impegnato Italian · revision 38525

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=before 1685, Daniello Bartoli}}

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+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /im.peɲˈɲa.to/^(Wiktionary)

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+ ==Forms==

+ '''impegnato''' (feminine impegnata, masculine plural impegnati, feminine plural impegnate, superlative impegnatissimo)^(Wiktionary)

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+ ==Etymology==

+ It is the past participle of [[impegnare|t=to pawn; to commit]], used as an adjective.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026) The verb (13th century) is formed from [[pegno|t=pledge]] with the prefix [[in-]], and Medieval Latin had [[m|la-med|impignō|alt=impignare]] in 1164.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003) The noun is [[inh|la|pignus|t=pledge, security]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(Wiktionary)

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+ Several senses of the verb and of [[impegno]], including the recent political and literary ones, translate [[fr|engager]] and [[fr|engagement]], and purists rejected them for that reason.^(DELI 1999) The sense “politically committed” matches [[de|engagiert]] and [[fr|engagé]].^(DELI 1999)^(Gabrielli 2020)

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+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The first record, in Daniello Bartoli (before 1685), means “pawned”: people went begging to redeem a breviary that had been pawned.^(DELI 1999)^(GDLI)

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+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The sense “busy, occupied” is recorded in 1837 in a Piedmontese periodical, which says a man is “all ''impegnato''” in putting his library in order;^(DELI 1999) “booked, reserved” follows in 1886.^(DELI 1999) Older texts also used the word for a person in debt and for someone eager or involved in a cause.^(GDLI)^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861)

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+ In 1950 Migliorini recorded the word for an intellectual or cultural movement that takes a clear position on the political and social problems of the day, and in 1967 a writer explained a song as ''impegnata'' “as they say now”, comparing German ''engagiert''.^(DELI 1999) In Cold War politics ''paesi non impegnati'' were the non-aligned countries.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Gabrielli 2020) In colloquial use a person who is ''impegnato'' is already in a relationship.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Treccani 2011)

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+ ==Timeline==

+ * Before 1685 – Daniello Bartoli uses ''impegnato'' for “pawned”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1837 – It is recorded for “busy”.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)

+ * 1886 – ''L'Arena'' uses it for “reserved”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1950 – Migliorini records the sense “politically committed”.^(DELI 1999)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # [[m|en|busy]], having commitments; taken up with an activity: ''Sabato sono impegnato tutto il giorno con il trasloco.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # [[m|en|committed]]: of an artist, intellectual or work, taking a position on the political and social problems of the time: ''un cantautore impegnato''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # Pawned: ''Riuscì a riscattare l'anello impegnato.''^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Bound by a promise or obligation.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # Booked, [[m|en|reserved]]: ''Tutti i tavoli sono impegnati per stasera.''^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(colloquial)'' In a relationship, not single.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Treccani 2011)

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+ ==Related words==

+ * [[impegnare]]

+ * [[impegno]]

+ * [[pegno]]

+ * [[disimpegnato]]

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+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Paesi non impegnati'' is an older name for the non-aligned countries.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Gabrielli 2020) The superlative is ''impegnatissimo''.^(Wiktionary)

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+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}