gli

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See also: gli-

Alemannic German

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Middle High German gelīch, from Old High German gilīh, from Proto-West Germanic *galīk, from Proto-Germanic *galīkaz. Compare German gleich.

Pronunciation

Adverb

gli

  1. soon
    Synonym: bald

Italian

Alternative forms

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): (before a consonant) */ʎi/, (before a vowel) */ʎ/*

Etymology 1

From Latin illī (nominative masculine plural of ille).

Article

Italian Definite Articles
singular plural
masculine il
lo/l' 		i
gli
feminine  la/l' le

gli m pl (singular lo)

  1. form of the article i (“the”) used before a vowel, impure s, gn, pn, ps, x, y, and z, and also with the plural noun dei (“gods”); the
    gli alberi ― the trees
    gli studenti ― the students
    gli gnomi ― the gnomes
    gli pneumatici ― the tires
    gli xilofoni ― the xylophones
    gli yogurt ― the yogurts
    gli zaini ― the backpacks
    gli dei ― the gods

Etymology 2

From Latin illī (dative masculine singular of ille).

Pronoun

gli m (plural gli)

  1. (dative) him, to him; it; to it
    Gli parlo. ― I talk to him.
Usage notes
  • Becomes glie- when followed by a non-reflexive third-person accusative or genitive clitic pronoun (lo, la, li, le, or ne).

Etymology 3

From Latin illī (dative feminine singular of ille).

Pronoun

gli f (plural gli)

  2. (dative, informal) her, to her
    • ca. 1349-1353, Giovanni Boccaccio, The Decameron, Tommaso Edlin (1725), page 98:
      […] ne prima altro fece, che ella s’ingegnò di veder Beltramo, & appreſſo nel coſpetto del Re venuta di gratia chieſe, che la ſua infermita gli moſtraſſe.
      Before aught else she studied to see Bertrand and next, presenting herself before the king, she prayed him of his favour/favor to show her his ailment.
    Synonym: le
    Ho detto a Gianna che gli telefono domani.
    I told Gianna I'd call her tomorrow.
Usage notes
  • Becomes glie- when followed by a third-person direct-object clitic pronoun (lo, la, li, le, or ne).
  • Although historically attested and etymologically justifiable (from illī f sg), this form is nonetheless, to this day, considered incorrect and is therefore only acceptable in an informal, colloquial context and register.

Etymology 4

From Latin illīs (dative plural of ille).

Pronoun

gli m pl or f pl

  1. (dative) them, to them
    Gli parlerò. ― I'll talk to them.
Usage notes
  • Becomes glie when followed by a third-person direct-object clitic pronoun (lo, la, li, le, or ne).
Derived terms
Derived terms

See also

Italian personal pronouns
Number Person Gender Nominative Reflexive Accusative Dative Conjunctive Disjunctive Locative Partitive
Singular first — io mi, m', -mi me me —
second — tu ti, t', -ti te te
third m lui si2, s', -si lo, l', -lo gli, -gli glie, se2 lui, sé ci, c',
vi, v' (formal) 		ne, n'
f lei, Lei1 la, La1, l', L'1, -la, -La1 le3, Le1, -le3, -Le1 lei, Lei1, sé
Plural first — noi ci, c', -ci ce noi —
second — voi, Voi4 vi, Vi4, v', V'4, -vi, -Vi4 ve voi, Voi4
third m loro, Loro1 si, s', -si li, Li1, -li, -Li1 gli, -gli, loro (formal),
Loro1 		glie, se loro, Loro1, sé ci, c',
vi, v' (formal) 		ne, n'
f le, Le1, -le, -Le1
1 Third person pronominal forms used as formal terms of address to refer to second person subjects (with the first letter frequently capitalised as a sign of respect, and to distinguish them from third person subjects). Unlike the singular forms, the plural forms are mostly antiquated terms of formal address in the modern language, and second person plural pronouns are almost always used instead.
2 Also used as indefinite pronoun meaning “one”, and to form the passive.
3 Often replaced by gli, -gli in informal language.
4 Formal (capitalisation optional); in many regions, can refer to just one person (compare with French vous).

References

  1. ^ Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana (2012) “gli o le?”, in La grammatica italiana

Norwegian Nynorsk

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Middle Low German gliden, from Proto-Germanic *glīdaną.

Pronunciation

Verb

gli (present tense glir, past tense glei, supine glidd/glidt or glide, past participle glidd or gliden, present participle glidande, imperative gli)

  1. to slip (to lose one's traction on a slippery surface)
    Han glei på isen.
    He slipped on the ice.
  2. to glide (to move effortlessly)
    Skia glir godt.
    The skis glide well.

References

Swedish

Noun

gli n

  1. a fry (young fish)
    Synonym: fiskyngel
  2. Alternative form of glin (“(mischievous) child”)

Declension

Declension of gli 
Singular Plural
Indefinite Definite Indefinite Definite
Nominative gli gliet glin glina
Genitive glis gliets glins glinas

References

Wikious
Boobota
Sagapedia