disperato Italian · revision 39255

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=13th century, Patecchio|origins=la spērō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /dis.peˈra.to/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''disperato''' (feminine disperata, masculine plural disperati, feminine plural disperate, superlative disperatissimo)^(Wiktionary)

+ The old form ''desperato'' survives in literary use.^(Gabrielli 2020)^(GDLI|4, 724) Old forms include [[roa-oit|desperado]], [[roa-oit|desperad]] and [[roa-oit|disperatu]].^(TLIO)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is the past participle of [[disperare|t=to despair]], used as an adjective and noun.^(Nocentini 2010)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026) The verb is a learned word, [[bor|la|dēspērō|alt=dēspērāre|t=to give up hope]], from [[m|la|dē-]] and [[m|la|spērō|t=to hope]], and Latin had the participle [[m|la|dēspērātus|t=despaired of]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010) The LEI files the learned Romance forms under the Latin verb.^(LEI|19, 1496) Devoto analysed the participle as if it were built on [[speranza]] with the privative prefix [[dis-]].^(Devoto 1968|147)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The TLIO's first record is the ''Splanamento'' of the Cremonese poet Patecchio, of the 13th century.^(TLIO) DELI dates the sense “having lost all hope” to Malispini in the 13th century, with the construction ''disperato d'ogni soccorso'', “despairing of all help”.^(DELI 1999)^(GDLI|4, 724)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In Old Italian the word meant without hope, also of a sick man who could not recover and in religious language of one without trust in God's mercy, then in great suffering, especially in love poetry, and morally wicked.^(TLIO) As a noun it could even name the executioner.^(TLIO) The senses “in the grip of despair” and “caused by despair” are dated to Bono Giamboni before 1292 and Dante before 1321.^(DELI 1999) Dante writes of ''d'ogni dottrina disperati'', people with no hope of any learning.^(GDLI|4, 724)

+

+ Tommaseo records two old nouns: ''disperato'' “despair”, and a kind of popular poem, perhaps a lover's lament, listed by Varchi.^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861) The phrase ''alla disperata'' “with fury, any old how” was already in use before 1375.^(TLIO)^(Devoto–Oli 2026) In familiar modern Italian a ''disperato'' is also a penniless person or a desperado.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Treccani 2011)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 13th century – Patecchio's ''Splanamento'' has the first record.^(TLIO)

+ * 13th century – Malispini uses the word for “having lost all hope”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1292 – Bono Giamboni uses it for “in the grip of despair”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1321 – Dante uses it for “caused by despair”.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # [[m|en|desperate]], [[m|en|hopeless]], offering no hope of a good outcome: ''Le condizioni del ferito sono disperate.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # Done out of despair, with very little chance of success: ''un ultimo, disperato tentativo''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+ # Expressing despair: ''un grido disperato''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # Intense, frantic: ''una fuga disperata''.^(GRADIT 2003)

+ # In despair, without hope: ''Era disperato per la perdita del lavoro.'' In weaker use, very worried: ''Sono disperata, ho perso il telefono!''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # A person who has lost all hope or is in despair, ''studiare come un disperato'', to work frantically.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+ # ''(colloquial)'' A penniless person with no job or position; a [[m|en|desperado]] with nothing to lose.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Treccani 2011)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[disperatamente]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[disperare]]

+ * [[disperazione]]

+ * [[sperare]]

+ * [[speranza]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Alla disperata'' means hastily, furiously, or any old how: ''fare le valigie alla disperata''.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}