riconoscere Italian · revision 38278

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=late 12th century, Ritmo di Sant'Alessio|origins=la cognōscō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ri.koˈnoʃ.ʃe.re/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''riconoscere''' (first-person singular present riconósco, first-person singular past historic riconóbbi, past participle riconosciùto, auxiliary avére)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old forms include ''reconoscere'', ''ricognoscere'' and ''racconoscere''.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861) Wiktionary also records ''ricoscere''.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|la|recognōscō|t=to recognize; to review]], formed with the intensive prefix [[m|la|re-]] from [[m|la|cognōscō|t=to get to know]], the source of [[conoscere]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026) Devoto notes that the verb was influenced by the simple Italian verb.^(Devoto 1968) The same verb is [[fr|reconnaître]], [[ca|reconèixer]], [[es|reconocer]], [[pt|reconhecer]] and [[rm|arcognuoscher]] in the Engadine.^(Nocentini 2010)^(REW 1935)

+

+ Of the derivatives, only [[ricognizione]] goes back to Latin, to [[m|la|recognitiō]], which meant “review” in classical Latin and “recognition” in Late Latin.^(DELI 1999) [[riconoscenza|alt=Riconoscenza]] comes from [[la-med|recognoscentia]], at first a legal term for acknowledging a debt.^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The first record is the form ''reconosere'' in the ''Ritmo di Sant'Alessio'', from the late 12th century, for recognizing a person or thing already known.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003) The modern form ''riconoscere'' is in Dante (1300–1313).^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ By the end of the 13th century the verb also meant to distinguish something for what it really is (''Novellino''), and before 1292 Bono Giamboni used it for “admit, confess”.^(DELI 1999) Giovanni Villani used it for declaring something one's own, as one acknowledges a child.^(DELI 1999) In Dante it also means acknowledging what one owes to someone: ''dal quale io riconosco / tutto... il mio ingegno'' (“from which I acknowledge all my talent”).^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+

+ Later senses came from war, diplomacy and law: Machiavelli used it in 1502 for reconnoitring a place, Daniello Bartoli in 1661 for recognizing a state, and Zingarelli in 1970 for the state granting legal personality to a body.^(DELI 1999) The sense “identify” is recorded in 1641.^(DELI 1999) The derivatives ''riconoscente'' (before 1311), ''riconoscenza'' (14th century), ''riconoscimento'' (before 1342) and ''riconoscibile'' (1681) followed.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Late 12th century – The ''Ritmo di Sant'Alessio'' has ''reconosere''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1292 – Bono Giamboni uses the verb for “admit, confess”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1300–1313 – Dante uses the form ''riconoscere''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1502 – Machiavelli uses it for reconnoitring a place.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1641 – The sense “identify” is recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1661 – Daniello Bartoli uses it for recognizing a state.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To [[m|en|recognize]], to [[m|en|identify]] someone or something already known: ''L'ho riconosciuta subito dal modo di camminare.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # Not to recognize someone any more, of a person who has changed greatly: ''Da quando lavora in banca non lo riconosco più.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+ # To distinguish, to tell apart: ''Non so riconoscere un fungo velenoso da uno buono.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # To [[m|en|admit]], to [[m|en|acknowledge]]: ''Riconosco di aver esagerato.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # To accept as legitimate or valid: to recognize a state, a right, a child, someone as leader.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # To judge to be, to find: ''È stato riconosciuto innocente.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+ # To credit, to grant: to recognize years of service, someone's merits.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # ''(military)'' To [[m|en|reconnoitre]] ground or a route.^(Zingarelli 2010)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[riconoscente]]

+ * [[riconoscenza]]

+ * [[riconoscibile]]

+ * [[riconoscimento]]

+ * [[riconoscitivo]]

+ * [[riconoscibilità]]

+ * [[irriconoscibile]]

+ * [[riconoscersi]]

+ * [[riconoscitore]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[conoscere]]

+ * [[ricognizione]]

+ * [[la|recognōscō]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Farsi riconoscere'' means to say who one is when asked, and colloquially to behave badly enough to be noticed.^(Treccani 2011)^(GRADIT 2003)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}