responsabile Italian · revision 38344

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=1657, Francesco Giavarina (as risponsabile)|origins=la respondeō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /res.ponˈsa.bi.le/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''responsabile''' ''m or f'' by sense (plural responsabili)^(Wiktionary)

+ The older form was ''risponsabile'', now disused.^(DELI 1999)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|fr|responsable]], adapted to the Italian ending [[m|it|-abile]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary) DELI counts it among a family of modern words all imitated from French, none of which was yet recorded in D'Alberti's dictionary of 1804.^(DELI 1999) The French word is dated from the 12th century by DELI, from 1284 by DEI and, in its modern sense, from the 14th century by Nocentini and GRADIT.^(DELI 1999)^(DEI|3233)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)

+

+ French formed it from [[la|respōnsus]], the past participle of [[m|la|respondeō|t=to answer; to pledge oneself]], or from the intensive verb [[m|la|respōnsō|t=to answer]] made on that participle.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010) DEI treats the Italian word as a learned formation on the Latin intensive, perhaps under French influence.^(DEI|3233) The French adjective was also the source of [[es|responsable]] and [[en|responsible]].^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The first record is ''risponsabile'' in 1657, in a dispatch of Francesco Giavarina, the Venetian resident in London: Cromwell “si dichiarava egli stesso risponsabile (per servirmi della stessa parola usata da Sua Altezza)” (declared himself responsible, to use the very word His Highness used).^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)^(GDLI|15, 879) The form ''responsabile'' follows in 1706, in Alvise Mocenigo: “Li ministri sono responsabili al Parlamento” (the ministers are responsible to Parliament).^(DELI 1999)^(GDLI|15, 879)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The GDLI notes that the word arose in politics and public law, for those who hold power, and spread from there to the rest of the law and to morals.^(GDLI|15, 879) The noun ''responsabilità'' is recorded from 1760;^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010) DELI, following Ferdinand Brunot, explains that French took ''responsabilité'' from English ''responsibility'' and spread it through Europe with the weight that the events of the late 18th century had given it.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ The sense “aware of the consequences of one's conduct” is recorded in 1872 in Tommaseo, and the noun, “the person who must answer for something”, before 1935.^(DELI 1999) ''Irresponsabile'' dates from 1816, ''responsabilizzare'' from the 1960s.^(Nocentini 2010)^(DELI 1999) In modern use ''il responsabile'' is also the person in charge of an office or department, a manager.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1657 – Francesco Giavarina writes ''risponsabile''.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)

+ * 1706 – Alvise Mocenigo uses ''responsabile''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1760 – ''Responsabilità'' is recorded, in Gian Rinaldo Carli.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1816 – ''Irresponsabile'' is recorded.^(Nocentini 2010)

+ * 1872 – Tommaseo records the sense “conscious of the consequences of one's conduct”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1935 – The noun use is recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1965 – ''Responsabilizzarsi'' appears in the newspaper ''Avanti!''.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # [[m|en|responsible]], answerable for one's own or others' actions, especially by position or office: ''Il capitano è responsabile della sicurezza dei passeggeri.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # ''(law)'' [[m|en|liable]] for an offence or for the breach of an obligation: ''È stato dichiarato responsabile dei danni.''^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Treccani 2011)^(GRADIT 2003)

+ # Aware of the consequences of one's conduct; sensible, reliable: ''Si è comportata in modo responsabile durante l'emergenza.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # [[m|en|guilty]] of an act: ''I ragazzi responsabili del furto sono stati identificati.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # Causing something, usually something bad: ''Il gelo è responsabile della perdita del raccolto.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # The person in charge of an office, department or activity; a [[m|en|manager]]: ''Chieda al responsabile del magazzino.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Treccani 2011)^(Wiktionary)

+ # The person answerable for something, especially the [[m|en|culprit]]: ''Non hanno ancora trovato i responsabili.''^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[responsabilità]]

+ * [[responsabilmente]]

+ * [[responsabilizzare]]

+ * [[responsabilizzazione]]

+ * [[irresponsabile]]

+ * [[corresponsabile]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[rispondere]]

+ * [[responso]]

+ * [[fr|responsable]]

+ * [[en|responsible]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ A ''direttore responsabile'' is the editor who answers in law for everything a newspaper or magazine publishes.^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}