presuppongo

Presuppongo is the first-person singular present indicative form of the Italian verb presupporre, meaning to presuppose. The verb belongs to regular -ere verbs and is used to express an assumption taken as a precondition for what follows in discourse.

Etymology and forms: presupporre derives from Latin praesuppōnere, formed from prae- "before" and suppōnere "to put under." The noun presupposto designates the underlying assumption or premise associated with a statement or argument. Related forms include presuppongo (I presuppose), presupposti (assumptions), and presupposto (premise).

Usage and meaning: In everyday Italian, presuppongo signals that the speaker is treating a certain proposition as given or assumed in advance. It can frame what is said next and often introduces a clause that is treated as true for the purposes of discussion, rather than asserting it outright. Example: Presuppongo che tutti siano d’accordo. This implies an assumption of agreement as a precondition for proceeding.

Linguistic context: In linguistic and logical discussions, presupposition refers to information that is taken for granted when a sentence is uttered. Verbs like presupporre can trigger presuppositions depending on context and syntax. The use of presuppongo thus conveys both an act of assuming and the related presupposed content embedded in the sentence.

See also: presupposizione, presupporre, presupposto, presupposition.