pomeriggio Italian · revision 38269

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=blend|attested=1848, Ugolini|origins=la pōmerīdiānus, la merīdiēs}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /po.meˈrid.d͡ʒo/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''pomeriggio''' ''m'' (plural pomeriggi, relational adjective pomeridiano)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[af|it|pomeridiano|meriggio|t1=of the afternoon|t2=midday]]: the noun was drawn from the adjective under the influence of the old word for midday.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto 1968) The adjective (1598) is a learned word, [[la|pōmerīdiānus]], from the phrase [[m|la|post|t=after]] [[m|la|merīdiēs|t=midday]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010) The noun for midday continues the Latin noun itself, a dissimilated compound of [[m|la|medius|t=middle]] and [[m|la|diēs|t=day]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ DEI instead calls the word a learned adaptation of the Latin phrase “after midday”, which Quintilian also wrote as one word, and Wiktionary derives it from that phrase too.^(DEI|3009)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The first record is in Filippo Ugolini's dictionary of 1848, which condemns it: ''anche questo latinismo non è accettato da' nostri buoni scrittori'' (“this Latinism too is not accepted by our good writers”), and advises ''dopo mezzo giorno'' (“after midday”) instead.^(DELI 1999)^(GDLI)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Purists rejected both ''pomeridiano'' and ''pomeriggio''; besides Ugolini, the Tommaseo–Bellini dictionary and Arlìa's additions objected to the noun.^(DELI 1999) Tommaseo–Bellini gives it only a cross-reference to ''pomeridiano''.^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861) DEI's first date is 1871.^(DEI|3009) The word won through all the same: D'Annunzio, Pirandello, Montale and Pavese use it, and GRADIT counts it among the basic words of Italian.^(GDLI)^(GRADIT 2003)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1598 – The adjective ''pomeridiano'' is recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1848 – ''Pomeriggio'' first appears, condemned in Ugolini's purist dictionary.^(DELI 1999)^(GDLI)

+ * 1871 – DEI's date for the word.^(DEI|3009)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # [[m|en|afternoon]], the part of the day between [[m|en|midday]] and evening or sunset: ''Ci vediamo domani nel pomeriggio.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[pomeridiano]]

+ * [[meriggio]]

+ * [[la|meridies]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ Common phrases are ''nel primo pomeriggio'' and ''nel tardo pomeriggio'' (early and late in the afternoon), ''di pomeriggio'' (in the afternoon), and the greeting ''buon pomeriggio''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}