sospetto Italian · revision 39001

+ Italian has two words spelled ''sospetto'': the adjective “suspicious, suspect”, from the Latin participle ''suspectus'', and the noun “suspicion”, from the Latin noun ''suspectus'' or formed from ''sospettare''.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(Wiktionary) DELI and Nocentini number them 1 and 2;^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003) GRADIT has the opposite order.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)

+

+ {{homograph|1|suspicious; suspect}}

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+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=c. 1225|origins=ine-pro *speḱ-}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /sosˈpɛt.to/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''sospetto''' (feminine sospetta, masculine plural sospetti, feminine plural sospette)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The adjective is [[bor|la|suspectus|t=mistrusted, suspected]], the past participle of [[m|la|suspiciō|alt=suspicere|t=to look up at; to mistrust]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary) [[m|la|suspiciō]] is [[m|la|speciō|t=to look]] with the prefix [[m|la|sub-|t=under]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(DELI 1999) [[m|la|speciō]] goes back to [[ine-pro|*speḱ-|t=to look]].^(de Vaan 2008)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ GRADIT dates the adjective to about 1225;^(GRADIT 2003)^(DELI 1999) DELI's first record is Iacopone da Todi (before 1306), for what arouses distrust or fear.^(GRADIT 2003)^(DELI 1999) The GDLI quotes Iacopone's miser who ''ha sospetta la fameglia'', distrusts his own household, lest they rob him.^(GDLI)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Dino Compagni's chronicle praised the newly elected priors of Florence as ''uomini non sospetti e buoni'', men above suspicion; a Pisan statute of 1313–1323 declared every Guelph ''sospecto'' to the people of Pisa.^(GDLI) DEI notes that Latin ''suspectus'' could also mean “mistrustful”, the sense of Italian ''sospettoso''.^(DEI|3562)

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+ Modern senses are a feared illness (''una sospetta frattura''), goods of doubtful origin, and a mushroom not known to be edible; used as a noun it means a suspected person.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * About 1225 – GRADIT's first date.^(GRADIT 2003)

+ * Before 1306 – Iacopone da Todi uses the adjective.^(DELI 1999)^(GDLI)

+ * 1313–1323 – a Pisan statute uses ''sospecto'' for those distrusted by the commune.^(GDLI)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # [[m|en|suspicious]], arousing distrust or doubt: ''Un'auto sospetta era parcheggiata davanti alla banca.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # Suspected of a crime: ''un funzionario sospetto di corruzione''.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # Of doubtful origin, probably stolen or smuggled: ''merce sospetta''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+ # Feared to exist, possible: ''un sospetto caso di morbillo''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # Of a mushroom, not known to be [[m|en|edible]].^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # A [[m|en|suspect]], a suspected person: ''I carabinieri hanno interrogato tre sospetti.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[sospettamente]]

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+ {{homograph|2|suspicion}}

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+ {{infobox|confidence=disputed|formation=derivation|attested=before 1321, Dante|origins=ine-pro *speḱ-}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /sosˈpɛt.to/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''sospetto''' ''m'' (plural sospetti)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The noun is formed in Italian from the verb [[sospettare|t=to suspect]], according to DELI, GRADIT, Sabatini and Wiktionary.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Wiktionary) The verb is [[m|la|suspectō|t=to look up at; to suspect]], a frequentative of [[m|la|suspiciō|alt=suspicere|t=to look up at; to mistrust]], which is [[m|la|speciō|t=to look]] with the prefix [[m|la|sub-]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010) Nocentini, the GDLI and Meyer-Lübke instead derive the noun from the noun [[la|suspectus|t=a looking up]], formed from [[m|la|suspiciō]];^(Nocentini 2010)^(GDLI)^(REW 1935)^(OLD 2012)^(DEI|3562) DEI gives both, noting that the Latin noun lacked the Romance sense.^(Nocentini 2010)^(GDLI)^(REW 1935)^(OLD 2012)^(DEI|3562) The noun has cognates in [[sc|suspettu]], [[fur|suspiet]] and [[osp|sospecho]].^(DEI|3562)^(REW 1935)

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+ The GDLI attributes the modern sense “a hint, a trace” to the influence of [[fr|soupçon]].^(GDLI)

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+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The GDLI's earliest quotation is from the poet Abbracciavacca;^(GDLI)^(DELI 1999) DELI dates the noun to Dante (before 1321), for distrust of others' conduct.^(GDLI)^(DELI 1999) GRADIT dates it 1313–1319.^(GRADIT 2003) Dante also used it for fear: he pressed close to the poet ''per sospetto''.^(GRADIT 2003)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In Old Italian ''sospetto'' meant not only suspicion but also fear and hesitation, senses GRADIT and Devoto–Oli now mark as archaic and literary.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026) DEI dates the sense “clue, sign” to the 16th century (Firenzuola).^(DEI|3562) In law, ''legittimo sospetto'' is a ground for moving a criminal trial to another court.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(GRADIT 2003) The colloquial ''un sospetto di latte'', a drop of milk, is the French-influenced sense “a trace”.^(GRADIT 2003)^(GDLI)

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+ ==Timeline==

+ * Before 1321 – Dante uses it for distrust and for fear.^(DELI 1999)^(GDLI)

+ * 16th century – Firenzuola uses it for a clue.^(DEI|3562)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A [[m|en|suspicion]], a more or less founded belief that someone is guilty or something is wrong: ''Ho il sospetto che ci stia mentendo.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # A feeling of distrust: ''Tra i due soci regnava un clima di sospetto.''.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(archaic, literary)'' Fear; hesitation.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+ # ''(colloquial)'' A tiny amount, a trace: ''un tè con un sospetto di limone''.^(GRADIT 2003)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[sospettoso]]

+ * [[insospettire]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[sospettare]]

+ * [[suspicione]]

+ * [[la|suspectus]]

+ * [[fr|suspect]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ Phrases with the noun include ''al di sopra di ogni sospetto'' (above suspicion), ''destare sospetti'' (to arouse suspicion) and, in law, ''legittimo sospetto''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

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+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}