convincere Italian · revision 38854

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=late 13th century, Bonvesin da la Riva|origins=la vincō}}

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+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /konˈvin.t͡ʃe.re/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''convincere''' (first-person singular present convìnco, first-person singular past historic convìnsi, past participle convìnto, auxiliary avére)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|la|convincō|t=to prove; to convict]], a learned word, from [[m|la|vincō|t=to conquer]] with the prefix [[m|la|con-]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary) Nocentini glosses the Latin as “to prove in a winning way”, and Battaglia notes that it meant both “to subdue” and “to prove beyond refutation”.^(Nocentini 2010)^(GDLI) The Italian Wiktionary adds that “to persuade” is a Late Latin sense, beside classical “to prove guilty”.^(Wikizionario)

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+ The noun [[convinzione]] is Late Latin [[m|la-lat|convictiō]], remade after [[convinto]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010) The French verb [[m|fr|convaincre]], recorded from the 12th century, was remade on [[m|fr|vaincre]];^(DEI|1092)^(Nocentini 2010) Spanish has [[m|es|convencer]].^(DEI|1092)^(Nocentini 2010) Dialect forms such as [[rgn|convenzer]] are recorded.^(Prati 1951|327)

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+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The TLIO's first record is Bonvesin da la Riva, in Milanese, in the last decade of the 13th century, and its first sense is rhetorical: to defeat an opponent in a philosophical or doctrinal dispute.^(TLIO) DELI dates the sense “to bring someone to accept something by argument” from Dante (1304–08), who says Aristotle first fought the adversaries of truth and then, ''quelli convinti'', showed the truth.^(DELI 1999)^(GDLI)

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+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The legal sense “to prove someone guilty” is recorded from Alberto della Piagentina before 1332, and the TLIO also has “to overcome by force” in Old Italian.^(DELI 1999)^(TLIO) Battaglia records a separate rare ''convincere'' “to join, link” in Francesco da Barberino, influenced by [[la|vinciō|t=to bind]].^(GDLI)^(TLIO)

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+ The reflexive ''convincersi'', to become certain, is recorded only in 1755.^(DELI 1999) ''Convinzione'' (before 1578) took the plural sense “beliefs reached after reflection” in Rosmini before 1855.^(DELI 1999) In modern use the verb in the negative also means “not to inspire trust”: ''la cosa non mi convince''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

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+ ==Timeline==

+ * Late 13th century – Bonvesin da la Riva uses the verb.^(TLIO)

+ * 1304–1308 – Dante uses it for persuading by argument.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1332 – Alberto della Piagentina uses it for proving guilt.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1578 – ''Convinzione'' is recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1755 – ''Convincersi'' is recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To [[m|en|convince]] someone of something by argument or evidence: ''Mi ha convinto della sua innocenza.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # To [[m|en|persuade]] someone to do something: ''L'ho convinta a venire con noi.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # (chiefly in the negative) To inspire trust, to satisfy: ''Questo progetto non mi convince.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(law)'' To prove someone guilty: ''fu convinto di furto''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[convincimento]]

+ * [[convinto]]

+ * [[convinzione]]

+ * [[convincente]]

+ * [[convincibile]]

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+ ==Related words==

+ * [[vincere]]

+ * [[la|convincō]]

+ * [[fr|convaincre]]

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+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}