confermare Italian · revision 38960

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=1207–1208, Venetian treaty with the Sultan of Aleppo|origins=ine-pro *dʰer-}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /kon.ferˈma.re/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''confermare''' (first-person singular present conférmo, first-person singular past historic confermài, past participle confermàto, auxiliary avére)^(Wiktionary)

+ The old learned form, closer to Latin, is [[roa-oit|confirmare]].^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Treccani 2011)^(LEI|16, 1411)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|la|cōnfirmō|t=to strengthen; to ratify|alt=cōnfirmāre]], formed with [[m|la|con-]] on [[m|la|firmō|t=to make firm]], from [[m|la|firmus|t=firm, stable]].^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Wiktionary) The LEI counts the form with e among the popular continuations of the Latin verb and the old form with i among the learned ones;^(LEI|16, 1411)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GDLI|3, 517) Nocentini calls the verb a loan from Latin, and Battaglia's dictionary (GDLI) a learned word.^(LEI|16, 1411)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GDLI|3, 517)

+

+ The Latin verb lived on in popular form in its legal sense in [[fro|confermer]] and [[rm|confermar]]; [[fr|confirmer]], [[es|confirmar]] and [[pt|confirmar]] keep the Latin vowel.^(LEI|16, 1411)^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ Latin [[m|la|firmus]] goes back to [[itc-pro|*fermo-]] and [[ine-pro|*dʰer-mo-|t=holding]], from the root [[ine-pro|*dʰer-|t=to hold]] that also gave [[sa|धर्मन्|tr=dhárman|t=support; law]].^(de Vaan 2008)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The TLIO's first record is a Venetian treaty with the Sultan of Aleppo of 1207–1208, in the legal sense “to declare valid, ratify”.^(TLIO)^(LEI|16, 1411) DELI's first dates are Bono Giamboni (before 1292) for “to prove” and Brunetto Latini (before 1294) for “to restate firmly”.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In Old Italian the verb meant above all to make firmer: to strengthen a bond, a hope or a person in their faith, as in Dante's ''Convivio'' (1304–1307), where friendship is “confirmed” by long familiarity.^(LEI|16, 1411)^(GDLI|3, 517) Bartolomeo da San Concordio (before 1347) writes that art and study confirm and increase the gifts of nature.^(DELI 1999)^(GDLI|3, 517) The legal sense “to ratify” and “to keep someone in office” go back to the 13th century.^(TLIO)^(DELI 1999)

+

+ The religious sense “to administer confirmation” comes from Carolingian church Latin; the noun ''confermazione'' had it before 1292.^(LEI|16, 1411)^(DELI 1999) In horsemanship ''confermare la bocca del cavallo'', to continue training a horse to the bit, is probably a semantic calque of French.^(LEI|16, 1411) The modern everyday senses are “to prove right” (''i fatti confermano'') and “to reaffirm, to confirm a booking or an invitation”.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1207–1208 – A Venetian treaty with the Sultan of Aleppo has the first record.^(TLIO)

+ * Before 1292 – Bono Giamboni uses ''confermare'' for “to prove”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1294 – Brunetto Latini uses it for “to restate firmly”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1304–1307 – Dante's ''Convivio'' uses it for “to strengthen”.^(LEI|16, 1411)

+ * Before 1347 – Bartolomeo da San Concordio uses it for “to make more stable”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1600 – The noun ''conferma'' is recorded in Bernardo Davanzati.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1772 – ''Confermare la bocca del cavallo'' appears in a horsemanship dictionary.^(LEI|16, 1411)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To [[m|en|confirm]], to prove true or correct: ''Le analisi hanno confermato la diagnosi.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To repeat or renew in order to make certain; to confirm (an appointment, an invitation): ''Ti confermo che arrivo domani.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # To [[m|en|ratify]], to uphold (a decision): ''La corte ha confermato la condanna.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # To keep someone in a post: ''L'hanno confermato allenatore per un altro anno.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # To strengthen (a feeling, a suspicion); to make someone firmer in a belief or intention.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # ''(banking)'' Of a bank, to add its own undertaking to a letter of credit opened by another.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # ''(religion)'' To administer [[m|en|confirmation]] to.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # ''Confermarsi'': to prove oneself again, to show once more one's qualities: ''Si è confermata la migliore della squadra.''^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[conferma]]

+ * [[confermativo]]

+ * [[confermazione]]

+ * [[riconfermare]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[fermo]]

+ * [[fermare]]

+ * [[la|confirmo]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}