sonno Italian · revision 39302

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=1292–1294, Dante|origins=ine-pro *swépnos}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈson.no/, /ˈsɔn.no/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''sonno''' ''m'' (plural sonni)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old forms include ''sómno'', ''sómpno'' and ''sono'', and the dialect form ''suónno''.^(GDLI|19, 410) Old Italian also had plurals ''le sonna'' and ''le sónnora''.^(GDLI|19, 410)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|la|somnus|t=sleep]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary) The word is pan-Romance: [[fr|somme]], [[oc|som]], [[ca|son]], [[es|sueño]], Logudorese [[m|sc|sonnu]], [[ro|somn]] and [[dlm|samno]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(REW 1935)^(Wiktionary) In Piedmontese, Milanese and Logudorese the descendants also mean “dream”, and in Venetian, Sicilian and Neapolitan “temple of the head”.^(REW 1935)

+

+ The Latin noun continues [[itc-pro|*swepnos]], from [[ine-pro|*swépnos|t=sleep]], a derivative of the root [[m|ine-pro|*swep-|t=to sleep]], which also gives [[la|sopor]] and [[m|la|sōpiō|t=to put to sleep]].^(de Vaan 2008)^(Nocentini 2010)^(Wiktionary) Related nouns are [[grc|ὕπνος|tr=húpnos]], [[sa|स्वप्न|tr=svápna|t=sleep, dream]], [[lt|sapnas|alt=sãpnas|t=dream]], [[cu|сънъ|tr=sŭnŭ]], [[sga|súan]] and [[non|svefn]].^(de Vaan 2008)^(Nocentini 2010)^(Devoto 1968) De Vaan explains the Latin vowel from a Proto-Italic variant with /o/, as in the Celtic forms.^(de Vaan 2008)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The first record is in Dante's ''Vita nuova'' (1292–1294), where a sweet sleep comes over the poet as he thinks of Beatrice (''mi sopragiunse uno soave sonno'') and he sees a vision.^(DELI 1999)^(GDLI|19, 410) The sense “drowsiness, the need to sleep” appears in the ''Novellino'', at the end of the 13th century.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Old Italian also used the word for a dream, as in Dante's ''mal sonno'' that tore the veil of the future, a sense that is now only literary.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Wiktionary) The figurative senses of stillness, the silence of the night, and mental torpor (''il sonno della ragione'') developed from the main sense.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010) ''Il sonno eterno'' is death.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+

+ Medicine gave ''malattia del sonno'' (sleeping sickness) and ''terapia del sonno'', and the jargon of Freemasonry uses ''sonno'' for a member's withdrawal from activity.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(GRADIT 2003) Learned derivatives from Latin came in early: ''sonnolento'' (1313–1319) and ''sonnolenza'' (before 1321) are both in Dante, and ''sonnifero'', first an adjective (before 1503), is a sleeping drug from before 1529.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1292–1294 – Dante uses ''sonno'' in the ''Vita nuova''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Late 13th century – The ''Novellino'' uses ''sonno'' for drowsiness.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1313–1319 – Dante uses ''sonnolento''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1386 – ''Sonnellino'', a nap, is recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1529 – Castiglione uses ''sonnifero'' for a sleeping drug.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # [[m|en|sleep]], the periodic state of rest in which consciousness and will are suspended: ''Il bambino parla nel sonno.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(colloquial)'' A spell of sleep: ''fare un lungo sonno''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # [[m|en|sleepiness]], the need or wish to sleep: ''Dopo pranzo mi viene sempre sonno.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(figurative)'' Stillness, quiet, especially at night.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(figurative)'' Inertia, torpor of the mind.^(GRADIT 2003)

+ # ''(literary)'' A dream.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[sonnellino]]

+ * [[sonnifero]]

+ * [[sonnolento]]

+ * [[sonnolenza]]

+ * [[sonnacchioso]]

+ * [[sonnecchiare]]

+ * [[assonnato]]

+ * [[insonne]]

+ * [[insonnia]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[sogno]]

+ * [[sonnambulo]]

+ * [[sopore]]

+ * [[sopire]]

+ * [[la|somnus]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ Common phrases are ''avere sonno'' (to be sleepy), ''prendere sonno'' (to fall asleep), ''cascare dal sonno'' (to be dropping with sleep), ''dormire sonni tranquilli'' (to have nothing to worry about) and ''colpo di sonno'' (a sudden attack of drowsiness).^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010) ''Sonno'' is sleep and ''sogno'' a dream.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}