abbassare Italian · revision 38934

+ {{infobox|confidence=probable|formation=inherited|attested=early 13th century, Uguccione da Lodi|origins=la bassus}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ab.basˈsa.re/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''abbassare''' (first-person singular present abbàsso, first-person singular past historic abbassài, past participle abbassàto, auxiliary avére)^(Wiktionary)

+ The old spelling is ''abassare''; the TLIO lists many northern forms such as ''abasar'' and ''abassar''.^(Treccani 2011)^(TLIO)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|la-vul|*adbassiō|alt=*adbassiāre]], a derivative of [[la|bassus|t=low]], according to DELI, which follows the LEI.^(DELI 1999)^(Wiktionary) Nocentini, Devoto, GRADIT and the TLIO treat it instead as formed in Italian from [[basso]], with the prefix [[a-]] and the verb ending [[-are]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(Devoto 1968)^(GRADIT 2003)^(TLIO)^(Wiktionary) DEI derives it from the simple verb [[bassare]] and argues that the compound cannot be an old formation, because the simple verb is only found in Medieval Latin.^(DEI|4)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Medieval Latin records come first: a charter of 1192 orders mills to be lowered by half an arm's length (''abbassentur medietate unius brachii''), and at Modena in the 13th century ''abassare'' means “to dig out”.^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861)^(DELI 1999) The TLIO's first Italian record is the ''Libro'' of Uguccione da Lodi, in the dialect of Cremona, at the beginning of the 13th century, in the sense “to lower, bring down”.^(TLIO)^(Nocentini 2010) The reflexive “to humble oneself” is in the Tuscan translation of Brunetto Latini's ''Tresor'' at the end of the 13th century.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Old Italian already had the main modern senses: lowering a thing, reducing something in strength or value, softening a sound, and humbling a person or their pride.^(TLIO) Knights in the romances lower their lances for the charge: ''Abbassano loro lance e traggonsi a ferire'' (“They lower their lances and ride to strike”), in the ''Tavola Ritonda''.^(GDLI) The noun ''abbassamento'' is in Brunetto Latini (1260–1261).^(DELI 1999)

+

+ In geometry one “lowers” a perpendicular (1797), and in offices of the early 19th century a superior “lowered” an order to a subordinate (1812).^(DELI 1999) Alessandro Tassoni used the verb in the 17th century for “to dismount”, a sense taken from [[es|abajar]].^(DELI 1999) ''Abbassalingua'', the doctor's tongue depressor (1935), is probably modelled on [[fr|abaisse-langue]].^(DELI 1999) Modern uses include turning down the volume or the light, lowering prices, and in sport improving a record by lowering the time.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1192 – A Medieval Latin charter uses ''abbassentur'' of lowering mills.^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861)

+ * Early 13th century – Uguccione da Lodi uses the verb.^(TLIO)

+ * 1260–1261 – Brunetto Latini uses ''abbassamento''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * End of the 13th century – The ''Novellino'' uses ''abbassare'' for “to bring lower”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1797 – The geometrical sense “to drop a perpendicular” is recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1935 – ''Abbassalingua'' “tongue depressor” is recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To [[m|en|lower]], bring down: ''Abbassa la tapparella, c'è troppo sole.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To bend down, turn downward (the head, the eyes): ''Il bambino abbassò lo sguardo, imbarazzato.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # To make lower in height: ''abbassare la siepe di mezzo metro''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # To [[m|en|reduce]], decrease (prices, pressure, temperature).^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # To turn down (the voice, the volume, a light): ''Puoi abbassare la musica? Sto studiando.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(figurative)'' To [[m|en|humble]], to humiliate.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # ''(sport)'' To improve a record by lowering the time.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # ''(mathematics)'' To drop (a perpendicular). In long division, to bring down the next digit of the dividend.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # ''(reflexive, abbassarsi)'' To stoop, bend down.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026) Figuratively, to lower oneself: ''Non mi abbasserò a rispondergli.''^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # ''(intransitive pronominal, abbassarsi)'' To go down, sink, decrease: ''la febbre si è abbassata''.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[abbassamento]]

+ * [[abbassalingua]]

+ * [[abbassabile]]

+ * [[abbassata]]

+ * [[riabbassare]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[basso]]

+ * [[bassare]]

+ * [[la|bassus]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ Common figurative phrases are ''abbassare la guardia'' “to let one's guard down”, ''abbassare la cresta'' “to stop being arrogant” and ''abbassare la testa'' “to submit”.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}