affare Italian · revision 38304

+ {{infobox|confidence=probable|formation=compound|attested=last quarter of the 12th century, Proverbia que dicuntur|origins=la ad, la faciō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /afˈfa.re/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''affare''' ''m'' (plural affari)^(Wiktionary)

+ Older forms include [[roa-oit|afare]], [[roa-oit|afar]], [[roa-oit|adfare]] and [[roa-oit|affà]].^(TLIO)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is formed [[af|it|a|fare]] “to do”, from phrases such as “avere a fare” “to have to do” or “cosa a fare” “a thing to be done”.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary) DELI, Nocentini and Devoto–Oli think its spread was helped by [[fr|affaire]], and Sabatini–Coletti call it a calque of the French word.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026) DEI and the TLIO go further and take it probably for a Gallicism, or at least a word supported by French “affaire” (12th century) and [[pro|afaire]].^(DEI|73)^(TLIO) The French word is made in the same way, from [[m|fr|à]] and [[m|fr|faire]].^(Körting 1907) [[scn|affari]] is a cognate.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ DELI puts down to French influence in particular the sense “case dealt with in court” and the phrase “non è affar mio” “it is none of my business”.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The TLIO's first record is the Venetian ''Proverbia que dicuntur'' of the last quarter of the 12th century, and its first sense is a thing to be done, an occupation or business in general.^(TLIO)^(Nocentini 2010) DELI's first record is Arrigo Testa in the early 13th century, for a person's condition and standing.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In Old Italian ''affare'' meant a matter to be dealt with and, just as often, a person's condition, character or way of life;^(TLIO) ''per nullo affare'' meant “in no case”.^(TLIO) The sense “social condition” lasted into Manzoni, who wrote of a couple ''d'alto affare'', of high rank.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Treccani 2011) Brunetto Latini used the word before 1294 for a task to be carried out.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ The commercial sense, a business deal, is recorded in Giuseppe Baretti in 1765, and the plural ''affari'' came to mean business in general, as in ''uomo d'affari'' “businessman”.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026) In 1802 Giovanni Battista Casti used ''affare'' for a thing one cannot or will not name, the colloquial “thingummy”.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003) Political scandals are called ''affari'' after the French ''affaire'', as in ''l'affare Dreyfus''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010) Francesco De Sanctis coined or first used ''affarismo'' and ''affarista'' in 1866.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Last quarter of the 12th century – The Venetian ''Proverbia que dicuntur'' use ''affare''.^(TLIO)

+ * Early 13th century – Arrigo Testa uses it for a person's condition.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1294 – Brunetto Latini uses it for a task.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1765 – Giuseppe Baretti uses it for a commercial deal.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1802 – Casti uses it for an unnamed thing.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1866 – Francesco De Sanctis uses ''affarismo'' and ''affarista''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1877 – The legal sense “case before a court” is recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A [[m|en|matter]] to be dealt with; a task or [[m|en|business]]: ''Ho ancora un affare urgente da sbrigare.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(colloquial)'' A question or situation: ''È un brutto affare, meglio non immischiarsi.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # A commercial or financial [[m|en|deal]]; a [[m|en|bargain]]: ''A quel prezzo la casa è un affare.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(plural)'' Business, trade and finance as a whole: ''Si occupa di affari da quando aveva vent'anni.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+ # A political or judicial case that causes a stir; an [[m|en|affair]]: ''l'affare Dreyfus''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # ''(colloquial)'' A thing one does not name precisely; a gadget: ''Come si accende quest'affare?''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # ''(dated)'' Social [[m|en|condition]] or rank: ''una dama d'alto affare''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[affarista]]

+ * [[affarismo]]

+ * [[affaristico]]

+ * [[affarone]]

+ * [[affaraccio]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[fare]]

+ * [[fr|affaire]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Farsi gli affari propri'' means “to mind one's own business”, and ''affari tuoi!'' is a brusque “that's your problem”.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010) ''Gli affari sono affari'' is a proverb.^(Devoto–Oli 2026) A separate, obsolete verb ''affare'', reflexive ''affarsi'' “to suit, be fitting”, is formed from ''fare''.^(DEI|73)^(TLIO)^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861|1, 214)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}