attaccare Italian · revision 38723

+ {{infobox|confidence=disputed|formation=derivation|attested=before 1294, Guittone d'Arezzo}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /at.takˈka.re/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''attaccare''' (first-person singular present attàcco, first-person singular past historic attaccài, past participle attaccàto, auxiliary avére)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The origin is disputed.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010) DELI, with GRADIT and Sabatini–Coletti, derives it [[af|it|a-|taccare|t2=to mark (cloth)]], an old verb for putting the [[tacca]], the merchant's mark, on cloth, recorded in the statutes of the Calimala guild (1332–1337).^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026) The older and still common explanation, followed by DEI, the TLIO, GDLI, Treccani and Wiktionary, takes it from [[staccare|t=to detach]] with the prefix ⟨s-⟩ replaced by ⟨a-⟩;^(DEI|352)^(TLIO)^(GDLI)^(Treccani 2011)^(Wiktionary) DELI rejects it because that verb is recorded much later.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ Nocentini and Devoto–Oli derive the verb instead from [[fro|attachier]], formed with a change of prefix from [[m|fro|estachier|t=to fasten to a stake]], from [[m|fro|estache|t=stake]], from [[frk|*stakka|t=stake, post]];^(Nocentini 2010)^(Devoto–Oli 2026) DELI admits this as a possibility.^(DELI 1999) French would lead one to expect a palatal sound in Italian, but Nocentini follows Stromboli in taking the loan from north-eastern France, where /k/ was not palatalised before /a/, and sees [[distaccare]] and the verb with ⟨s-⟩ as later formations from it.^(Nocentini 2010) Meyer-Lübke too set the verb in the family of the Germanic word for “stake”, with [[es|estaca]] and [[pro|estacar|t=to tie up]].^(REW 1935)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The TLIO's first record is in the ''Rime'' of Guittone d'Arezzo, before 1294;^(TLIO)^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003) DELI gives the sense “to join closely, with glue or stitches”.^(DELI 1999) The reflexive ''ataccarsi'' “to be catching”, of a disease, is in a letter of Catherine of Siena of 1378.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Boccaccio uses ''attaccare'' for tying something to a belt, and Ariosto for strapping saddlebags on a horse.^(GDLI)^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861) The senses “to confront with hostility” (before 1311), “to begin” a song or a speech (before 1533) and “to attack” in war (before 1558, DELI has ''assalire'' in Ariosto, 1532) followed.^(DIFIT)^(DELI 1999) In the military sense the verb was borrowed as [[fr|attaquer]] (1540), and, from French into [[en|attack]] and [[de|attackieren]].^(DIFIT)^(Nocentini 2010)^(DEI|352) Spanish, Portuguese, Catalan, Occitan and Romanian ''atacar'', ''ataca'' are borrowings too.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ Francesco Redi uses it for passing on a disease (before 1698).^(DELI 1999) ''Attaccamento'' “affection” (1677, Magalotti) is a calque of [[fr|attachement]], and ''attaccare un bottone'' was soldiers' slang for starting a long, boring talk in Panzini's dictionary of 1918, whence ''attaccabottoni'' (1923).^(DELI 1999) Modern Italian also uses the verb for hanging up the telephone, plugging in an appliance and going on the attack in football.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Before 1294 – Guittone d'Arezzo uses ''attaccare''.^(TLIO)^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1378 – Catherine of Siena uses ''ataccarsi'' of a catching disease.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1532 – Ariosto uses it for “to assail, give battle”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1540 – French ''attaquer'' is recorded, borrowed from Italian.^(DIFIT)

+ * 1677 – ''Attaccamento'' “affection” appears in Magalotti, after French ''attachement''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1846 – ''Attaccapanni'' “coat stand” is recorded.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)

+ * 1923 – ''Attaccabottoni'' “bore” is recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To [[m|en|attach]], to stick or fasten (with glue, stitches, knots): ''Ho attaccato una toppa sui jeans.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To [[m|en|hang]] (up), to post: ''Attacca il calendario vicino alla porta.'' ''Attaccare il telefono'': to hang up.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # To [[m|en|harness]] (an animal to a cart or plough): ''Il contadino attaccò l'asino al carretto.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+ # To connect to the mains, to plug in: ''Hai attaccato il caricabatterie?''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # To pass on (a disease, a habit, a passion): ''Mio fratello mi ha attaccato il raffreddore.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # To [[m|en|attack]], to assail, ''(figurative)'' to criticise sharply, ''(sport)'' to go on the attack: ''Le truppe attaccarono all'alba.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To corrode, to damage: ''L'umidità ha attaccato le travi del tetto.''^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+ # To begin (a speech, a piece of music; with ''a'' and an infinitive): ''Appena arrivato, attaccò a lamentarsi.''^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # ''(intransitive)'' To stick, to adhere; of a plant, to take root.^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[attacco]]

+ * [[attaccamento]]

+ * [[attaccante]]

+ * [[attaccabrighe]]

+ * [[attaccabottoni]]

+ * [[attaccapanni]]

+ * [[attaccaticcio]]

+ * [[attaccatura]]

+ * [[attacchino]]

+ * [[contrattacco]]

+ * [[contrattaccare]]

+ * [[riattaccare]]

+ * [[attaccabile]]

+ * [[inattaccabile]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[attaccarsi]]

+ * [[attaccato]]

+ * [[staccare]]

+ * [[distaccare]]

+ * [[fr|attaquer]]

+ * [[fr|attacher]]

+ * [[en|attack]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Attaccare bottone'' (''a qualcuno'') means to buttonhole someone with long, tiresome talk, ''attaccare discorso'' to start a conversation, and ''attaccare (le scarpe, i guantoni) al chiodo'' to retire from a sport.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011) The reflexive ''attaccarsi'' means “to cling, to grow attached”.^(Wiktionary)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}