importanza Italian · revision 38872

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=before 1342, Domenico Cavalca|origins=la portō}}

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+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /im.porˈtan.t͡sa/^(Wiktionary)

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+ ==Forms==

+ '''importanza''' ''f'' (plural importanze)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old forms include [[roa-oit|importanzia]] and, in Pisa, [[m|roa-oit|inportansa]].^(TLIO)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[af|it|importare|-anza]], from the verb in its sense “to matter, to be of consequence”.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Nocentini 2010) Wiktionary instead derives it from [[la-med|importantia]].^(Wiktionary)

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+ The verb is a learned borrowing of [[la|importō|t=to bring in; to bring about, to cause]], from [[m|la|in-|t=in]] and [[m|la|portō|t=to carry]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010) Nocentini explains that the sense “to bring about” passed in Italian to “to concern, to interest”, and, from it came [[importante]] and the noun itself.^(Nocentini 2010) The sense “to bring goods into a country” is a much later loan from [[fr|importer]], which took it from English.^(DELI 1999)^(DEI|1965)

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+ DIFIT lists [[fr|importance]], recorded from 1361, beside the Italian noun, and [[de|Importanz]] came in turn from French.^(DIFIT) DEI places the French noun in the 14th century.^(DEI|1965)

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+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The TLIO's first record is in Domenico Cavalca's ''Specchio di croce'', written in Pisa before 1342, in the sense “the quality of what deserves attention because of its nature or consequences”.^(TLIO) DELI's first records are in Rinaldo degli Albizzi and Luigi Pulci in the 15th century;^(DELI 1999)^(GDLI) Pulci asks ''Che lettera o imbasciata hai d'importanza?'', “What letter or message of importance have you?”^(DELI 1999)^(GDLI)

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+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ From the 16th century the noun also meant a matter of great weight, an affair (before 1533), and the authority or standing of a person (before 1543).^(DIFIT) DELI records the sense “value, credit, regard” in Ramusio, who died in 1557.^(DELI 1999) Cellini used it for the most valuable part of a work, and ''importanza'' was also once the amount of a sum, a sense later taken by ''importo''.^(Zingarelli 2010)^(DEI|1965)^(GRADIT 2003)

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+ The phrase ''darsi importanza'', to put on airs, is recorded by Tommaseo in 1869, and the Milanese ''dass de l'importanza'' by Cherubini in 1840.^(DELI 1999)

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+ ==Timeline==

+ * Before 1342 – Domenico Cavalca uses ''importanza''.^(TLIO)

+ * 15th century – Rinaldo degli Albizzi and Luigi Pulci use the word.^(DELI 1999)^(GDLI)

+ * Before 1533 – It is used for an affair of great weight.^(DIFIT)

+ * Before 1543 – It is used for a person's authority and prestige.^(DIFIT)

+ * Before 1557 – Ramusio uses it for “value, regard”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1840 – Milanese ''dass de l'importanza'' is recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1869 – ''Darsi importanza'' appears in Tommaseo's dictionary.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # [[m|en|importance]], significance, weight: ''Questa lettera ha un valore enorme per la storia della città, ma pochi ne capiscono l'importanza.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Wiktionary)

+ # The influence, prestige or [[m|en|authority]] of a person: ''Con gli anni ha acquistato importanza nel partito.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # ''(obsolete)'' The amount of a sum.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Gabrielli 2020)

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+ ==Related words==

+ * [[importare]]

+ * [[importante]]

+ * [[la-med|importantia]]

+ * [[fr|importance]]

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+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Darsi importanza'' means to put on airs, to act important.^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011)^(Gabrielli 2020) ''Non ha importanza'' is the usual way to say “it doesn't matter”, and ''d'importanza'' means “important”.^(Treccani 2011)^(Gabrielli 2020)

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+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}