soffrire Italian · revision 38289

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=late 12th century|origins=la sufferō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /sofˈfri.re/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''soffrire''' (first-person singular present sòffro, first-person singular past historic soffrìi or (less common) soffèrsi, past participle soffèrto, auxiliary avére)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old Italian also had [[m|roa-oit|sofferire]], [[m|roa-oit|sofferere]] and [[m|roa-oit|sofferare]], and the Sicilian poets wrote [[m|roa-oit|sofriri]].^(GDLI)^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861)^(GRADIT 2003) The old past participle ''soffrito'' gave way to ''sofferto''.^(DEI|3527)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|la-vul|*sufferiō|alt=*sufferīre]], a Vulgar Latin form of [[la|sufferō|alt=sufferre|t=to bear, endure; to suffer]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary) The Latin verb is made of [[m|la|sub-|t=under]] and [[m|la|ferō|t=to carry]], so it first meant “to carry on oneself, hold up”.^(DELI 1999)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011) The root of [[m|la|ferō]] is [[ine-pro|*bʰer-|t=to carry]], as in [[grc|φέρω|tr=phérō]] and [[got|𐌱𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌰|tr=baíra]].^(DEI|3527) The verbs [[offrire]] and [[differire]] are formed in the same way.^(DEI|3527)

+

+ The verb is found in all the Romance languages: [[fr|souffrir]], [[oc|sofrir]], [[ca|sufrir]], [[es|sufrir]] and [[ro|suferi]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(REW 1935) The Logudorese verb [[m|sc|suffrire]] was taken from Italian.^(REW 1935)^(DEI|3527)

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+ The intransitive use “to be in pain, to suffer”, which Italian has from 1581, follows the French verb, which has it from 1530.^(DELI 1999)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ GRADIT dates the first record to the end of the 12th century, in the old form ''sofriri''.^(GRADIT 2003) In the Sicilian poets the verb means to endure pains and torments, as in Rinaldo d'Aquino's ''a meglio m'è sofriri / le pene e li martiri'' (“it is better for me to suffer the pains and torments”), and DELI's first dated record is Guido Guinizelli, before 1276.^(GDLI)^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Old Italian used ''soffrire'' for undergoing pain and also for bearing or tolerating something, a sense recorded in Bono Giamboni before 1292.^(DELI 1999) Dante uses it for holding up a weight (''e l'un sofferia l'altro con la spalla'', “and one held up the other with his shoulder”) and for allowing something, and Boccaccio for waiting patiently; these senses are now obsolete or literary.^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011)^(Gabrielli 2020)

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+ The intransitive “to be in pain” appears in Tasso in 1581, and ''soffrire di'' “to suffer from an illness” in a Milanese text of 1804;^(DELI 1999) Tommaseo explains ''soffre di fegato, di cuore'' as being habitually subject to such complaints.^(DELI 1999) Tommaseo also records the use for plants that wither in bad conditions.^(DELI 1999) In the negative ''non poter soffrire'' it means “not to be able to stand” a person or thing.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

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+ The participle ''sofferto'' took on in the 20th century the sense of a work of art or thought that shows the inner suffering it came from (1960).^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Late 12th century – The old form ''sofriri'' is recorded.^(GRADIT 2003)

+ * Before 1276 – Guido Guinizelli uses ''soffrire'' for enduring pain.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1292 – Bono Giamboni uses it for bearing, tolerating.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1547 – Pietro Bembo uses the participle ''sofferito'', ''sofferto'' follows in 1619.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1581 – Torquato Tasso uses the verb intransitively for being in pain.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1804 – ''Soffrire di'' an illness is recorded in a Milanese text.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1960 – ''Sofferto'' is recorded for art that reveals inner suffering.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # ''(transitive)'' To [[m|en|suffer]], undergo pain, hardship or humiliation: ''Ha sofferto molte ingiustizie in quegli anni.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # ''(transitive)'' To be troubled by a condition: to feel the heat, the cold, smoke, seasickness, or to get travel-sick in a car, ship or plane: ''Mia sorella soffre la nave.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+ # ''(transitive, of plants or goods)'' To be damaged by unfavourable conditions.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+ # ''(transitive, mostly negative)'' To [[m|en|bear]], [[m|en|tolerate]], stand: ''Non posso soffrire chi parla alle spalle.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+ # ''(intransitive)'' To be in pain, physical or emotional: ''Si capiva che soffriva molto.''^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # ''(intransitive)'' ''soffrire di'': to suffer from an illness or disorder: ''soffrire di cuore'', ''di emicrania''.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+ # ''(literary or obsolete)'' To allow, permit; to hold up, support; to wait.^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[sofferente]]

+ * [[sofferenza]]

+ * [[sofferto]]

+ * [[insofferente]]

+ * [[insofferenza]]

+ * [[soffribile]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[offrire]]

+ * [[differire]]

+ * [[fr|souffrir]]

+ * [[la|sufferō]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ The proverb ''amore e signoria non soffron compagnia'' (love and power suffer no partner) keeps the sense “tolerate”.^(Treccani 2011)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}