puntare Italian · revision 38779

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=13th century|origins=la pungō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /punˈta.re/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''puntare''' (first-person singular present pùnto, first-person singular past historic puntài, past participle puntàto, auxiliary avére)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is formed [[af|it|punta|-are]], a verb from the noun “point”;^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026) GRADIT and Sabatini–Coletti also allow [[punto]] as the base.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026) The noun continues [[la-lat|puncta|t=a stab; a point]], the noun use of the feminine of [[m|la|punctus]], the past participle of [[m|la|pungō|t=to prick]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(Wiktionary) Comparable verbs are [[pro|ponchar|t=to prick]] and [[fr|pointer]] (12th century).^(DEI|3149)^(REW 1935)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Nocentini, GRADIT and Devoto–Oli date the verb to the 13th century.^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026) DEI gives Boccaccio for “to push, to bear down on”, while DELI's first record of “to press something pointed against a surface” is in the ''Pataffio'' (perhaps 15th century).^(DEI|3149)^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Hunting gave the sense of a dog stopping to point at game (1622), and gunnery the sense “to aim” (1641, ''Il bombardiero veneto'').^(DEI|3149)^(DELI 1999) The sense “to bet” is recorded in 1784, and “to stare at someone” in Tommaseo–Bellini (1871).^(DELI 1999)

+

+ The intransitive “to advance resolutely towards” is a military term first recorded in the Zingarelli of 1922, probably spread by the First World War.^(DELI 1999) The figurative “to count on something to reach a goal” is recorded in 1965.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 13th century – ''Puntare'' is first recorded.^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)

+ * 1622 – Olina uses it of a pointing dog.^(DEI|3149)

+ * 1641 – The sense “to aim” is recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1784 – The sense “to bet” is recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1814 – ''Puntamento'' is recorded.^(Nocentini 2010)

+ * 1871 – The sense “to stare at” is recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1922 – The intransitive military sense “to advance on” is recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1965 – The sense “to count on” is recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To press or plant something by its point or end: ''Puntò il bastone nella sabbia.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # To [[m|en|aim]], [[m|en|point]] something at: ''puntare la torcia verso il soffitto''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # Of a gun dog: to point at game.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # To stare at someone insistently, especially with interest: ''Quel tipo ti sta puntando.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # To [[m|en|bet]], stake: ''puntare dieci euro sul nero''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # ''(intransitive, figurative)'' To count on: ''puntare sull'esperienza''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # ''(colloquial)'' To pin: ''puntare una spilla sul bavero''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(intransitive)'' To head for, advance on: ''La colonna puntò verso il porto.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # ''(intransitive, figurative)'' To aim at, strive for: ''puntare al titolo''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[puntata]]

+ * [[puntatore]]

+ * [[puntamento]]

+ * [[punteria]]

+ * [[puntaspilli]]

+ * [[impuntare]]

+ * [[ripuntare]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[punta]]

+ * [[punto]]

+ * [[appuntare]]

+ * [[pungere]]

+ * [[fr|pointer]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Puntare i piedi'' means to dig one's heels in, and ''puntare il dito contro'' to accuse.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010) A rare ''puntare'' “to note down; to mark with a dot”, from [[appuntare]] influenced by [[punto]], is numbered separately in GRADIT, Nocentini and the GDLI;^(GRADIT 2003)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GDLI|14, 968)^(DELI 1999) DELI records it from 1922.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GDLI|14, 968)^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}