fingere Italian · revision 38739

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=before 1294, Guittone d'Arezzo|origins=ine-pro *dʰeyǵʰ-}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈfin.d͡ʒe.re/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''fingere''' (first-person singular present fìngo, first-person singular past historic fìnsi, past participle fìnto, auxiliary avére)^(Wiktionary)

+ An old variant is [[roa-oit|fignere]].^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(GDLI)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|la|fingō|alt=fingere|t=to shape, to fashion; to imagine; to feign]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary) GDLI calls it a learned word,^(GDLI) while Nocentini and DEI group it with the popular outcomes in other Romance languages.^(Nocentini 2010)^(DEI|1647) The sense “to pretend” lives on in [[fr|feindre]] and [[oc|fenher]], and the old sense “to knead, to shape dough” in [[ca|fenyer|t=to bake]] and [[es|heñir|t=to knead]], while [[es|fingir]] and [[pt|fingir]] are learned.^(Nocentini 2010)^(DEI|1647)^(REW 1935) Isidore of Seville gave the Latin sense as “Fingere enim est facere, formare et plasmare” (“for to feign is to make, to form and to mould”).^(GDLI)

+

+ The Latin verb continues a Proto-Italic nasal present and goes back to [[ine-pro|*dʰeyǵʰ-|t=to knead clay, to mould]].^(de Vaan 2008)^(Nocentini 2010)^(Wiktionary) The same root gave [[grc|τεῖχος|tr=teîkhos|t=wall]], [[osc|feíhúss|t=walls]], [[sa|देग्धि|tr=degdhi|t=smears, plasters]] and [[got|𐌳𐌰𐌹𐌲𐍃|tr=daigs|t=dough]];^(de Vaan 2008)^(Nocentini 2010) Latin [[m|la|figūra]], the source of [[figura]], belongs to it too.^(de Vaan 2008)^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The first record is in Guittone d'Arezzo's letters (before 1294), in the sense “to suppose, to imagine”;^(DELI 1999)^(TLIO)^(GDLI) in a passage GDLI quotes, Guittone says of one who betrays that she is wicked and ugly ''e finge esser bella'', “and pretends to be beautiful”.^(DELI 1999)^(TLIO)^(GDLI) The TLIO's Old Italian senses include showing what is not so, representing in images or poetry, imagining, and imitating sounds with the voice.^(TLIO)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ DEI notes that in Italian ''fingere'' entirely took the place of [[simulare]] in common use.^(DEI|1647) The reflexive ''fingersi'' “to pass oneself off as” is first recorded in Ariosto's ''Orlando furioso'' (1516).^(DELI 1999) Nocentini and Devoto–Oli date the main modern sense “to pretend” to 1532.^(Nocentini 2010)^(Devoto–Oli 2026) Poetry kept the Latin senses “to imagine” and “to shape”: Leopardi writes ''io nel pensier mi fingo'' (“I picture to myself in thought”) in ''L'infinito'', and Tasso's swallow ''compone e finge'' her nest.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+

+ The participle ''finto'' “false, sham” is recorded from the late 14th century, and, from it came ''finta'' “pretence” (1585), also a feint in fighting (before 1595) and sport.^(DELI 1999) ''Far finta'' “to pretend” is recorded in 1699 and ''far finta di niente'' “to act as if nothing had happened” in Verga (1887).^(DELI 1999) ''Finzione'' (1304) is Latin ''fictiō'' remade on ''finto''.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010) Old Italian also had ''infingere'' “to feign” and ''infingardo'', first “feigned”, then “lazy”.^(Prati 1951|444)^(REW 1935)

+

+ ==Timeline==

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

+ * 1304 – Giordano da Pisa uses ''finzione''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Late 14th century – ''Finto'' “false” is recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1516 – Ariosto uses the reflexive ''fingersi''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1585 – ''Finta'' “pretence” is recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1699 – ''Far finta'' is recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1887 – Verga uses ''far finta di niente''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1956 – The sports verb ''fintare'' “to feint” is recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To [[m|en|pretend]], to [[m|en|feign]], to simulate (with ''di'' and the infinitive): ''Ha finto di non sentire il telefono.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # ''(absolute)'' To dissemble, to hide one's real feelings: ''Non è capace di fingere.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # To imagine, to suppose (with ''che'' or ''di''): ''Fingiamo di essere su un'isola deserta.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # ''(literary)'' To represent or create in the imagination.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # ''(literary, archaic)'' To [[m|en|shape]], to mould.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # ''(reflexive)'' ''Fingersi'': to pass oneself off as, to pretend to be: ''Si è finto medico per entrare.''^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[finto]]

+ * [[finta]]

+ * [[fintare]]

+ * [[finzione]]

+ * [[fingersi]]

+ * [[fingimento]]

+ * [[fingitore]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[infingere]]

+ * [[infingardo]]

+ * [[figura]]

+ * [[simulare]]

+ * [[la|fingo]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}