capace Italian · revision 38475

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=before 1306, Jacopone da Todi|origins=la capiō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /kaˈpa.t͡ʃe/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''capace''' ''m or f'' by sense (plural capaci, superlative capacissimo)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|la|capāx|t=able to hold; capable]], a learned word, from [[m|la|capiō|t=to take, to hold]] with the suffix [[m|la|-āx]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary) Devoto compares [[m|la|edāx|t=greedy]] beside the verb for “to eat”.^(Devoto 1968) The Latin adjective was taken over learnedly by [[ca|capaç]], [[es|capaz]] and [[pt|capaz]] around the 15th century;^(LEI|10, 1597)^(Nocentini 2010) French normally says [[m|fr|capable]] and has “capace” only rarely (1857).^(LEI|10, 1597)^(Nocentini 2010) Its development of meaning matches that of [[capire]].^(DEI|730)

+

+ “Capiō” goes back to [[itc-pro|*kapiō|alt=*kap-i-]], from [[ine-pro|*kh₂p-i-]] or a non-Indo-European [[m|ine-pro|*kap-|t=to seize]].^(de Vaan 2008)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The first record is in Jacopone da Todi, before 1306, in the sense “able, capable”.^(TLIO)^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003) The sense “able to hold many people or things, roomy” is found in Siena at the end of the 13th century and in Florence in 1313–1314.^(LEI|10, 1597)^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Old Italian also used the word for able to understand something and for being within someone's reach.^(TLIO) [[capacità]] is older still: Dante has it in 1294 for the ability to hold, and Jacopone for ability; it was used for a capable person (1848) after French ''capacité'', for legal capacity (1801) and in physics for electrical capacity (1818).^(DELI 1999) [[capacitare]] “to convince” and ''capacitarsi'' “to be convinced” date from 1690, and [[incapace]] from the early 16th century.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ The sense “convinced”, as in ''rendere qualcuno capace'', is now uncommon.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026) In regional and colloquial use ''è capace che'' means “it is likely that”, an impersonal use that Mexican Spanish ''es capaz'' parallels.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(LEI|10, 1597)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1294 – Dante uses ''capacità''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1306 – First record of ''capace'', in Jacopone.^(DELI 1999)^(TLIO)

+ * 1313–1314 – A Florentine text uses it for a roomy city.^(LEI|10, 1597)

+ * Before 1342 – Cavalca uses the sense “roomy”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Early 16th century – ''Incapace'' is recorded.^(Nocentini 2010)

+ * 1690 – ''Capacitare'' “to convince” is recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1801 – Cuoco uses ''capacità'' for legal capacity.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # [[m|en|able]] to do something (''capace di'' with an infinitive): ''Mia nipote è già capace di andare in bicicletta.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # [[m|en|capable]], skilled, good at one's job: ''Lo ha operato un chirurgo molto capace.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+ # Likely or ready to do something, usually something bad, ''capace di tutto'', without scruples.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # Able to hold a given number of people or things: ''Il serbatoio è capace di cinquanta litri.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # [[m|en|roomy]], spacious: ''una valigia capace''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(colloquial, regional)'' In ''è capace che'': it is likely that.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(uncommon)'' Convinced, persuaded.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+ # ''(law)'' Having legal capacity, ''capace di intendere e di volere'', of sound mind.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[capacità]]

+ * [[capacitarsi]]

+ * [[capacitare]]

+ * [[incapace]]

+ * [[incapacità]]

+ * [[capacimetro]]

+ * [[capacitanza]]

+ * [[capacitivo]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[capire]]

+ * [[la|capāx]]

+ * [[fr|capable]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ In familiar speech ''capace'' also takes ''a'' before an infinitive instead of ''di''.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}