mostrare Italian · revision 38468

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=963, Placito di Sessa|origins=la monstrum}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /mosˈtra.re/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''mostrare''' (first-person singular present móstro, first-person singular past historic mostrài, past participle mostràto, auxiliary avére)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|la|mōnstrō|t=to show, point out]], a verb formed from [[m|la|mōnstrum|t=portent, sign]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary) The original sense was “to point out the will of the gods”, but the verb soon passed into everyday Latin with the general sense “to indicate”.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003) The noun is connected with [[m|la|moneō|t=to warn]], through [[itc-pro|*monestrom]].^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ The verb is found across the Romance languages: [[fr|montrer]], [[oc|mostrar]], [[ca|mostrar]], [[es|mostrar]], [[pt|mostrar]], [[sc|mustrare]] and [[ro|mustra]], which means “to scold”.^(Nocentini 2010)^(REW 1935) DÉRom reconstructs [[la-vul|*mostrō|alt=*/ˈmostr-a-/]] for Proto-Romance, and beside it a reduced type [[m|la-vul|*mossō|alt=*/ˈmoss-a-/]], in which the group /str/ was simplified, in parts of Italy, Ladin, Romansh, Spanish, Asturian and Galician.^(DÉRom) English [[m|en|muster]] comes from the Old French form of the verb.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The Latin spelling ⟨monstrare⟩ is used in the Placito di Sessa of 963, one of the earliest documents in the vernacular, in the sense “to point out”.^(DELI 1999)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026) The Ritmo di Sant'Alessio, from the end of the 12th century, has it in the sense “to show something to someone for inspection”, and the Ritmo laurenziano, of the late 12th or early 13th century, in the sense “to show, put before the eyes”.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ By the end of the 13th century the verb had most of its modern senses: Brunetto Latini uses it for pretending and, reflexively, for proving oneself, and Guittone d'Arezzo for showing to view.^(DELI 1999) Dante uses it for displaying and boasting, and for pointing things out; in the ''Purgatorio'' Manfred shows him a wound high on his chest (''e mostrommi una piaga a sommo ’l petto'').^(DELI 1999)^(GDLI|10) Giordano da Pisa has it in the sense “to make clear”.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ The reflexive ''mostrarsi'' “to show oneself, appear” is in Dante, and the impersonal use “it seems” is in Boccaccio (''come mostra che voi vogliate fare'').^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003) Old and literary Tuscan had a shortened past participle ''mostro'', as in Pulci's ''m’hai il cammin mostro''.^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861) From the verb came ''mostra'' (display, exhibition, shop window), recorded before 1292, and its diminutive ''mostrina'', the badge on a uniform collar (1923).^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 963 – The Placito di Sessa has ⟨monstrare⟩ in the sense “to point out”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Late 12th century – The Ritmo di Sant'Alessio uses the verb for showing something for inspection.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1292 – Bono Giamboni has the noun ''mostra''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1294 – Brunetto Latini uses ''mostrare'' for pretending.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1321 – Dante uses it for displaying and for showing oneself.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1813 – ''Mostravento'', a ship's wind vane, is recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1923 – ''Mostrina'' is recorded in Panzini's dictionary.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To [[m|en|show]], to put before someone's eyes or attention: ''Mi ha mostrato le foto del viaggio.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # To show for inspection: ''Mostri il passaporto, per favore.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # To show off or uncover: ''mostrare le braccia nude''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+ # To point out, [[m|en|indicate]]: ''Mi mostrò la via più corta per la stazione.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # To explain, teach, [[m|en|demonstrate]]: ''Ci ha mostrato come si usa la macchina.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # To reveal, show a feeling or quality: ''mostrare coraggio''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # To [[m|en|pretend]] (with ''di''): ''Mostrò di non averla vista.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # ''(archaic, impersonal)'' To seem.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # ''(reflexive, mostrarsi)'' To show oneself, appear, and to prove oneself: ''Si è mostrato molto paziente.''^(DELI 1999)^(Treccani 2011)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[mostra]]

+ * [[mostrina]]

+ * [[mostrino]]

+ * [[mostravento]]

+ * [[mostreggiatura]]

+ * [[mostrabile]]

+ * [[mostratore]]

+ * [[rimostrare]]

+ * [[rimostranza]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[dimostrare]]

+ * [[mostro]]

+ * [[la|mōnstrō]]

+ * [[fr|montrer]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ Set phrases include ''mostrare i denti'' (to show one's teeth, to be ready to fight back), ''mostrare a dito'' (to point at), ''mostrare i pugni'' (to shake one's fists) and ''mostrare la corda'' (of cloth, to be threadbare).^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}