esplodere Italian · revision 38743

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing, semantic loan|attested=before 1758, Antonio Cocchi|origins=la plaudō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /esˈplɔ.de.re/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''esplodere''' (first-person singular present esplòdo, first-person singular past historic esplòsi, past participle esplòso, auxiliary (in the intransitive sense "to explode") èssere or (transitively or in the intransitive sense "to fire", of a weapon) avére)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is a learned [[bor|la|explōdō|alt=explōdere|t=to drive off by clapping, to hiss off the stage]], a compound of [[m|la|ex-|t=out]] and [[m|la|plōdō]], an old variant of [[m|la|plaudō|t=to clap]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(de Vaan 2008) The sense “to burst” was taken from French, where [[fr|explosion]] (1581), [[fr|explosif]] (1691) and the verb [[fr|exploser]] (1801) had it;^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026) Prati thought “esplosione” itself might come from French.^(Prati 1951|409)

+

+ The Latin verb [[m|la|plaudō]] probably goes back to [[itc-pro|*plaude-|t=to clap the hands]]; de Vaan, after Oettinger and Meiser, derives it from a noun [[ine-pro|*pl̥h₂u-|t=palm of the hand]].^(de Vaan 2008)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The first records are in Antonio Cocchi (before 1758) and Francesco Algarotti (before 1764), in the Latin sense “to dispel, to do away with”: Cocchi praises whoever widens human knowledge enough to ''esplodere'' an old and universal error.^(DELI 1999)^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861)^(GRADIT 2003)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The intransitive ''esplodere'' “to burst” (of a mine or a bomb) is recorded in D'Alberti's dictionary in 1797, and the transitive “to fire a shot” in Alessandro Volta (before 1827).^(DELI 1999) ''Esplosione'' is earlier, from 1748 (Cocchi), and ''esplosivo'' is used figuratively in 1792 and literally in 1834; the noun ''esplosivo'' “explosive substance” appears in 1885.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010) ''Esploso'' “burst” is from 1831; as a noun, an exploded drawing of a machine, it follows English ''exploded''.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ The figurative sense, to burst out in violent feelings, is in Camillo Sbarbaro (1920–1948).^(DELI 1999) Today the verb is also used of anything that breaks out suddenly and strongly, a heatwave, a fashion or a crisis, and in computing of decompressing a file.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026) ''Implodere'' (1983), ''implosione'' and ''implosivo'' were formed by changing the prefix.^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1748 – Antonio Cocchi uses ''esplosione''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1758 – Cocchi uses ''esplodere'' for “to dispel”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1797 – D'Alberti's dictionary records it for “to burst”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1801 – French ''exploser'' is recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1827 – Alessandro Volta uses it for “to fire a shot”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1885 – ''Esplosivo'' “explosive substance” is recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1917 – ''Esploditore'' “blasting machine” is recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1920–1948 – Camillo Sbarbaro uses it for outbursts of feeling.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1983 – ''Implodere'' is recorded.^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # ''(intransitive)'' To [[m|en|explode]], to blow up: ''Durante la notte è esplosa una bombola del gas.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(intransitive, figurative)'' To break out suddenly and with force: ''In agosto è esploso il caldo.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(intransitive, figurative)'' Of feelings, to burst out; of a person, to lose one's temper or exclaim violently: ''A un certo punto è esploso e se n'è andato.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # ''(transitive)'' To [[m|en|fire]] (a shot) from a gun: ''L'agente ha esploso due colpi in aria.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # ''(computing)'' To decompress (a file).^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(archaic)'' To dispel (an error or prejudice).^(GRADIT 2003)^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[esplosione]]

+ * [[esplosivo]]

+ * [[esplodente]]

+ * [[esploditore]]

+ * [[esploso]]

+ * [[implodere]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[applaudire]]

+ * [[plauso]]

+ * [[la|explōdō]]

+ * [[fr|exploser]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ In the sense “to blow up” the verb takes ''essere'' (''la mina è esplosa''); used of a firearm it takes ''avere''.^(Treccani 2011)^(Wiktionary) Besides /esˈplɔdere/ with open /ɔ/, a pronunciation with closed /o/ is also heard.^(DiPI)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}