sprecare Italian · revision 39057

+ {{infobox|confidence=unknown|attested=before 1306, Jacopone da Todi}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /spreˈka.re/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''sprecare''' (first-person singular present sprèco, first-person singular past historic sprecài, past participle sprecàto, auxiliary avére)^(Wiktionary)

+ An older variant is ''spregare'', used from the 15th century to Alfieri.^(DEI|3603)^(GDLI)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The origin is unknown: DELI finds none of the proposals convincing, and GRADIT, Devoto–Oli and Sabatini–Coletti call the word uncertain.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+

+ Giovanni Alessio (1946) derived it from an earlier ⟨*spercare⟩, from [[la-vul|*dispergicō|alt=*dispergicāre]], formed on [[m|la|dispergō|t=to scatter, squander]] as [[ficcare]] was on [[m|la|fīgō]];^(DELI 1999)^(DEI|3603)^(Devoto 1968)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Gabrielli 2020) DEI, Devoto, Zingarelli and Gabrielli follow this view, mostly with a “perhaps”.^(DELI 1999)^(DEI|3603)^(Devoto 1968)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Gabrielli 2020) Clemente Merlo (1956) objected that such a metathesis of ⟨r⟩ would have doubled the following consonant.^(DELI 1999) Moritz Regula proposed a Vulgar Latin [[m|la-vul|*disperdicō|alt=*disperdicāre]], from [[m|la|disperdō|t=to ruin, squander]].^(DELI 1999)^(Wiktionary) Treccani and Wiktionary mention [[m|la-vul|*exprecor|alt=*exprecārī|t=to send to ruin]].^(Treccani 2011)^(Wiktionary) Nocentini sees an Italian formation from the prefix [[s-]] and [[precare]], the unvoiced form of [[pregare|t=to pray]], meaning “to pray in vain, waste time praying”.^(Nocentini 2010) Körting thought of a German verb or [[m|la-vul|*disprecō|alt=*disprecāre|t=to curse]].^(Körting 1907)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The first record is in the ''Laude'' of Jacopone da Todi, before 1306, for wasting goods: in one poem, debts drive a man to steal and to squander the grain (''lo biado sprecare / en mala menata'').^(DELI 1999)^(GDLI)^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ From wasting money and goods the verb spread to wasting time, effort and talent.^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861)^(GRADIT 2003) Tommaseo records ''sprecare le parole'', ''il fiato'' and ''l'inchiostro'', to speak or write to no purpose.^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861) In football, ''sprecare un pallone'' is to miss an easy goal.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+

+ The pronominal ''sprecarsi'' means to spend one's gifts on something unworthy (Carlo Tenca, before 1883); in Rome it was used ironically of a mean gift, “he really went overboard: he gave me two lire!”, and in everyday speech ''si sprecano'' means things are plentiful.^(DELI 1999)^(Zingarelli 2010) The noun ''spreco'' “waste” is recorded only from 1853, and ''sprecone'' “spendthrift” from 1873.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Before 1306 – Jacopone da Todi uses ''sprecare''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * About 1470 – The variant ''spregare'' is recorded.^(DEI|3603)

+ * 1853 – ''Spreco'' “waste” is recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1873 – ''Sprecone'' “spendthrift” is recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1883 – Carlo Tenca uses ''sprecarsi'' for wasting one's talents.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To [[m|en|waste]] or [[m|en|squander]] money and goods: ''Non sprecare l'acqua mentre ti lavi i denti.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # To waste time, energy or talent on useless things: ''Ha sprecato due anni in un lavoro che non gli piaceva.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # To fail to make use of a chance: ''Abbiamo sprecato un'occasione d'oro.''^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # ''(sport)'' To miss an easy chance to score.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # ''(sprecarsi)'' To spend one's abilities on something not worth it.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # ''(sprecarsi, ironic)'' To make a mean or half-hearted effort or gift: ''Non ti sei sprecato con quel regalo!''^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # ''(sprecarsi, colloquial)'' Of things, to be plentiful: ''In quel locale le risse si sprecano.''^(Zingarelli 2010)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[spreco]]

+ * [[sprecone]]

+ * [[sprecamento]]

+ * [[sprecatore]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Sprecare il fiato'' and ''sprecare le parole'' mean to talk to no purpose, ''sprecare l'inchiostro'' to write in vain.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Gabrielli 2020)^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}