fede Italian · revision 38965

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=c. 1190, Raimbaut de Vaqueiras|origins=ine-pro *bʰeydʰ-}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈfe.de/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''fede''' ''f'' (plural fedi)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old forms include [[roa-oit|fe]], [[roa-oit|fé]], [[roa-oit|fee]], [[roa-oit|fei]] and [[roa-oit|fide]].^(TLIO) The shortened ''fé'' survives in poetry and literary use.^(DELI 1999)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|la|fidēs|t=trust; faith; loyalty|alt=fidem]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary) With the Latin derivatives [[m|la|fidēlis]] and [[m|la|fidēlitās]] it gave [[fedele]] and [[fedeltà]].^(DELI 1999) Battaglia's dictionary (GDLI) calls it a learned word that spread through the Romance languages by way of the Church;^(GDLI|5)^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010) DELI and Nocentini treat it as an inherited Latin word.^(GDLI|5)^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ The same word is [[fr|foi]], [[oc|fe]], [[ca|fe]], [[es|fe]] and [[pt|fé]]; [[dlm|faid]] and [[rm|feit]] continue it too.^(Nocentini 2010)^(REW 1935)^(Körting 1907)

+

+ The Latin noun belongs with [[m|la|fīdō|t=to trust]] and [[m|la|fīdus|t=faithful]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(de Vaan 2008) De Vaan reconstructs [[itc-pro|*fiþē-]] and [[ine-pro|*bʰidʰ-eh₁-|t=faith]], from the root of [[ine-pro|*bʰeydʰ-|t=to trust]], which also gave [[grc|πείθομαι|tr=peíthomai|t=to be persuaded, obey]].^(de Vaan 2008)^(Devoto 1968|179)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The TLIO's first record is in the bilingual ''Contrasto'' of the troubadour Raimbaut de Vaqueiras, about 1190, whose Italian lines are Genoese.^(TLIO) DELI's first date is Giacomo da Lentini (before 1250), who uses ''fede'' for firm belief in something: in one of his poems the lover looks at a painted likeness of his lady as a man who trusts to be saved by his faith without seeing.^(DELI 1999)^(GDLI|5)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ DELI dates the religious sense, assent to a revealed truth, to Bono Giamboni (before 1292), and “loyalty, faithful keeping of one's word” to Guittone d'Arezzo (before 1294).^(DELI 1999) From the Christian faith the word came to mean a religion in general, and later any set of political or philosophical convictions.^(TLIO)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010) The Old Italian oath ''in fede di Dio'' and the exclamation ''affé'', from ''a fé'' “by my faith”, recorded before 1470, belong here, as does Boccaccio's ''gnaffe'', from ''per mia fe''.^(TLIO)^(Nocentini 2010)^(Prati 1951|429)

+

+ The wedding ring is ''fede'' because it was the ''anulus fidei'', the “ring of faith”, a sign of faithfulness from Saint Ambrose to the medieval novella;^(DELI 1999)^(DEI|1612) DELI finds this sense in a 14th-century translation of the Golden Legend, while DEI dates it only to the 19th century.^(DELI 1999)^(DEI|1612) The sense “written testimony, certificate” appears in 1437 and survives in ''fede di nascita'' and ''fede di battesimo''.^(DELI 1999)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Gabrielli 2020) ''Alta fedeltà'' (1959), from the derivative ''fedeltà'', is a calque of English ''high-fidelity''.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ German borrowed the word in the sense “faith” in the 1580s and as a term for a testimonial in 1728.^(DIFIT)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1190 – Raimbaut de Vaqueiras' ''Contrasto'' has the first record in Genoese.^(TLIO)

+ * Before 1250 – Giacomo da Lentini uses ''fede'' for firm belief.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)

+ * Before 1292 – Bono Giamboni uses it for religious faith.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1294 – Guittone d'Arezzo uses it for loyalty.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 14th century – A translation of the Golden Legend uses it for the wedding ring.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1437 – The sense “certificate” is recorded.^(DELI 1999)^(DIFIT)

+ * Before 1470 – The exclamation ''affé'' is recorded.^(Nocentini 2010)

+ * 1585–1589 – German borrows the word as ''foede''.^(DIFIT)

+ * 1959 – ''Alta fedeltà'' “high fidelity” is recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # Firm [[m|en|belief]] in something or someone, held from conviction or trust rather than proof; [[m|en|confidence]]: ''Ha molta fede nelle proprie forze.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(theology)'' In Christianity, the first of the three [[m|en|theological virtues]], by which one believes what God has revealed.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # [[m|en|religion]], creed: ''È cresciuto nella fede ortodossa.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # The principles one holds, especially in politics or philosophy: ''Non ha mai nascosto la sua fede liberale.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # [[m|en|faithfulness]], loyalty; the keeping of a promise or agreement: ''tenere fede a un impegno''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # [[m|en|wedding ring]]: ''Si tolse la fede e la posò sul tavolo.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Testimony, attestation, ''(bureaucratic)'' a [[m|en|certificate]]: ''fede di battesimo''.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[fedele]]

+ * [[fedeltà]]

+ * [[fededegno]]

+ * [[affé]]

+ * [[fedina]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[fedecommesso]]

+ * [[fedifrago]]

+ * [[fiducia]]

+ * [[fidare]]

+ * [[la|fides]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Buona fede'' and ''mala fede'' (also written ''buonafede'', ''malafede'') are honest intention and deceitful intention.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011) ''In fede'' closes a signed statement, ''far fede'' is “to bear witness, be proof”, and ''uomo di poca fede'' is said jokingly of someone who doubts others.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Gabrielli 2020)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}