pensiero Italian · revision 38333

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=late 12th century, Proverbia que dicuntur|origins=la pēnsō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /penˈsjɛ.ro/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''pensiero''' ''m'' (plural pensieri)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old forms include ''pensiere'' (Jacopone da Todi), ''pensieri'' (Guittone d'Arezzo) and ''pensero'' (Francesco da Barberino, Dante).^(DEI|2836)^(Prati 1951|760) ''Pensiere'' and ''pensero'' survive as literary forms.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|pro|pensier|t=thought]], a noun formed on [[m|pro|pensar|t=to think]], which continues [[la|pēnsō|alt=pēnsāre|t=to weigh carefully; to consider]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(TLIO)^(DEI|2836)^(Wiktionary) It came into Old Italian as ⟨pensiere⟩, and the ending was later aligned with that of nouns in ⟨-iero⟩.^(Nocentini 2010) Prati allowed that the word could also have been formed in Italian from the verb.^(Prati 1951|760) It may be compared with [[scn|pinzeri]].^(Wiktionary)

+

+ The Latin verb meant first “to weigh”, then “to weigh on, oppress” and “to think over”: both [[pesare]] and [[pensare]] come from it, as do [[fr|peser]] and [[es|pesar]].^(REW 1935)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The TLIO's first record is in the Venetian ''Proverbia que dicuntur'' of the late 12th century.^(TLIO) DELI dates the sense “act and faculty of thinking” to Dante's ''Vita nuova'' (1293–1294), and the sense “anxiety, worry” to Bono Giamboni before 1292.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In Old Italian the word covered the mind and its faculties, an idea or opinion, a plan, a longing, and care or anxiety.^(TLIO) Dante defines it in the ''Convivio'': ''Lo pensiero è proprio atto de la ragione, perché le bestie non pensano'' (“thought is the proper act of reason, for beasts do not think”).^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861)^(Devoto–Oli 2026) The sense “thing produced by thinking” is also in Dante, before 1321.^(DELI 1999) Derivatives followed: ''pensieroso'' in Jacopone da Todi, ''spensierato'' in the 16th century and ''impensierire'' in 1548.^(Prati 1951|760)^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ In architecture ''pensiero'' was used before 1775 for the first design of a building.^(DIFIT) The sense “kind or attentive gesture, small present” is recorded in Giuseppe Marotta in the mid-20th century.^(DELI 1999)^(Wikizionario) English borrowed ''penseroso'' through Milton's poem ''Il Penseroso'', and ''pensiero'' itself is recorded in English in 1909, and in 1959 for an artist's sketch.^(DEI|2836)^(DIFIT)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Late 12th century – The Venetian ''Proverbia que dicuntur'' have the word.^(TLIO)

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

+ * 1293–1294 – Dante uses it for the faculty of thought in the ''Vita nuova''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1548 – ''Impensierire'' is recorded.^(Nocentini 2010)

+ * Before 1775 – ''Pensiero'' is used for an architect's design.^(DIFIT)

+ * 1909 – English ''pensiero'' is recorded.^(DIFIT)

+ * 1947–1956 – Giuseppe Marotta uses it for a kind gesture.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # [[m|en|thought]], the mental activity by which people form ideas and understand reality; the faculty of thinking.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # The [[m|en|mind]] as the seat of thought, memory and imagination: ''Con il pensiero sono già in vacanza.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # Speculative activity; the doctrines of a period, school or thinker: ''il pensiero di Kant''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # An idea, opinion or reflection; what someone thinks: ''Dimmi il tuo pensiero su questa proposta.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # An intention, a plan.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # [[m|en|worry]], anxiety: ''Non darti pensiero per me.''^(DELI 1999)^(Wiktionary)^(Wikizionario)

+ # A short written reflection, a maxim.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # A kind thought, a small present: ''Ti ho portato un pensierino.''^(DELI 1999)^(Wikizionario)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[pensierino]]

+ * [[pensieroso]]

+ * [[pensierosità]]

+ * [[impensierire]]

+ * [[soprappensiero]]

+ * [[spensierato]]

+ * [[spensieratezza]]

+ * [[retropensiero]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[pensare]]

+ * [[pesare]]

+ * [[pro|pensar]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ Common phrases are ''stare in pensiero'' “to be worried”, ''darsi pensiero'' “to worry”, ''leggere nel pensiero'' “to read someone's mind” and ''sopra pensiero'' or ''soprappensiero'' “lost in thought”.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Treccani 2011)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}