Dedicarlo

Dedicarlo is an Italian verb construction formed by the infinitive dedicare with the clitic pronoun lo attached. It means “to dedicate it” and is used when the direct object of dedication is referenced without repeating the noun. In practice, dedicarlo appears in sentences where the speaker indicates dedicating a masculine singular object (for example, a book or a work) to someone or something.

Etymology and development: dedicare comes from Latin dedicare, from de- and dicare, and the form dedicarlo reflects the common Italian pattern of attaching clitic pronouns to the end of infinitives. This cliticization allows concise expressions such as dedicarlo, dedicarlo al destinatario, or, with both direct and indirect pronouns, dedicarglielo.

Grammar and usage: In Italian, pronouns can be attached to the infinitive to form a single word (for example, dedicarlo, dedicarglielo). The attached pronoun indicates the object being dedicated (lo = it) or the recipient (gli = to him/her). The choice of combination depends on the intended recipient and whether a direct object is present. When a recipient is specified with a preposition (e.g., al, alla, ai, alle), the base phrase often remains dedicare + lo, with the recipient phrase added after the infinitive clause (dare specific recipient). In more complex sentences, constructions such as dovrò dedicarlo, voglio dedicarglielo, or ho deciso di dedicarlo al mio editore are common.

Examples:

- Ho deciso di dedicarlo al mio editore. (I have decided to dedicate it to my publisher.)

- Voglio dedicarglielo domani. (I want to dedicate it to him tomorrow.)

- Dovrò dedicarlo al lettore. (I will have to dedicate it to the reader.)

See also: dedicare, dedica, clitics, Italian grammar, dedicazione.