salutare Italian · revision 38944

+ Italian has two words spelled ''salutare'': an adjective “healthy, beneficial”, a learned borrowing from Latin ''salūtāris'', and a verb “to greet”, inherited from Latin ''salūtāre''.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003) DELI, Nocentini and GRADIT number the adjective 1 and the verb 2.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)

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+ {{homograph|1|healthy}}

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+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=1354, Iacopo Passavanti|origins=la salūs}}

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+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /sa.luˈta.re/^(Wiktionary)

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+ ==Forms==

+ '''salutare''' ''m or f'' by sense (plural salutari)^(Wiktionary)

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+ ==Etymology==

+ The adjective is [[bor|la|salūtāris|t=healthful; saving]], a learned word, from [[m|la|salūs|t=health; safety]], the source of [[salute]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(OLD 2012) The Latin noun is related to [[m|la|salvus|t=safe, sound]].^(DELI 1999) In Late and Medieval Latin the neuter [[m|la-lat|salūtāre]] also meant “salvation”, and the adjective was a name of the Saviour.^(GDLI)

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+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ DELI's first record is in Iacopo Passavanti (1354), in the sense “that saves from dangers”; the sense “health-giving, good for the health” is first recorded in Cristoforo Landino (1476).^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)

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+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In the 14th century the word also served as a noun for the Saviour, in Cavalca.^(DEI|3325) Older Italian called medicine ''l'arte salutare''.^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861)^(Gabrielli 2020) Lawyers called certain clauses ''salutari'', and Tommaseo refers to the ''sanatoria''.^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861) Today it is used of what is good for health, a climate or a cure, and figuratively of a lesson or a warning that helps.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

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+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1354 – Passavanti uses ''salutare'' “saving from danger”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1476 – Cristoforo Landino uses it for “health-giving”.^(DELI 1999)

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+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # [[m|en|healthy|alt=Healthful]], good for the health, having healing properties: ''un'aria salutare''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(figurative)'' Useful, [[m|en|beneficial]], that helps one to reach a good result or to mend one's ways: ''Quella bocciatura è stata una lezione salutare.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

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+ ==Word family==

+ * [[salutarmente]]

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+ {{homograph|2|to greet}}

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+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=before 1292, Bono Giamboni|origins=la salūs}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /sa.luˈta.re/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''salutare''' (first-person singular present salùto, first-person singular past historic salutài, past participle salutàto, auxiliary avére)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The verb is [[inh|la|salūtō|t=to greet; to wish health; to visit]], from [[m|la|salūs|t=health, safety]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026) The Latin verb is recorded throughout antiquity, from Naevius on, and every Romance branch except Vegliote continues it, so DÉRom reconstructs [[m|la-vul|*salūtō|alt=*/saˈlut-a-/]] for Proto-Romance.^(DÉRom) The same verb is [[fr|saluer]], [[oc|saludar]], [[ca|saludar]], [[es|saludar]], [[pt|saudar]] and [[sc|saludare]]; [[ro|săruta]] means “to kiss”, and Old Spanish too had that sense.^(Nocentini 2010)^(REW 1935)^(DEI|3324)

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+ Benveniste explained the Latin verb as delocutive, “to wish someone health by saying the word”;^(DELI 1999) DELI notes doubts about this, since Latin does not seem to have had such a greeting, with Mignot and Létoublon.^(DELI 1999)

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+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ DELI's first record is in Bono Giamboni's ''Libro de' vizî e delle virtudi'' (before 1292), for greeting someone one meets or leaves, and the reflexive ''salutarsi'' “to greet each other” is in the same text.^(DELI 1999) The ''Novellino'' has the verb at the end of the 13th century.^(DELI 1999)

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+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In the early lyric, Sicilian and stilnovo poetry above all, the lady's greeting was also her “health”, the salvation and courtesy her look gave the lover.^(GDLI) Dante's sonnet in the ''Vita nuova'' begins “Tanto gentile e tanto onesta pare / la donna mia quand'ella altrui saluta” (“So gentle and so honest my lady seems when she greets others”).^(GDLI) Old Italian also used the infinitive as a noun, ''il salutare'' “the greeting”, which Dante says contained all his bliss.^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861)^(DEI|3324)

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+ The sense “to proclaim, to hail as” is in Boccaccio (1348–1353), and “to welcome with joy or applause” in Annibal Caro (before 1566).^(DELI 1999) The noun [[saluto]] is a deverbal noun of the verb; the closing formula ''cordiali saluti'' in letters is recent.^(DELI 1999) The military salute, with the right hand raised to the peak of the cap, is recorded from 1864.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Before 1292 – Bono Giamboni uses ''salutare'' and ''salutarsi''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1348–1353 – Boccaccio uses it for “to proclaim, to hail”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1566 – Annibal Caro uses it for “to welcome with joy”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1864 – ''Saluto militare'' is recorded in Guerrazzi.^(DELI 1999)

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+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To [[m|en|greet]] someone one meets, with words or gestures of friendship or respect: ''Mi ha salutato con un cenno della mano.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # To say [[m|en|goodbye]] to someone, to take one's leave: ''Siamo andati all'aeroporto a salutarla.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To give someone's regards to a third person: ''Salutami tuo fratello.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # ''(military)'' To [[m|en|salute]] in the regulation way: ''salutare la bandiera''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # To pay a short visit to someone: ''Domani passo a salutarvi.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # ''(figurative)'' To leave an activity, a place or a person for good: ''Dopo vent'anni ha salutato il calcio.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+ # To welcome with applause, joy or disapproval: ''La squadra è stata salutata da un lungo applauso.''^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Treccani 2011)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # ''(literary)'' To acclaim someone as holder of an office.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(DELI 1999)

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+ ==Word family==

+ * [[saluto]]

+ * [[risalutare]]

+ * [[salutamento]]

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+ ==Related words==

+ * [[salute]]

+ * [[salvo]]

+ * [[salutifero]]

+ * [[la|salus]]

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+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Ti saluto!'' or ''vi saluto!'' is a curt way to end a conversation or to walk off;^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Gabrielli 2020) ''e ti saluto!'' expresses resignation at a loss.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Gabrielli 2020) The proverb ''salutare è cortesia, rendere il saluto è obbligo'' says that greeting is courtesy but returning a greeting is a duty.^(Treccani 2011)

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+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}