esperto Italian · revision 38952

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=1252–1258, Storie de Troia e de Roma|origins=la experior}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /esˈpɛr.to/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''esperto''' (feminine esperta, masculine plural esperti, feminine plural esperte, superlative espertissimo)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old forms include [[roa-oit|experto]], [[roa-oit|espierto]], [[roa-oit|isperto]] and [[roa-oit|sperto]].^(TLIO)^(GDLI|5, 392) Devoto–Oli and Gabrielli still list ''sperto'' as archaic and literary.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is a learned borrowing, [[bor|la|expertus|t=experienced; tested]], the past participle of [[m|la|experior|t=to try, test, experience]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(TLIO)^(Wiktionary) As a noun, “an expert”, it is a calque of [[fr|expert]], according to Devoto–Oli and Treccani.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011)^(DEI|1542)

+

+ The Latin word also survived in popular speech: DEI and REW cite [[egl|spèrt|t=witty, cheerful]] in Emilia and around Piacenza, and Old French, Occitan and Catalan [[m|ca|espert|t=skilful, quick]].^(DEI|1542)^(REW 1935) Wiktionary connects the root of the Latin verb with [[m|la|perītus|t=experienced]] and [[m|la|perīculum|t=trial, danger]].^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The TLIO's first record is in the ''Storie de Troia e de Roma'', a Roman text of 1252–1258, and DELI's in Iacopone da Todi, who died in 1306.^(TLIO)^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010) The sense is skilled through experience in some activity: Iacopone writes ''tengote bene esperto, si me fieri a scoperto'', “I'll call you truly skilled if you hit me where I'm unguarded”.^(TLIO)^(GDLI|5, 392)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In Old Italian the word also meant informed of a fact, made wise by experience, or known through experience.^(TLIO) Dante's souls in the ''Purgatorio'' say they are not ''sperti'' of the place, but pilgrims like the travellers who ask them the way.^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861) A Tuscan proverb says that no ploughman is so ''esperto'' that he never ploughs a crooked furrow.^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861)

+

+ The noun, a person with special knowledge in a field, is recorded from Carlo Cattaneo in 1860.^(DELI 1999)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026) It later took legal and technical uses: an expert witness called by a court, and in computing ''sistema esperto'', an [[m|en|expert system]].^(Gabrielli 2020)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1252–1258 – The ''Storie de Troia e de Roma'' use the adjective.^(TLIO)

+ * Before 1306 – Iacopone da Todi uses ''esperto''.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)

+ * 1300–1313 – Dante uses the form ''sperti'' in the ''Purgatorio''.^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861)

+ * 1860 – Carlo Cattaneo uses ''esperto'' as a noun, “specialist”.^(DELI 1999)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # [[m|en|experienced]], [[m|en|skilled]] in a particular field (with ''di'' or ''in''): ''È un'esperta di storia medievale.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # Capable, able: ''un'alpinista esperta''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # Who knows the world, worldly-wise: ''Mio nonno era un uomo esperto del mondo.''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+ # Of things, showing experience: ''Lo ha esaminato con occhio esperto.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # ''(computing)'' ''Sistema esperto'': an expert system.^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # An [[m|en|expert]], a [[m|en|specialist]]: ''Abbiamo chiesto il parere di un esperto di vini.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # ''(law)'' A person called by the judge or the parties to give a technical opinion.^(Gabrielli 2020)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[inesperto]]

+ * [[espertamente]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[esperire]]

+ * [[esperienza]]

+ * [[esperimento]]

+ * [[perito]]

+ * [[fr|expert]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}