nemico Italian · revision 38464

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=early 13th century, Elegia giudeo-italiana|origins=la inimīcus}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /neˈmi.ko/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''nemico''' ''m'' (plural nemici, feminine nemica)^(Wiktionary)

+ Archaic and popular Italian had ''nimico'', and literary Italian also ''inimico''.^(Prati 1951|695)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+ In Lombard and Piedmontese the singular ''nemís'' was formed from the plural.^(DEI|2567)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|la|inimīcus|t=unfriendly; enemy]], with the loss of the first syllable.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Wiktionary) The Latin word is a compound of the negative prefix [[m|la|in-]] and [[m|la|amīcus|t=friend]], with the regular Latin change of /a/ to /i/ in an open inner syllable.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(Devoto 1968)

+

+ The word is found across the Romance languages: [[fr|ennemi]], [[oc|enemic]], [[ca|enemic]], [[es|enemigo]], [[pt|inimigo]], [[fur|nimì]] and Engadine Romansh [[m|rm|nimik]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(REW 1935) Körting notes that in Romance it also took over the meaning of [[la|hostis|t=enemy in war]].^(Körting 1907)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The TLIO's first record is the ''Elegia giudeo-italiana'', from central Italy at the beginning of the 13th century, in the sense “opposed, hostile”.^(TLIO) Zingarelli dates the word to before 1250, and DELI's first record is the ''Novellino'', at the end of the 13th century, in the sense “one who bears hatred towards another and seeks to harm him”, and also “belonging to the army or state one is at war with”.^(Zingarelli 2010)^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Old Italian already used the noun for a personal foe, for the military enemy, and in religious texts for the Devil.^(TLIO) Guittone d'Arezzo plays with the idea of being his lady's ''nemico'', and in the ''Inferno'' Lucia is ''nimica di ciascun crudele'', enemy of every cruel person.^(GDLI|11, 340) The form ''nimico'' was usual in Old Italian and survived in popular use.^(Prati 1951|695)^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861)

+

+ Later senses extended the word to things: a ''sorte nemica'' is an adverse fate, and what is harmful is ''nemico'' of something, as in the proverb ''il meglio è nemico del bene'' (“the best is the enemy of the good”).^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026) In love poetry ''la nemica'' was the beloved who causes suffering.^(Zingarelli 2010) The proverb ''a nemico che fugge ponti d’oro'' advises making a fleeing enemy's way easy.^(Zingarelli 2010)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Early 13th century – The ''Elegia giudeo-italiana'' has the word.^(TLIO)

+ * Before 1250 – Zingarelli's date for ''nemico''.^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ * Late 13th century – The ''Novellino'' uses it for a personal and a military enemy.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 14th century – ''Inimicare'' and ''inimicizia'' are taken from Latin.^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # [[m|en|hostile]], feeling enmity towards someone: ''Da quel giorno gli è sempre stato nemico.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # Adverse, unfavourable: ''una sorte nemica''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # Averse to something, disliking it (with ''di''): ''È nemico dei lunghi discorsi.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # Of the enemy in war: ''le linee nemiche''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # Harmful: ''Il fumo è nemico dei polmoni.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # An [[m|en|enemy]] or foe, someone hostile to another person: ''un nemico giurato''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # The enemy in war, often collective: ''il nemico''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # Someone opposed to something: ''un nemico della censura''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+ # ''(religion)'' The [[m|en|Devil]].^(TLIO)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[nemicamente]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[amico]]

+ * [[inimicizia]]

+ * [[inimicare]]

+ * [[la|inimīcus]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ Phrases include ''nemico giurato'' (sworn enemy), ''nemico pubblico'' (public enemy, a notorious criminal), ''passare al nemico'' (to desert, to go over to the enemy) and the joking ''essere nemico dell’acqua'' (to wash seldom, or to drink only wine).^(GRADIT 2003)^(Treccani 2011)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}