accanto Italian · revision 38472

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=compound|attested=13th century, Chiaro Davanzati|origins=la canthus}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /akˈkan.to/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[af|it|a|canto#2|t2=corner, side]], the phrase “a canto” “at the side” written as one word, with the doubled consonant of the preposition.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Treccani 2011) The noun “canto” “corner, side” is [[la|canthus|t=iron tyre of a wheel]], which Quintilian thought a word from Spain or Africa; the Romance languages show that it also meant “edge, side”.^(Nocentini 2010)^(LEI|10, 1439) DELI takes it from [[grc|κανθός|tr=kanthós|t=corner of the eye]], of Celtic origin, and Nocentini compares Gaulish “cantem” and [[cy|cant|t=tyre]] but leaves the direction of borrowing open.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010) The same phrase is [[lij|acàntu]] in Liguria and [[egl|acant]] in Parma.^(LEI|10, 1439)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The adverb ''acanto'' “near, at the side” is first recorded in the poems of Chiaro Davanzati (Florence, second half of the 13th century), and the preposition in Guittone d'Arezzo (before 1294).^(DELI 1999)^(TLIO)^(GRADIT 2003) The TLIO also records a sense “afterwards, next in time”.^(TLIO)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Written as two words, ''a canto'' was usual in Machiavelli and Bandello; the joined spelling ''accanto'' is found from Ariosto (1516), and DEI says the word came into general use only in the 16th century.^(LEI|10, 1439)^(GDLI)^(DEI|21) Devoto–Oli dates ''a canto'' before 1527 and ''accanto'' before 1547.^(Devoto–Oli 2026) ''A canto'' is still a literary variant, and ''d'accanto'' or ''daccanto'' means “from beside”.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861)

+

+ The word also became an invariable adjective after a noun, as in ''la casa accanto'' “the house next door”, and ''accanto a'' can mean “in comparison with”.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Second half of the 13th century – Chiaro Davanzati uses ''acanto''.^(DELI 1999)^(TLIO)

+ * Before 1294 – Guittone d'Arezzo uses it as a preposition.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)

+ * 1516 – Ariosto writes ''accanto'' as one word.^(LEI|10, 1439)

+ * Before 1527 – Machiavelli writes ''a canto''.^(GDLI)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adverb===

+ # [[m|en|nearby]], [[m|en|beside]], at the side: ''Il bar è qui accanto.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+

+ ===Preposition===

+ # ''Accanto a'': [[m|en|next to]], beside: ''Si è seduta accanto alla finestra.''^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # ''(less common)'' ''Accanto a'': compared with.^(Gabrielli 2020)

+

+ ===Adjective===

+ # (invariable, after a noun) Next, [[m|en|adjacent]]: ''l'appartamento accanto''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[daccanto]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[canto#2]]

+ * [[cantone]]

+ * [[cantina]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ With a personal pronoun the preposition can drop ''a'': ''restami accanto'' “stay beside me”.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Treccani 2011)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}