stinguere

Stinguere is an Italian verb that means to extinguish or to quench, and, in figurative use, to suppress or quell something. Today it is considered archaic or literary in standard Italian, and its use is largely confined to historical texts, poetry, or regional varieties. In modern language, speakers more commonly employ spegnere (to switch off or extinguish) or estinguere (to extinguish, especially in formal or technical contexts).

Etymology and history

Stinguere is linked to the Latin extinguere, from which several Romance languages derive verbs meaning to extinguish. In Italian, the form appears in medieval and early modern writings and survives in a few dialects or literary contexts as a stylistic or antique choice. The phonetic development may reflect regular sound changes from Latin through medieval Italian, with st- as the initial segment forming part of a broader family of extinctive verbs.

Usage

When used, stinguere typically governs a direct object, as in stinguere una fiamma. It can denote putting out a flame, fire, or light, and in a figurative sense, it can imply suppressing a movement, a controversy, or a sentiment, though this latter sense is rare in contemporary prose. In everyday Italian, it is commonly replaced by spegnere or estinguere.

Conjugation

As a regular -ere verb in many contexts, stinguere would follow an -ere verb pattern, with forms such as io stinguo, tu stingi, lui/lei stinge, noi stinguimo, voi stinguite, loro stinguono. In practice, modern usage is sparse, and when encountered, exact forms may vary according to the author’s historical or stylistic choice.