unire Italian · revision 38831

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=before 1306, Jacopone da Todi|origins=la ūnus}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /uˈni.re/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''unire''' (first-person singular present unìsco, first-person singular past historic unìi, past participle unìto, auxiliary avére)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|la|ūniō|alt=ūnīre|t=to unite]], a verb derived from [[m|la|ūnus|t=one]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary) Nocentini classes it as a learned borrowing, DEI as semi-learned, and Prati says it came by the literary route.^(Nocentini 2010)^(DEI|3954)^(Prati 1951|1029) The Latin verb is late: Devoto calls it non-classical, DEI cites it from Seneca and takes it as modelled on [[grc|ἑνίζω|tr=henízō|t=to unite]], and Tommaseo found it in Tertullian.^(Devoto 1968)^(DEI|3954)^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861)

+

+ DELI notes that the verb and its participle [[m|la|ūnītus]] spread to all the Romance languages: [[fro|onir]] and later [[fr|unir]], [[oc|unir]], [[ca|unir]], [[es|unir]] and [[pt|unir]].^(DELI 1999)^(REW 1935)^(Körting 1907) Meyer-Lübke considered all of these learned except the Old French form.^(REW 1935)

+

+ For [[m|la|ūnus]] de Vaan reconstructs [[itc-pro|*oino-]] and [[ine-pro|*Hoi-no-|t=one]], as Old Latin [[m|la|oino]] shows, with cognates such as [[sga|óen]] and [[got|𐌰𐌹𐌽𐍃|tr=ains]].^(de Vaan 2008)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ DELI's first record is Jacopone da Todi (before 1306), in the sense of joining or mixing things so that they become one;^(DELI 1999) Dante has it in the wider sense of binding or associating closely (1304–1308).^(DELI 1999) In the ''Convivio'' Dante writes that the more an agent ''unisce'' itself to what it acts on, the stronger the effect.^(GDLI)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The reflexive ''unirsi'' “to accompany, keep company with” is dated about 1350, in the Italian translation of Pietro de' Crescenzi, and the reciprocal “to come together, form a union” before 1571, in Cellini.^(DELI 1999) Binding people by moral or legal ties is recorded in Paolo Segneri (1673), and having two qualities at once, as in Giusti's ''che unisce il merito alla modestia'' (1840–1841), followed.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ The sense “to bring to a common agreement” is dated 1891 and “to make common cause” 1939–1940.^(DELI 1999) Modern dictionaries add mixing ingredients, enclosing a document, and linking two distant places with a road or a line.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026) The noun ''unione'' and ''unità'' are learned words taken from Latin beside the verb, both from the 14th century.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Before 1306 – Jacopone da Todi uses ''unire'' and ''unione''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1304–1308 – Dante uses it for binding things closely.^(DELI 1999)

+ * About 1350 – The reflexive “to keep company with” in the Crescenzi translation.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1571 – Cellini uses ''unirsi'' “to come together”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1673 – Segneri uses it for moral or legal bonds.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1840–1841 – Giusti uses it for combining two qualities.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To [[m|en|join]] or put together two or more things so that they form a whole: ''Abbiamo unito le due scrivanie.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # To merge into one body, especially political or economic: to unite states, companies.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+ # To [[m|en|mix]] or add an ingredient: ''Unite lo zucchero alle uova.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # To enclose, attach: to add a letter to an application.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+ # To combine or join forces; to possess qualities together: ''unire l'utile al dilettevole''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # To bind people by a moral or legal tie, or by shared interests: ''unire in matrimonio''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # To [[m|en|connect]] two distant points or places: a bridge joining two towns.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+

+ ===Verb (reflexive: unirsi)===

+ # To join together, form a union, ally oneself; to join someone, keep them company: ''Si unì al gruppo all'ultimo momento.''^(DELI 1999)^(Treccani 2011)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[unibile]]

+ * [[unione]]

+ * [[unionista]]

+ * [[unità]]

+ * [[unitario]]

+ * [[unito]]

+ * [[unionismo]]

+ * [[disunire]]

+ * [[riunire]]

+ * [[riunione]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[unitore]]

+ * [[uno]]

+ * [[la|unus]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ The verb is conjugated with ''-isc-'': ''unisco'', ''unisci''.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010) An old homograph ''unire'', a variant of ''onire'' “to dishonour”, is found in the ''Novellino''.^(GDLI) ''UNIRE'' is also the acronym of the national body for horse breeding and racing.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}