rappresentare Italian · revision 38806

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=before 1294, Guittone d'Arezzo|origins=la praesēns}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /rap.pre.zenˈta.re/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''rappresentare''' (first-person singular present rappresènto, first-person singular past historic rappresentài, past participle rappresentàto, auxiliary avére)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|la|repraesentō|t=to bring before the eyes; to express, reproduce]], a learned borrowing.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary) The Latin verb is a compound of [[m|la|praesentō|t=to present]], itself from [[m|la|praesēns|t=present]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(Devoto–Oli 2026) The Italian prefix ⟨ra-⟩ in place of Latin ⟨re-⟩ comes from the many Italian words beginning in ⟨ra(d)-⟩, a change of prefix that DELI, Nocentini, Devoto and Treccani all note.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(Devoto 1968)^(Treccani 2011) The same Latin verb gave [[fr|représenter]] and [[es|representar]].^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ Of the family only [[m|la|repraesentātiō]] is Latin; the other derivatives were formed in Italian.^(DELI 1999) In philosophy, the term [[rappresentazione]] owes its success to Leibniz's [[fr|représentation]], a calque of [[de|Vorstellung]].^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ DELI's first record is Guittone d'Arezzo (before 1294), who uses the verb for describing or telling.^(DELI 1999) The sense of making something visible in an image follows in Dante (before 1321).^(DELI 1999) In the oldest texts the verb also means bringing a person before someone, especially before an authority, as when Cavalca tells how Paphnutius took Euphrosyne to the monastery and ''rappresentolla all'abate'', “presented her to the abbot”.^(GDLI|15, 482)^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In the 14th century the verb takes on the legal sense of acting in someone's name and on their behalf (Francesco Ceffi), and Giordano da Pisa uses it for “to symbolize” (before 1311).^(DELI 1999) Boiardo uses it of putting a play on stage (before 1494).^(DELI 1999) In the 1650s Sforza Pallavicino reflected on the word itself: ''rappresentare'' means making present, through substitutes and images, what is not present in itself.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ The political sense of standing for the interests of a group or a nation is dated 1942 in the dictionaries, though ''rappresentanza nazionale'' for the parliament appears in Venice in 1797 and ''sistema rappresentativo'' in 1833.^(DELI 1999) Today the verb also means simply “to be, to constitute”, as in a sum that amounts to a whole salary.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Before 1294 – Guittone d'Arezzo uses the verb for “describe, narrate”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1311 – Giordano da Pisa uses it for “symbolize”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1321 – Dante uses it for depicting reality in an image.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 14th century – Francesco Ceffi uses it in the legal sense “act on behalf of”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1481 – ''Rappresentazione'' is a show put on for an audience.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1494 – Boiardo uses the verb for staging a play.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1797 – ''Rappresentanza nazionale'' names the parliament in Venice.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1942 – The sense “speak for interests and feelings of others” is recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To [[m|en|depict]] or [[m|en|portray]] in an image, a painting or a sculpture: ''L'affresco rappresenta una battaglia navale.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # To describe in a literary, theatrical or film work.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # To [[m|en|embody]] the typical features of something; to [[m|en|symbolize]]: ''Per molti la colomba rappresenta la pace.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # To indicate by convention, with signs or figures: ''Sulla mappa i fiumi sono rappresentati in azzurro.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+ # To be, to constitute; to mean: ''Quel viaggio rappresenta molto per lei.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # ''(theatre)'' To [[m|en|stage]] a play; to play a part.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # To act in the name and on behalf of another person, a company or a state; to [[m|en|represent]]: ''L'ambasciatore rappresenta il governo all'estero.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # ''(literary, bureaucratic)'' To set out, to bring to someone's notice.^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[rappresentabile]]

+ * [[rappresentante]]

+ * [[rappresentanza]]

+ * [[rappresentativa]]

+ * [[rappresentativo]]

+ * [[rappresentazione]]

+ * [[rappresentatività]]

+ * [[rappresentatore]]

+ * [[sottorappresentare]]

+ * [[sovrarappresentare]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[presentare]]

+ * [[la|repraesentō]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}