ.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # The [[m|en|substance]] or heart of a question, as opposed to its form: ''Prima di decidere, vorrei entrare nel merito della proposta.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+ # ''(law)'' The substantive issue of a case, as opposed to procedure; in administrative law, the expediency of a decision.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+ # In the names of honours and decorations: ''medaglia al merito''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[meritare]]

+ * [[meritevole]]

+ * [[meritorio]]

+ * [[meritocrazia]]

+ * [[meritocratico]]

+ * [[demerito]]

+ * [[immerito]]

+ * [[meritatamente]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[la|meritum]]

+ * [[fr|mérite]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ Common phrases are ''a pari merito'' (equal, tied in a ranking), ''per merito di'' (thanks to), ''in merito a'' (concerning) and ''onore al merito!'' (credit where it is due).^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011) A literary adjective ''merito'', from the Latin participle ''meritus'', means “deserved” or, rarely, “deserving”;^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011)^(Wiktionary) GRADIT dates it to before 1420.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}