dipendere Italian · revision 38241

+ {{infobox|confidence=probable|formation=inherited|attested=1288, Sienese translation of Giles of Rome|origins=la pendeō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /diˈpɛn.de.re/^(Wiktionary)

+ * Regional: /diˈpen.de.re/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''dipendere''' (first-person singular present dipèndo, first-person singular past historic dipési, past participle dipéso, auxiliary èssere)^(Wiktionary)

+ The old and regional form is [[dependere]], and the old past participle was [[dipenduto]].^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(TLIO)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ According to DELI, GRADIT and Wiktionary it is [[inh|la-vul|*dēpendō|alt=*depĕndere]], which took the place of [[la|dēpendeō|t=to hang down from; to depend on]] by a change of conjugation.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary)^(Treccani 2011) The Latin verb is literally “to hang down”, from [[m|la|dē-]] and [[m|la|pendeō|t=to hang]] (see [[pendere]]); DEI notes that the compound came into use in the age of Augustus.^(DELI 1999)^(Gabrielli 2020)^(DEI|1313) Nocentini, DEI and the GDLI treat the Italian verb as a learned borrowing instead, while the LEI files the Italian and dialect forms as continuations of the Vulgar Latin verb.^(Nocentini 2010)^(DEI|1313)^(GDLI)^(LEI|19, 1206)

+

+ The same verb is [[fro|dependre|t=to hang]], recorded in 1154–1173, [[fr|dépendre]], [[ca|dependre]], [[es|depender]] and [[pt|depender]].^(LEI|19, 1206)^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The TLIO's first record is in the Sienese translation of Giles of Rome of 1288, in the sense “to be determined by something”.^(TLIO)^(Zingarelli 2010) DELI's first example of the sense “to originate, be caused by” is in Dante, 1304–1308.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003) The physical sense “to hang” is found in a Venetian translation of Ovid from the first half of the 14th century.^(LEI|19, 1206)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The sense of being under someone's authority is recorded in Francesco Guicciardini, before 1540, and the grammatical sense, of a case or clause governed by another, in Lionardo Salviati, before 1589.^(DELI 1999) In the modern language a bare ''Dipende'' is a cautious or evasive answer: “it depends”.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Treccani 2011) Mathematics uses the verb for a quantity that is a function of another.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+

+ The old physical sense survives in poetry: Montale writes in 1925 that from its branch the known fruit does not hang (''dalla sua rama non dipende / il frutto conosciuto'').^(Zingarelli 2010)^(LEI|19, 1206) The participle [[dipendente]] is recorded before 1540 in Guicciardini, and as a noun for an employee in Giuseppe Baretti in 1763–1765.^(DELI 1999) [[dipendenza|alt=Dipendenza]] goes back to the 14th century.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1288 – The verb appears in a Sienese translation of Giles of Rome.^(TLIO)

+ * 1304–1308 – Dante uses it for “to be caused by”.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)

+ * First half of the 14th century – A Venetian translation of Ovid uses ''dependere'' “to hang”.^(LEI|19, 1206)

+ * 14th century – ''Dipendenza'' is recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1540 – Guicciardini uses the verb for being subject to authority, and the participle ''dependente''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1589 – Salviati uses its grammatical sense.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1763–1765 – Baretti uses ''dipendente'' for an employee.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To [[m|en|depend]] on, be caused by, derive from (with ''da''): ''Il ritardo dipende dal traffico.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # To be conditioned by something, or up to someone: ''La scelta dipende soltanto dai tuoi genitori.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+ # To be dependent on someone for support: ''A trent'anni dipende ancora dalla famiglia.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # To be under the authority of a person or office; to be employed by: ''Questo ufficio dipende dalla prefettura.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # ''(grammar)'' Of a clause or case, to be governed by another.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # ''(mathematics)'' Of a quantity, to be a [[m|en|function]] of another.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # ''(poetic)'' To hang down.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[dipendente]]

+ * [[dipendenza]]

+ * [[indipendente]]

+ * [[indipendenza]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[pendere]]

+ * [[la|dependeo]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ The verb takes ''essere'' and is conjugated like [[appendere]]: past historic ''dipesi'', past participle ''dipeso''.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Wiktionary) Used alone, ''Dipende!'' means “it depends”.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}