esistendo

Esistendo is the present participle (gerund) of the Italian verb esistere, meaning existing or being in existence. In Italian, the gerund expresses a state or an action occurring simultaneously with another, or it introduces a circumstance related to the main clause. Esistendo can be used in formal or literary contexts to emphasize existence as a condition or to link clauses with a sense of simultaneity.

Etymology and form: The verb esistere derives from Latin existere, formed from ex- “out” and sistere “to stand.” For Italian gerunds, -ere verbs typically form the -endo ending, yielding esistendo from esistere. The word therefore shares its root and meaning with other forms connected to existence.

Grammar and usage: In contemporary Italian, esistendo is chiefly a literary or philosophical device. It is not used to express progressive aspect in daily speech as English would with “being existing.” Instead, it states a condition or circumstance: for example, “Esistendo ancora dubbi, la commissione non ha preso una decisione.” It can also function to describe entities or states in more abstract writing, as in ontology or metaphysical discussion.

Frequency and style: Esistendo appears more often in formal, academic, or philosophical writing than in casual conversation. Writers may use it to foreground the fact of existence in arguments, descriptions of states, or conceptual analyses.

See also: esistenza, esistere, esistenza formale.