dubitare Italian · revision 39334

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=c. 1243, Guido Faba|origins=la dubius}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /du.biˈta.re/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''dubitare''' (first-person singular present dùbito, first-person singular past historic dubitài, past participle dubitàto, auxiliary avére)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old Italian also wrote [[m|roa-oit|dubbitare]], and southern and northern texts have forms such as [[m|roa-oit|dovetare]] and [[m|roa-oit|dobitar]].^(TLIO)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is a learned word, [[bor|la|dubitō|t=to be uncertain, hesitate]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary) The Latin verb is derived from [[m|la|dubius|t=hesitant, in doubt]], the source of Italian [[dubbio]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(de Vaan 2008) De Vaan explains the family from an older adjective meaning “in doubt”, perhaps “of two forms”, built on the Latin stem for “two”, [[m|la|duo]], and the root of “to be, become”; a verb [[m|la|dubō|alt=dubāre]] is quoted by Festus.^(de Vaan 2008)^(DEI|1398)^(Devoto 1968)

+

+ The verb also lived on by popular descent: [[fr|douter]], [[pro|doptar]], [[es|dudar]] and [[pt|duvidar]] continue it, often in the late sense “to fear”.^(Nocentini 2010)^(REW 1935)^(Körting 1907) Old Italian borrowed the Occitan form as [[m|roa-oit|dottare|t=to fear]].^(REW 1935)^(Körting 1907)^(DEI|1398)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The TLIO's first record is Guido Faba's ''Parlamenti ed epistole'', written in Bologna about 1243.^(TLIO) DELI's earliest dates are in Bono Giamboni, before 1292, for “to question accepted beliefs” and “not to trust”, and in Giordano da Pisa, 1303–1306, for the state of uncertainty itself.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Old Italian already had the senses of the modern verb: not believing something fully, hesitating between two choices, and, as in late Latin, fearing that something bad might happen.^(TLIO) Dante writes ''Or dubbi tu, e dubitando sili'' “Now you doubt, and in doubting you are silent” (''Paradiso'' 32).^(GDLI) The sense “to fear”, which the Medieval Latin of Italy had from the 10th century, is now mostly confined to phrases such as ''non dubitare'' “don't worry”.^(DEI|1398)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Treccani 2011)

+

+ In modern use the verb mostly expresses disbelief, often with ''che'' and the subjunctive, and the reply ''ne dubito'' “I doubt it”, or its opposite ''non ne dubito'', is very common.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1243 – Guido Faba uses the verb in Bologna.^(TLIO)

+ * Before 1292 – Bono Giamboni has ''dubitare'' “to question; to distrust”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1303–1306 – Giordano da Pisa uses it for being in a state of uncertainty.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1400 – ''Dubitativo'' appears in Franco Sacchetti.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To [[m|en|doubt]], to be uncertain what to believe or do: ''Dubitava se partire subito o aspettare.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # To call into question, not to believe in something: ''Molti dubitano della sua versione dei fatti.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # To [[m|en|distrust]], not to rely on someone or something: ''dubitare di sé'', ''dubitare delle proprie forze''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # To think unlikely: ''Dubito che il treno arrivi in orario.'' As a reply, ''ne dubito'' means “I doubt it”, and ''non ne dubito'' “I have no doubt of it”.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+ # To [[m|en|fear]], to suspect that something bad is so: ''Dubito di averla offesa.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Treccani 2011)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[dubitativo]]

+ * [[dubitazione]]

+ * [[dubitoso]]

+ * [[dubitabile]]

+ * [[dubitante]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[dubbio]]

+ * [[fr|douter]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}