presente Italian · revision 38122

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=early 13th century, Uguccione da Lodi|origins=la sum}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /preˈzɛn.te/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''presente''' ''m or f'' by sense (plural presenti, superlative presentissimo)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is a learned word, [[bor|la|praesens|alt=praesēns|t=present, at hand]], though Wiktionary treats it as inherited.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(Wiktionary) The Latin word is the participle of [[m|la|praesum|t=to be at the head of]], from [[m|la|prae-|t=before]] and [[m|la|sum|t=to be]], but its meaning is independent of that verb.^(Nocentini 2010) Its form was modelled on [[m|la|absēns|t=absent]].^(DELI 1999)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Treccani 2011) The verb “to be” goes back to [[ine-pro|*h₁es-]].^(de Vaan 2008) The same word is [[fr|présent]] and [[es|presente]].^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ The sense “gift” has a separate history in the dictionaries.^(DEI|3069)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026) Körting explains that the Romance noun took this meaning by leaning on the verb [[m|la|praesentō|t=to present]], and DEI, Devoto–Oli and Sabatini–Coletti give it an entry of its own from [[fro|present]], a noun formed from [[m|fro|presenter|t=to offer]].^(Körting 1907)^(DEI|3069)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026) DELI keeps one word but notes that this use, like the phrases for “presence of mind” and “present arms”, follows French.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ DELI's earliest record is the noun “gift” in Uguccione da Lodi at the beginning of the 13th century.^(DELI 1999) The adjective appears in a Venetian document of 1253, in the formula of a notary who signs ''sianto me presente'', “I being present”.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)^(GDLI|14, 226)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The temporal sense “now going on, current” is recorded in the second half of the 13th century, and Dante used the noun for the present age and for the present tense of the verb.^(DELI 1999) Jacopone da Todi even used it as an adverb, “now”.^(DEI|3069) Boccaccio used ''i presenti'' for those present and also for the living, and, from the 16th century ''la presente'' meant “this letter” in correspondence.^(DELI 1999)^(DEI|3069)

+

+ The gift sense was well established in Old Italian: in the ''Decameron'' a father thanks the sender of “so great a ''presente''”, and the commentator Francesco da Buti defined it as giving a thing as a mark of honour.^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861) Today it is a formal word for a gift.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Devoto–Oli 2026) In current use the adjective also serves to answer a roll call (''presente!'') and forms the phrases ''avere presente'' “to remember”, ''tenere presente'' “to bear in mind” and ''fare presente'' “to point out”.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Early 13th century – Uguccione da Lodi uses ''presente'' for a gift.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1253 – The adjective appears in a Venetian document.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)

+ * Second half of the 13th century – The sense “current” appears in a paraphrase of the Ten Commandments.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1304–1308 – Dante uses it for the present tense.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1503 – Giovanni Pontano uses ''la presente'' for “this letter”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1655 – ''Presenza di spirito'' “presence of mind” is recorded, after French.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # [[m|en|present]], being in the place referred to; attending: ''Tutti i soci erano presenti all'assemblea.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(formal)'' This, the one in hand: ''il presente regolamento''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # Current, of the present time: ''la crisi presente''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # Found, occurring in something: ''Nel campione sono presenti tracce di ferro.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+ # Clear in the mind or memory.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Treccani 2011)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # The present time.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(grammar)'' The present [[m|en|tense]].^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A person who is present, ''i presenti'' “those present”.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(formal)'' A [[m|en|gift]].^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Gabrielli 2020)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(feminine, la presente)'' This letter, in correspondence.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[presentabile]]

+ * [[presentare]]

+ * [[presentatore]]

+ * [[presentazione]]

+ * [[presenza]]

+ * [[presenziare]]

+ * [[compresente]]

+ * [[presentemente]]

+ * [[presentismo]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[assente]]

+ * [[la|praesens]]

+ * [[fr|présent]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}