sottolineando

Sottolineando is the gerund of the Italian verb sottolineare, meaning to draw a line under text to emphasize it. The term comes from sotto, meaning "under," and linea, meaning "line," reflecting the action of placing a line beneath words. In Italian, sottolineando can function as the present participle, used to describe an ongoing action, as in Stavo sottolineando le parti più importanti. The related noun forms are sottolineatura (the act or result of underlining) and sottolineato (underlined).

Usage and context: Historically a common method of emphasis in handwritten manuscripts and early printed works, underlining indicated emphasis before the widespread use of italics and bold. In modern typography and digital writing, italics or bold is usually preferred for emphasis, while underlining is often reserved for hyperlinks in web content. In editorial and educational contexts, the gerund sottolineando may appear in instructional phrases such as sottolineando le parole chiave (underlining the keywords).

Cross-linguistic note: The concept is parallel to the English "underline" and "underlining." In Italian style guides, underlining is typically used sparingly, with a preference for typographic differentiation to convey emphasis. The term can also be used metaphorically to indicate emphasis beyond text formatting, such as in annotations or notes.