temere Italian · revision 38951

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=13th century|origins=la timeō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /teˈme.re/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''temere''' (first-person singular present tèmo or (traditional) témo, first-person singular past historic temétti or (traditional) temètti or teméi, past participle temùto, auxiliary avére)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old and dialect forms include [[roa-oit|temire]], [[roa-oit|timere]], [[roa-oit|timire]] and [[roa-oit|timiri]] in Sicily.^(GDLI|20, 826)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|la|timeō|alt=timēre|t=to fear]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary) The same Latin verb is [[oc|temer]], [[ca|tembre]], [[es|temer]], [[pt|temer]], [[sc|timire]] and [[ro|teme]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(REW 1935)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ The origin of the Latin verb is unclear.^(DELI 1999)^(GDLI)^(Devoto 1968) Nocentini notes that it has no secure comparisons outside Latin, as is often the case with verbs of fear.^(Nocentini 2010) De Vaan rejects a link with words for “stiff”: their root is now reconstructed with a /s/ that would have given a different Latin form.^(de Vaan 2008)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ GRADIT and Nocentini date the verb to the 13th century, and DELI's first record is an Abruzzese text of that century, with the sense “to revere”.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Nocentini 2010)^(DELI 1999) The GDLI's earliest quotation is from Giacomo da Lentini, who warns Pisa to beware of proud people.^(GDLI|20, 826)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Dante uses the verb for being in awe of someone and, without an object, for having fears (1300–1313).^(DELI 1999) Boccaccio's ''Decameron'' has the main modern senses, to regard something unpleasant with fear and to suspect that something bad has happened.^(DELI 1999) Pietro de' Crescenzi's treatise on farming (about 1350) says plants ''temono'', that is, suffer from, certain conditions, and Matteo Villani uses the intransitive verb for distrust.^(DELI 1999)

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+ Later senses are “to doubt” in Paolo Segneri (1673) and “to be worried for someone” in Tommaseo's dictionary (1879).^(DELI 1999) The adjective ''temibile'' “to be feared” appears in Alessandro Piccolomini in 1575.^(DELI 1999) Machiavelli's question whether it is better to be loved than feared is a classic use of the verb.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(GRADIT 2003)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 13th century – An Abruzzese text uses ''temere'' “to revere”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1300–1313 – Dante uses it for being in awe and for having fears.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1348–1353 – Boccaccio uses it for fearing and suspecting.^(DELI 1999)

+ * About 1350 – The Italian Crescenzi uses it for “to suffer from”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1575 – ''Temibile'' is recorded in Alessandro Piccolomini.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1673 – Paolo Segneri uses the verb for “to doubt”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1879 – Tommaseo's dictionary records “to be worried”.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To [[m|en|fear]], to be afraid of someone or something, or that something may happen (with ''di'' and an infinitive or ''che'' and the subjunctive): ''Teme di perdere il treno.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To stand in [[m|en|awe]] of someone with authority: ''Da ragazzo temeva molto il nonno.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+ # To suspect, expect something unwelcome: ''Temo che domani nevicherà.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # In polite formulas, to soften a refusal or express regret: ''Temo di non poterti accompagnare.''^(GRADIT 2003)

+ # To [[m|en|revere]], respect: ''temere Dio''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(with a negative)'' To be able to face or beat: ''Questa squadra non teme rivali.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+ # To be sensitive to, suffer from: ''Queste piante temono il gelo.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(intransitive)'' To be worried (with ''per''): ''Temeva per la salute della madre.''^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[temibile]]

+ * [[tema]]

+ * [[temenza]]

+ * [[temuto]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[timore]]

+ * [[timido]]

+ * [[la|timeo]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ The present is ''temo'', pronounced with an open /ɛ/ or, traditionally, a closed /e/, and the past historic has both ''temei'' and ''temetti''.^(Wiktionary)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026) The GDLI records a separate obsolete ''temere'', a northern name of the grayling (modern ''temolo''), from Medieval Latin ''timurus''.^(GDLI|20, 826)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}