ponte Italian · revision 38744

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=1233–1243, Mattasalà di Spinello|origins=ine-pro *pónth₁s}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈpon.te/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''ponte''' ''m'' (plural ponti)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old Italian also had ''ponto'' and ''punte''.^(TLIO)^(GDLI|13, 853)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|la|pōns|t=bridge]], from the accusative “pontem”.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary) The same word is [[fr|pont]], [[oc|pont]], [[ca|pont]], [[es|puente]], [[pt|ponte]] and [[ro|punte]], and also [[sc|ponte]], [[rm|punt]], [[fur|puint]] and [[dlm|puant]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(REW 1935)^(Körting 1907) The DÉRom reconstructs a masculine Proto-Romance */ˈpɔnt-e/, kept masculine in Sardinian; a feminine gender arose later in outlying areas, in Romanian, Lombard, Romansh, Spanish, Galician and Portuguese.^(DÉRom)^(REW 1935)

+

+ Latin [[m|la|pōns]] goes back to [[itc-pro|*pont-]] and [[ine-pro|*pónth₁s|t=road]], the source of [[sa|पथ्|tr=pánthā-|t=road, path]], [[grc|πόντος|tr=póntos|t=sea]], [[grc|πάτος|tr=pátos|t=path]], [[hy|հուն|tr=hown|t=ford]] and [[cu|пѫть|tr=pǫtĭ|t=road]].^(de Vaan 2008)^(Nocentini 2010) The sense developed from “way” to “bridge” in Latin;^(de Vaan 2008)^(Nocentini 2010)^(Devoto 1968) Nocentini explains it by Rome's position on the Tiber, where the bridge was the necessary way across, as the sea was the ordinary way for the Greeks.^(de Vaan 2008)^(Nocentini 2010)^(Devoto 1968) The same root is in [[pontefice]], from [[la|pontifex]], most likely “bridge-maker”.^(de Vaan 2008)^(Devoto 1968)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The TLIO's first record is in the Sienese text of Mattasalà di Spinello (1233–1243); DELI dates the word to a Venetian document of 1253.^(TLIO)^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003) The sense is a structure that connects two places separated by water or a gap.^(TLIO)^(DELI 1999) In the ''Purgatorio'' Dante writes that the bones of a dead king would still lie “in co del ponte presso a Benevento” (“at the head of the bridge near Benevento”).^(GDLI|13, 853)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Already in Old Italian ''ponte levatoio'' was the drawbridge, and ''ponte'' also meant builders' scaffolding (Sacchetti, before 1400) and a landing stage; figuratively it was the passage from life to death and Christ or the Virgin as the bridge between man and God.^(TLIO)^(DELI 1999) The deck of a ship is recorded in 1561 (Citolini).^(DELI 1999) ''Ponticello'' (Dante, Medieval Latin ''ponticellus'' in Rome in the 12th century) came to mean the bridge of a violin in 1612;^(DELI 1999) ''pontile'' “jetty” is from Venetian, and ''pontiere'' (1867) and ''pontone'' in the sense “pontoon” follow French ''pontier'' and ''ponton'';^(DELI 1999) ''ponte galleggiante'' and ''ponte sospeso'' may be calques of French ''pont flottant'' and ''pont suspendu'' (1765).^(DELI 1999)

+

+ Technical senses multiplied in the 20th century: the electrical bridge (''ponte a filo'', 1904), the dental bridge (1958, but advertised by a Venetian dentist in 1913), the drive axle of a vehicle and the arched position of a wrestler or gymnast (both 1958).^(DELI 1999) ''Ponte aereo'' “airlift” dates from 1948.^(DEI|3014) The ''ponte'', a working day between two holidays taken off to make a long weekend, is in Migliorini's appendix of 1963.^(DELI 1999) The card game bridge was called ''ponte'' by an inexact translation of English ''bridge''.^(DEI|3014)^(Devoto–Oli 2026) The ''ponte di Varolio'' in the brain is named after the anatomist Costanzo Varolio (1543–1575).^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1233–1243 – The Sienese Mattasalà di Spinello has ''ponte''.^(TLIO)

+ * 1253 – A Venetian document has ''ponte''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1321 – Dante has ''ponticello''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1400 – Franco Sacchetti uses ''ponte'' for builders' scaffolding.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1561 – Citolini uses it for the deck of a ship.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1612 – ''Ponticello'' names the bridge of a stringed instrument.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1904 – ''Ponte a filo'', an electrical bridge, is recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1948 – ''Ponte aereo'' “airlift” is recorded.^(DEI|3014)

+ * 1963 – ''Ponte'' “long weekend” is in Migliorini's appendix.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A [[m|en|bridge]]: a structure that carries a road or railway over a river, a valley or another obstacle: ''Il nuovo ponte collega le due sponde del fiume.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # Any structure that connects two points, however simple: ''un ponte di tavole''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+ # ''(figurative)'' A link, a means of connection; a person who acts as a go-between: ''Il festival fa da ponte tra culture diverse.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # One or more working days between two holidays, taken off to make a long [[m|en|weekend]]: ''Per il primo maggio faremo il ponte.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+ # [[m|en|scaffolding]] used by builders and painters.^(GRADIT 2003)^(DELI 1999)

+ # ''(nautical)'' A [[m|en|deck]] of a ship.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(dentistry)'' A fixed dental prosthesis resting on natural teeth.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(DELI 1999)

+ # ''(mechanics)'' The drive axle of a motor vehicle, ''(electricity)'' a bridge circuit for measuring resistance.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)

+ # ''(sports)'' An arched position with hands and feet on the ground.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ===Adjective===

+ # ''(invariable)'' Interim, bridging: ''governo ponte'', ''legge ponte''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[ponticello]]

+ * [[pontile]]

+ * [[pontiere]]

+ * [[pontone]]

+ * [[ponteggio]]

+ * [[ponteggiatore]]

+ * [[pontato]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[pontefice]]

+ * [[la|pōns]]

+ * [[fr|pont]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ Common idioms include ''tagliare'' or ''rompere i ponti'' “to break off all relations”, ''bruciarsi i ponti alle spalle'' “to burn one's bridges”, ''fare ponti d'oro'' “to offer great advantages”, the proverb ''a nemico che fugge ponti d'oro'' and ''n'è passata di acqua sotto i ponti'' “a lot of water has flowed under the bridge”.^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Gabrielli 2020)^(Treccani 2011) The ''gioco del Ponte'' is an old Pisan contest between two teams for possession of a bridge.^(DEI|3014)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}