impedire Italian · revision 39227

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=1305–1306, Giordano da Pisa|origins=ine-pro *pṓds}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /im.peˈdi.re/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''impedire''' (first-person singular present impedìsco, first-person singular past historic impedìi, past participle impedìto, auxiliary avére)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old dialect texts have ''empedire''.^(GDLI|7, 423)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|la|impediō|t=to shackle the feet; to hinder]], from [[m|la|in-]] and [[m|la|pēs|t=foot]], properly “to put fetters on the feet”.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010) Zingarelli and the GDLI call it a learned word.^(Zingarelli 2010)^(GDLI|7, 423) In Latin the verb was replaced in popular use by [[m|la|impedicō]] in the imperial period, and its popular outcome survives only in [[osp|empecer|t=to harm]] and [[pt|empecer]].^(DEI|1957)^(Nocentini 2010)^(REW 1935) In some modern uses, such as hiding the view, Italian follows [[fr|empêcher]].^(DEI|1957)

+

+ De Vaan explains the Latin verb from the plural [[m|la|pedēs]] in the sense “fetters”.^(de Vaan 2008) The noun goes back to [[ine-pro|*pṓds|t=foot]], the source also of [[grc|πούς|tr=poús]] and [[sa|पाद्|tr=pā́t]].^(de Vaan 2008)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ DELI's first record is in Dante, 1300–1313, and Giordano da Pisa, 1305–1306, with the sense “to put obstacles in the way”.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003) In the ''Inferno'' Virgil tells Minos ''Non impedir lo suo fatale andare'', “do not hinder his fated journey”.^(GDLI|7, 423)^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861) Zingarelli dates the word to about 1261.^(Zingarelli 2010)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Boccaccio, 1348–1353, uses the verb for “to forbid, make impossible”, the main sense today.^(DELI 1999) The noun [[impedimento]] is older in Italian documents, as ''empedementu'' in a document from Fabriano of 1186, and took the legal sense of an obstacle to a valid marriage before 1396.^(DELI 1999) In the sense “baggage train” it is a Latinism, after [[m|la|impedīmentum|alt=impedimenta]].^(DEI|1957)

+

+ The construction ''ciò non impedisce'' “that does not prevent” was rejected by the purists in 1811.^(DELI 1999) In rare use the verb still means “to disable”, of an illness that leaves a limb useless.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1186 – ''Empedementu'' “impediment” appears in a document from Fabriano.^(DELI 1999)

+ * About 1261 – Zingarelli's date for the first record.^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ * 1300–1313 – Dante uses ''impedire'' for “to hinder”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1305–1306 – Giordano da Pisa uses the verb.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)

+ * 1348–1353 – Boccaccio uses it for “to forbid, make impossible”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1396 – ''Impedimento'' is recorded as an obstacle to marriage.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1811 – The purists reject ''ciò non impedisce''.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To [[m|en|prevent]], make impossible: ''Il traffico ci ha impedito di arrivare in tempo.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # To [[m|en|forbid]]: ''Il medico gli ha impedito di fare sport per un mese.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # To [[m|en|obstruct]], block: ''Un camion parcheggiato impediva l'uscita del cortile.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # To [[m|en|hamper]] someone's movements: ''Il cappotto pesante gli impediva ogni gesto.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+ # ''(rare)'' To disable a limb.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[impedimento]]

+ * [[impedito]]

+ * [[impediente]]

+ * [[disimpedire]]

+ * [[impedibile]]

+ * [[impeditivo]]

+ * [[impeditore]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[piede]]

+ * [[impacciare]]

+ * [[la|impedio]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}