inutile Italian · revision 38253

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=1239–1248, Guido Faba (Bologna)|origins=la ūtilis}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /iˈnu.ti.le/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''inutile''' ''m or f'' by sense (plural inutili)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old Italian forms include [[m|roa-oit|inutele]], [[m|roa-oit|innutile]], [[m|roa-oit|inutole]] and [[m|roa-oit|enutele]].^(TLIO)^(GDLI|8, 388)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|la|inūtilis|t=useless, unprofitable]], a learned word, formed [[m|la|in-|t=not]] and [[m|la|ūtilis|t=useful]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary) The Latin adjective passed into all the western Romance languages, such as [[fr|inutile]], recorded from the 12th century, and also reached [[en|inutile]].^(DEI)^(GRADIT 2003) German rendered it with the native [[de|unnütz]].^(DEI)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The TLIO's first record is in the ''Gemma purpurea'' of Guido Faba, written at Bologna in 1239–1248.^(TLIO) DELI dates the word to Domenico Cavalca, before 1342, in the sense “which serves no purpose, has no effect”: much praying, he writes, “is neither blameworthy nor useless” (''non è riprensibile né inutile'').^(DELI 1999)^(GDLI|8, 388)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In Old Italian the word also described barren land and plants that bear no fruit, people unfit for a task or simply idle, and even things that do harm.^(TLIO) DELI dates the senses “superfluous, vain” to Giovanni Morelli, before 1444.^(DELI 1999) Cavalca also has the old form ''inutole'', in ''scienze curiose ed inutoli'' “idle and useless sciences”.^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861)

+

+ The adverb ''inutilmente'' is in Petrarch (1374), and ''inutilità'', from Latin ''inutilitas'', in Machiavelli, before 1527.^(DELI 1999) ''Inutilizzare'' (1799) and ''inutilizzabile'' (1955) follow French ''inutiliser'' and ''inutilisable''.^(DELI 1999) Tommaseo disliked ''perfettamente inutile'', which he thought French, and preferred ''del tutto inutile''.^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861) In administrative Italian an ''ente inutile'' is a public body that no longer serves any purpose.^(GRADIT 2003)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1239–1248 – Guido Faba uses the word at Bologna.^(TLIO)

+ * Before 1342 – Domenico Cavalca uses it for what serves no purpose.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1374 – Petrarch has the adverb ''inutilmente''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1444 – Giovanni Morelli uses it for “superfluous, vain”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1527 – Machiavelli has ''inutilità''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1799 – ''Inutilizzare'' appears in the ''Monitore napoletano''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1955 – ''Inutilizzabile'' is first recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # [[m|en|useless]], of no use or advantage: ''È inutile urlare, nessuno ti sente.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011)^(Wiktionary)

+ # No longer fit for its purpose, [[inservibile|alt=unusable]]: ''Senza batteria il telefono è inutile.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # [[m|en|superfluous]], [[m|en|needless]]; often impersonal, ''è inutile'' with an infinitive or ''che'': ''È inutile che tu mi chiami domani.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # Ineffective, fruitless: ''Le ricerche dei soccorritori sono state inutili.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Wiktionary) Used alone, ''è inutile'' or ''è tutto inutile'' expresses resignation.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # Of a person, of no help to others, [[inetto|alt=inept]]: ''sentirsi inutile''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''Non inutile'': of some use, worth doing.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # ''(uncommon)'' What is useless.^(Gabrielli 2020)^(TLIO)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[inutilità]]

+ * [[inutilmente]]

+ * [[inutilizzare]]

+ * [[inutilizzabile]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[utile]]

+ * [[disutile]]

+ * [[la|inutilis]]

+ * [[fr|inutile]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Inutile'' is a learned word; the popular negative of ''utile'' is ''disutile'', which DEI gives as a synonym.^(DEI|2079)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}