tacere Italian · revision 39276

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=13th century, Abate di Tivoli|origins=itc-pro *takēō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /taˈt͡ʃe.re/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''tacere''' (first-person singular present tàccio, first-person singular past historic tàcqui, past participle taciùto, auxiliary avére)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old and dialect forms include [[roa-oit|taciere]], [[roa-oit|tacire]], [[roa-oit|tasere]], [[roa-oit|taxere]], [[roa-oit|tagere]] and [[roa-oit|tazere]], and an old past historic ''tacetti'', still heard in Tuscany.^(GDLI|20, 657)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|la|taceō|t=to be silent]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary) The same word is [[fr|taire]] (Old French [[m|fro|taisir]]), [[oc|tazer]], [[rm|taschair]], [[fur|taze]], [[dlm|takar]] and [[ro|tăcea]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(REW 1935) Northern dialects formed a causative verb “to silence”, [[vec|tazentar]], with relatives in Genoese, Parmesan and Ferrarese.^(REW 1935)^(DEI|3695)

+

+ The Latin verb continues [[itc-pro|*takēō]].^(Wiktionary)^(de Vaan 2008) Its closest relatives are [[xum|taçez]] “silent” and the Germanic verb for “to be silent, keep secret”: [[got|𐌸𐌰𐌷𐌰𐌽|tr=þahan]], [[non|þegja]] and [[goh|dagēn]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(de Vaan 2008)^(Wiktionary) De Vaan reconstructs [[ine-pro|*tHk-eh₁-|t=to be silent]] and rejects the link with [[grc|πτήσσω|tr=ptḗssō|t=to cower]] that the LIV proposes.^(de Vaan 2008) DELI notes that the verb has little spread among the Indo-European languages, perhaps because it is recent, and Devoto sees clear connections only in Germanic.^(DELI 1999)^(Devoto 1968)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ DELI's earliest record is the transitive sense “to leave unsaid, pass over in silence” in the 13th-century Abate di Tivoli.^(DELI 1999) The GDLI quotes the 13th-century Cremonese poet Patecchio, “Mai se 'l mat omo tase, q'el no diga niente, / savio fi computando” (“if a foolish man keeps silent and says nothing, he is counted wise”), and Giacomo da Lentini, “Amore non vole ch'eo taza” (“Love does not want me to keep silent”).^(GDLI|20, 657)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Dante has the senses “to fall silent” and “to stop making a sound” in the ''Commedia'' (1300–1313), as in “Tacette allora, e poi comincia' io” (“then he fell silent, and I began”).^(DELI 1999)^(Treccani 2011) The infinitive was used as a noun, “silence”, before 1321, in Dante's “il tacer mio” (“my silence”).^(DELI 1999)^(GDLI|20, 659) Boccaccio has “to keep secret” (1348–1353), Petrarch uses the verb for a silent landscape (1374), and Tasso for “to report nothing” (1581).^(DELI 1999)

+

+ Proverbs grew up around both the verb and the noun: ''chi tace acconsente'', “silence gives consent”, and Tuscan ''un bel tacere non fu mai scritto'', “a fine silence was never written down”.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861) Modern Italian extends the verb to documents and sources that say nothing on a subject, to people who give no news, and to sounds and machines that stop.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 13th century – The Abate di Tivoli uses ''tacere'' in the sense “to pass over in silence”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1300–1313 – Dante uses it for falling silent and for sounds that stop.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1313 – Date of first record in GRADIT.^(GRADIT 2003)

+ * Before 1321 – The infinitive is used as a noun, “silence”, by Dante.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1348–1353 – Boccaccio uses it for keeping a secret.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1374 – Petrarch uses it of silent nature.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1581 – Tasso uses it for reporting nothing.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1935 – The compound ''sottacere'' is recorded.^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # ''(intransitive)'' To be [[m|en|silent]], keep quiet: ''Durante la riunione ha preferito tacere.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(intransitive)'' To stop speaking, fall silent; to stop chattering: ''Quando entrò il preside, tutti tacquero.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+ # ''(intransitive)'' To refrain from revealing what one knows: ''Se vuoi evitare guai, faresti meglio a tacere.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(intransitive)'' To put up with something without protest.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+ # ''(intransitive)'' To give no news of oneself, not to answer.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+ # ''(intransitive)'' Of a text or source, to give no information: ''Su questo punto le cronache tacciono.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(intransitive)'' Of animals, sounds or machines, to stop being heard; of a place, to lie in silence.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(transitive)'' To leave unsaid, [[m|en|omit]]; to keep secret: ''Raccontò tutto, ma tacque il nome del colpevole.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Treccani 2011)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # ''(literary)'' [[m|en|silence]].^(Wiktionary)^(GDLI|20, 659)^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[sottacere]]

+ * [[ritacere]]

+ * [[tacente]]

+ * [[tacimento]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[tacitare]]

+ * [[tacito]]

+ * [[taciturno]]

+ * [[la|taceō]]

+ * [[fr|taire]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Mettere a tacere'' means “to hush up” a matter or “to silence” a person, and ''far tacere qualcuno'' in criminal slang means to kill them.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011) The verb is irregular: ''taccio'', ''taci'', ''tace'', ''tacciamo'', past historic ''tacqui'', past participle ''taciuto''.^(Wiktionary)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}