preciso Italian · revision 38891

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=1310–1313|origins=la caedō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /preˈt͡ʃi.zo/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''preciso''' (feminine precisa, masculine plural precisi, feminine plural precise, superlative precisissimo)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is a learned word, [[bor|la|praecīsus|t=cut off; abrupt; shortened]], the past participle of [[m|la|praecīdō|t=to cut off, to cut short]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary) The Latin verb is a compound of [[m|la|prae-|t=before, in front]] and [[m|la|caedō|t=to cut]], with the usual change of its diphthong to /i/ in the inner syllable.^(DELI 1999)^(Devoto 1968) In the language of rhetoric the Latin participle had come to mean “concise, brief”, and DEI quotes Quintilian for it.^(DEI|3053)^(GDLI) Devoto explains the sense of exactness from this use: what has been cut in front became what has been stripped of every superfluous ornament.^(Devoto 1968)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+

+ The same Latin word gave [[fr|précis]] and [[es|preciso]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(DEI|3053) The derived Latin noun [[m|la|praecīsiō]] meant only “a cutting off, a part cut off”, while Italian [[precisione]] took its sense from the adjective; [[precisare]] came from [[fr|préciser]].^(DELI 1999)

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+ The simple verb continues [[itc-pro|*kaidō]], from [[ine-pro|*kh₂eyd-|t=to strike, to cut]].^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ DELI's first record is in a statute of 1310–1313, in the sense “exact”.^(DELI 1999) Nocentini dates the first record to 1309–1310.^(Nocentini 2010) The participle “cut off” of the verb [[precidere]] was also used: Dante has ''preciso'' for “cut short, interrupted” in the ''Paradiso''.^(GDLI)^(DEI|3053)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In Old Italian the participle kept its Latin senses “cut away”, “carved out with a chisel” and “separated”, which Tommaseo already marks as belonging to the written language.^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861)^(DEI|3053) The adjective spread in the sense of “specific, well determined”: Guicciardini writes of a law that cannot give a ''precisa determinazione'' for every case.^(GDLI|14, 60) Dante and Boccaccio also used ''preciso'' as an adverb, “precisely, absolutely”, a use now literary.^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+

+ From [[fr|précis]] (1671) Italian took a noun ''preciso'', a summary or the gist of a matter, used by Goldoni and now out of use.^(GDLI|14, 62) The sense “who does things with exactness”, said of a person, is dated 1851, and ''di precisione'' for an exact instrument or careful work 1871.^(DELI 1999) In modern colloquial use ''preciso'' also means “identical” (''preciso a'') and, as a reply, “exactly so”.^(Treccani 2011)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1309–1310 – Nocentini's date for the first record.^(Nocentini 2010)

+ * 1310–1313 – ''Preciso'' “exact” in a statute.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1313–1319 – Dante uses ''preciso'' for “cut short”.^(GDLI|14, 61)

+ * Before 1642 – Galileo uses ''precisione''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1671 – French ''précis'', the source of the noun ''preciso'' “summary”, is recorded.^(GDLI|14, 62)

+ * 1778 – ''Precisare'' is first recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1851 – The sense “exact in what one does”, of a person, is recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1871 – ''Di precisione'' is recorded in Tommaseo–Bellini.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # [[m|en|exact]], [[m|en|accurate]], free of errors: ''Mi serve il numero preciso degli iscritti.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # Specific, well defined, clear: ''Ha in mente un piano preciso.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # Of time or measure: exact, to the minute or unit: ''Ci vediamo alle sei precise.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # Of an instrument: giving exact readings: ''un termometro molto preciso''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+ # Of language: apt, correct in expressing a concept.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+ # Of a person: careful, [[m|en|meticulous]], punctual: ''È precisa in tutto quello che fa.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # Identical (with ''a''): ''Questa borsa è precisa alla mia.''^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011)

+

+ ===Adverb===

+ # ''(colloquial)'' Of exactly the right size: ''Il divano ci entra preciso.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # In answers: exactly, quite so.^(Treccani 2011)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[precisione]]

+ * [[precisare]]

+ * [[precisazione]]

+ * [[precisamente]]

+ * [[impreciso]]

+ * [[precisino]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[precidere]]

+ * [[conciso]]

+ * [[la|praecīsus]]

+ * [[fr|précis]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Di preciso'' means “exactly, for certain”, mostly with a negative: ''non so di preciso''.^(Treccani 2011) The past participle of the literary verb [[precidere]] is spelled the same;^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010) GRADIT and Zingarelli give it a numbered headword of its own.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}