affrontare Italian · revision 38389

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=late 13th century, Fatti di Cesare|origins=la frōns}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /af.fronˈta.re/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''affrontare''' (first-person singular present affrónto, first-person singular past historic affrontài, past participle affrontàto, auxiliary avére)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|la-vul|*affrontō|alt=*affrontāre]], a verb formed from [[la|frōns|t=forehead, front]] with the prefix [[m|la|ad-|t=to, towards]], literally “to put one's forehead towards”.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary) DELI calls it a parasynthetic compound.^(DELI 1999) The noun [[affronto]] is a deverbal noun from it.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ The verb is found across Romance except Romanian: [[fr|affronter]], [[oc|afrontar]], [[ca|afrontar]], [[es|afrontar]] (modern [[m|es|afrentar]]), [[pt|afrontar]] and Logudorese [[sc|affrontare]].^(REW 1935)^(DEI|78) In French dialects it has meant “to deceive”.^(REW 1935) [[scn|affruntàrisi]] “to be ashamed” is a loan from Catalan.^(DEI|78)

+

+ The origin of the Latin noun is unknown.^(de Vaan 2008)^(Wiktionary) De Vaan rejects the comparison with Germanic and Celtic words for “side” or “steep” and calls his own guess, a form meaning “the side where the mouth is”, speculative.^(de Vaan 2008)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The TLIO's first record is the Sienese ''Fatti di Cesare'' of the late 13th century.^(TLIO) DELI's first date is the reflexive ''affrontarsi'' “to come face to face” in Dante, before 1321.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In Old Italian the verb meant to come face to face with someone, to meet, to fight (reflexive, of armies), to bear something with courage, to compare, and also to be ashamed.^(TLIO) Giovanni Villani uses the reflexive for clashing in battle before 1348, and Fazio degli Uberti the sense “to compare” before 1367.^(DELI 1999) Luigi Pulci has “to go against with hostile intent” before 1484.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ The modern sense “to take up, deal with” a question was criticised by Antonio Cesari in 1809 as a fault of style, but it is now one of the main senses.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003) The noun ''affronto'' meant a meeting in Dante and an insult by 1566 (Annibal Caro).^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Late 13th century – The ''Fatti di Cesare'' use the verb.^(TLIO)

+ * Before 1321 – Dante uses ''affrontarsi'' “to come face to face”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1348 – Giovanni Villani has the reflexive “to clash in battle”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1367 – Fazio degli Uberti uses it for “to compare”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1484 – Luigi Pulci has “to go against with hostile intent”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1566 – ''Affronto'' “insult” appears in Annibal Caro.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1786 – ''Affrontabile'' is used by Vittorio Alfieri.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1809 – Antonio Cesari criticises the sense “to take up a question”.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To [[m|en|face]], [[m|en|confront]] someone, often boldly or with hostile intent: ''Ha deciso di affrontare il vicino per il rumore.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # To face something difficult or dangerous; to cope with: ''affrontare una lunga salita'', ''affrontare un trasloco''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # To take up, [[m|en|tackle]] a subject or task: ''Oggi affrontiamo il secondo capitolo.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(technical)'' To fit two pieces edge to edge; in medicine, to bring the edges of a wound together.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+ # ''(archaic)'' To compare.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+ # ''(reflexive, affrontarsi)'' Of two people or groups, to meet in a fight or a match: ''Le due squadre si affronteranno domenica.''^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[affronto]]

+ * [[affrontabile]]

+ * [[affrontato]]

+ * [[affrontamento]]

+ * [[riaffrontare]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[fronte]]

+ * [[confrontare]]

+ * [[raffrontare]]

+ * [[la|frōns]]

+ * [[fr|affronter]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}