The verb donare is a significant word in both the Italian and Latin languages, deeply tied to the concepts of giving, generosity, and charity. As donare.info takes its name from the word, let's explore the meaning of donare, its origin in Latin, its conjugation in Latin and Italian, and how it relates to similar words in other languages, shedding light on some of its linguistic and cultural significance.
Meaning of "Donare"
In both Italian and Latin, the verb donare means "to give" or "to donate," often with an emphasis on offering something as a gift without the expectation of receiving anything in return. This verb carries connotations of altruism and generosity, especially in the context of charitable donations, gifts, or offerings made in a formal or selfless manner.
For example:
- Italian: "Voglio donare il mio tempo alla causa." (I want to donate my time to the cause.)
- Latin: "Senatores donarunt pecuniam pauperibus." (The senators donated money to the poor.)
While donare can be used in various contexts, it often suggests a sense of purpose or benevolence, as opposed to the more general or transactional meaning of dare (another verb meaning "to give").
Etymology of "Donare"
The Italian verb donare originates from the Latin verb donare, which means "to give as a gift" or "to bestow." This Latin word is derived from the noun donum, meaning "gift" or "present." The root don- is connected to the idea of offering something voluntarily, often out of kindness or obligation, without expecting a return.
The Latin donare was adopted into various Romance languages, including Italian, where it retained its meaning of giving or donating, especially in contexts of charity, goodwill, or formal acts of giving.
Conjugation of "Donare" in Latin
As a first conjugation verb, donare follows a regular pattern in Latin. Below are the conjugations of donare in various tenses of the indicative mood, along with the imperative and subjunctive moods. The conjugation of donare is based on the typical endings of first-conjugation verbs, which have the infinitive ending -are.
Present Indicative
- ego dono (I give)
- tu donas (you give - singular)
- ille/illa donat (he/she/it gives)
- nos donamus (we give)
- vos donatis (you give - plural)
- illi/illae donant (they give)
Imperfect Indicative
- ego donabam (I was giving)
- tu donabas (you were giving)
- ille/illa donabat (he/she/it was giving)
- nos donabamus (we were giving)
- vos donabatis (you were giving)
- illi/illae donabant (they were giving)
Future Indicative
- ego donabo (I will give)
- tu donabis (you will give)
- ille/illa donabit (he/she/it will give)
- nos donabimus (we will give)
- vos donabitis (you will give)
- illi/illae donabunt (they will give)
Perfect Indicative
- ego donavi (I have given)
- tu donavisti (you have given)
- ille/illa donavit (he/she/it has given)
- nos donavimus (we have given)
- vos donavistis (you have given)
- illi/illae donaverunt (they have given)
Pluperfect Indicative
- ego donaveram (I had given)
- tu donaveras (you had given)
- ille/illa donaverat (he/she/it had given)
- nos donaveramus (we had given)
- vos donaveratis (you had given)
- illi/illae donaverant (they had given)
Future Perfect Indicative
- ego donavero (I will have given)
- tu donaveris (you will have given)
- ille/illa donaverit (he/she/it will have given)
- nos donaverimus (we will have given)
- vos donaveritis (you will have given)
- illi/illae donaverint (they will have given)
Imperative (Commands)
- dona (give - singular)
- donemus (let us give)
- donate (give - plural)
Subjunctive
- ut ego donem (that I give)
- ut tu dones (that you give)
- ut ille/illa donet (that he/she/it gives)
- ut nos donemus (that we give)
- ut vos donetis (that you give)
- ut illi/illae donent (that they give)
Conjugation of "Donare" in Italian
In Italian, donare follows the regular conjugation pattern of verbs ending in -are. This means it shares conjugation patterns with other verbs like parlare (to talk) and mangiare (to eat). Below are the main conjugations of donare in different tenses:
Present Indicative
- Io dono (I donate)
- Tu doni (You donate - informal singular)
- Lui/Lei dona (He/She donates)
- Noi doniamo (We donate)
- Voi donate (You donate - plural/formal)
- Loro donano (They donate)
Past Tenses
- Passato Prossimo (Present Perfect): Io ho donato (I have donated)
- Imperfetto (Imperfect): Io donavo (I was donating)
- Trapassato Prossimo (Past Perfect): Io avevo donato (I had donated)
Future Tense
- Io donerò (I will donate)
- Tu donerai (You will donate)
- Lui/Lei donerà (He/She will donate)
- Noi doneremo (We will donate)
- Voi donerete (You will donate)
- Loro doneranno (They will donate)
Imperative (Commands)
- Dona (Donate - informal singular)
- Doniamo (Let's donate)
- Donate (Donate - plural/formal)
Subjunctive Mood
- Che io doni (That I donate)
- Che tu doni (That you donate)
- Che lui/lei doni (That he/she donates)
- Che noi doniamo (That we donate)
- Che voi doniate (That you donate)
- Che loro donino (That they donate)
Similar Words in Other Languages
The Latin verb donare has played a significant role in shaping the vocabulary of many Romance languages, including Italian, Spanish, French, Romanian and Portuguese. The concept of donating or giving as a gift is widespread across languages, and many other languages have words that share similarities with donare. These words often stem from the same Latin root and have evolved to carry meanings of generosity and charitable giving.
English: "Donate"
The English verb donate comes directly from the Latin donare. It is used in similar contexts, particularly in charitable acts or when giving something to a cause. The word retains the idea of a voluntary and often selfless act of giving.
- Example: "She decided to donate her old clothes to charity."
Spanish: "Donar"
In Spanish, the verb donar is identical to the Italian and Latin forms and shares the same meaning. It is used in the same way to describe acts of giving, especially in charitable contexts.
- Example: "Ellos donaron dinero a la organización." (They donated money to the organization.)
French: "Donner"
The French verb donner means "to give" and shares a common origin with donare. While it is a broader verb that can refer to any kind of giving, the related noun don (meaning "gift") retains the sense of a voluntary and generous act of giving.
- Example: "Il a décidé de donner son temps aux pauvres." (He decided to donate his time to the poor.)
Portuguese: "Doar"
In Portuguese, the verb doar is used to describe the act of giving or donating, and it has a close relationship with the Latin donare. It is often used in contexts involving charity, gifts, or contributions to causes.
- Example: "Ela doou seu salário para a caridade." (She donated her salary to charity.)
Romanian: "Dona"
Romanian, another Romance language with Latin roots, has a version of donare as well: dona. While Romanian has undergone significant evolution over time, the verb dona closely follows the meaning of "to donate" or "to give," particularly in charitable and formal contexts. Similar to the other languages, dona is used for both everyday and more formal acts of giving.
- Example: "Ea a donat bani pentru cauză umanitară." (She donated money for the humanitarian cause.)
Dutch: "Doneren"
The Dutch verb doneren also means 'to donate' and has the same origin. It comes from Latin. The word entered the Dutch language via French or English. Doneren refers to the voluntary act of giving something, typically for charitable purposes, and is used in the context of donations of money, goods, or even blood.
- Example: “Ik wil geld doneren aan een goed doel.“ (I want to donate money to a good cause.)
Danish: "Donere"
In Danish, the verb donere is used, which also comes from the Latin donare. It means “to donate” and is often used in the context of charitable acts.
- Example: “Jeg vil gerne donere penge til velgørenhed” (I would like to donate money to charity.)
German: "Spenden"
The German verb spenden translates to "to donate" or "to contribute." While it does not come from the Latin donare, it shares a similar function in the context of charitable giving. The noun Spende refers to a donation, particularly in terms of money or goods given to a charitable cause.
- Example: "Er hat Geld für die Stiftung gespendet." (He donated money to the foundation.)
Conclusion
The verb donare holds a rich historical and linguistic significance, originating from Latin and evolving into its present form in Italian. Its meaning, related to the generous act of giving, is shared across many languages, reflecting the universal importance of philanthropy and selflessness. The verb donare is not only central to the Italian language but also resonates globally through its cognates in other languages such as English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Romanian, and German. Whether used in the context of charity, or everyday acts of generosity, donare continues to symbolize the enduring value of giving.