-ura

Forms

-ura f^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Latin -ūra.^{[2][1][3][4][5]} In Latin the suffix, often in the form -tūra, made abstract nouns from the stem of the past participle or supine of verbs, such as Latin coniectūra (“conjecture”) from coniciō (“to throw; to foretell”), or nātūra and ūsūra.^[1][6] It also made nouns of office from agent nouns in -tor, such as cēnsūra and praetūra.^[6] Sabatini–Coletti notes that it began as a suffix of abstract nouns from verbs and later came close in use to -ore.^[7]

Semantic evolution

In Italian the suffix forms feminine nouns from verbs, built on the past participle, that name the action and its result, such as chiusura, andatura, bocciatura and tiratura.^[2][3] Many of these nouns name a concrete object, as tintura and vettura do.^[5]

Added to adjectives, it forms nouns such as altura, bruttura, freddura and pianura.^[2][3][4] With adjectives the development often led to a collective sense, as in verdura and verzura, and a collective value is also found in nouns from verbs and nouns, such as capigliatura, ossatura and frittura.^[5][7]

Meanings

Suffix

1. Forms feminine deverbal nouns from the past participle, naming the action and its effect: chiusura, andatura, cucitura.^[2][3][5]
2. Forms nouns from adjectives: altura, pianura, freddura.^[2][3][4]
3. Gives some nouns a collective value: capigliatura, ossatura.^[7][5][1]

Word family

• chiusura
• andatura
• bocciatura
• cottura
• cucitura
• tintura
• altura
• bruttura
• freddura
• pianura
• verdura
• capigliatura
• ossatura

Related words

• -tura
• Latin -ūra

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e Nocentini, Alberto; Parenti, Alessandro (2010), l'Etimologico: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Firenze: Le Monnier
3. ^ a b c d e Devoto, Giacomo; Oli, Gian Carlo; Serianni, Luca; Trifone, Maurizio (2026), Nuovo Devoto–Oli: il vocabolario dell'italiano contemporaneo, digital ed., Milano: Le Monnier
4. ^ a b c Zingarelli, Nicola (2009), Lo Zingarelli 2010: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Bologna: Zanichelli
5. ^ a b c d e Duro, Aldo (ed.) (1986–1994), Vocabolario della lingua italiana, Roma: Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana; online ed. treccani.it/vocabolario (2008 copy)
6. ^ a b Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
7. ^ a b c Sabatini, Francesco; Coletti, Vittorio; Manfredini, Manuela (2026), Dizionario italiano Sabatini Coletti, digital ed., Milano: Sansoni / Rizzoli Larousse