utile Italian · revision 38204

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=1293–1294, Dante|origins=itc-pro *oit-}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈu.ti.le/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''utile''' ''m or f'' by sense (plural utili, superlative utilissimo)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old Italian also had ''ùtole'' and ''ùttile''.^(GDLI)^(DEI) Giovanni Villani uses ''utole'' as a noun.^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is a learned word, [[bor|la|ūtilis|t=usable, useful]], from the accusative ⟨ūtilem⟩.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary) The Latin adjective is formed from [[m|la|ūtor|t=to use]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(Wiktionary) Devoto compares the formation of [[m|la|agilis]] from [[m|la|agō]] and [[m|la|facilis]] from [[m|la|faciō]].^(Devoto 1968) Early Latin inscriptions still write [[m|la|oitile]], and de Vaan traces the verb to [[itc-pro|*oit-|t=to use]], perhaps from [[ine-pro|*h₃eit-|t=to fetch, take along]].^(de Vaan 2008) DEI also points to [[fr|utile]], recorded in the 12th century.^(DEI) The same word is [[es|útil]].^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ The modern derivatives came by other routes: [[utilitario]] adapts [[en|utilitarian]], coined by Jeremy Bentham in 1781, and [[utilizzare]] is from [[fr|utiliser]] (1792), while [[utilizzo]] is an Italian deverbal noun.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ DELI's first record is in Dante's ''Vita nuova'' (1293–1294), for anything that serves or can serve a need.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003) The GDLI's first quotation is earlier, in Francis of Assisi's ''Canticle of the Creatures'', which praises “sister water” as ''multo utile et humile et pretiosa et casta'' (“very useful and humble and precious and chaste”).^(GDLI)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Giordano da Pisa used the adjective for “ready, fit” in 1305–1306, and Boccaccio for what serves a particular purpose.^(DELI 1999) The noun came in the 14th century: Giovanni Villani used it for an advantage, material or moral, before 1348, and Boccaccio for the profit made by trade.^(DELI 1999)^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861) Applied to a person who contributes effectively to something, the adjective is recorded by Tommaseo in 1879.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ The Latin noun ''utilitās'' gave ''utilità'', which a Sienese letter of 1260 writes ''utulità''.^(DELI 1999) In the 20th century ''utilitaria'' became the name of a small, cheap car (1938), and economics uses ''utile'' for the excess of revenue over costs.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1219 – ''Utilità'' “benefit” appears in the ''Breve di Montieri''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1293–1294 – Dante uses ''utile'' in the ''Vita nuova''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1348 – Giovanni Villani uses the noun for “advantage”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1348–1353 – Boccaccio uses the noun for a commercial profit.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1802 – ''Utilizzare'' is recorded, after French ''utiliser''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1857 – ''Utilitario'' is first recorded.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)

+ * 1938 – ''Utilitaria'' is recorded for a small economical car.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # [[m|en|useful|alt=Useful]], that serves a need or purpose: ''Un coltellino è sempre utile in campeggio.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # [[m|en|beneficial|alt=Beneficial]], advantageous, helpful (+ a, per): ''Questi esercizi sono utili per la schiena.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # Of a person, helpful, contributing effectively: ''Posso esserle utile?''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # Usable within given limits, as in ''tempo utile'' (the time within which something can validly be done) and ''spazio utile''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # What is useful, an advantage or benefit, material or moral: ''Pensa solo al proprio utile.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(economics)'' [[m|en|profit|alt=Profit]], the excess of revenue over costs: ''L'azienda ha chiuso l'anno con un utile netto.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[utilità]]

+ * [[inutile]]

+ * [[utilizzare]]

+ * [[utilizzo]]

+ * [[utilizzabile]]

+ * [[utilizzazione]]

+ * [[utilitario]]

+ * [[utilitaria]]

+ * [[utilitarismo]]

+ * [[utilmente]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[uso]]

+ * [[usare]]

+ * [[la|utilis]]

+ * [[fr|utile]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ Common phrases are ''unire l'utile al dilettevole'' (to combine business with pleasure), ''rendersi utile'' (to make oneself useful), ''voto utile'' (a tactical vote) and ''utile idiota'' (a useful idiot).^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Treccani 2011) In sports reports a ''risultato utile'' is a win or a draw.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}