Giove

Forms

Giove m^[1] Obsolete forms are Jove, Jùpiter and Giùppiter.^[2] Wiktionary also lists the alternative form Giupitero.^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Latin Iovem, the accusative of the stem that in classical Latin appears only in the oblique cases of Iuppiter.^[3][4][5][1] The Latin nominative continues a vocative formula meaning “father Jove”, from Proto-Italic *djous patēr.^[1][6]

The stem goes back to Proto-Indo-European *dyḗws (“the bright one”), a noun from the root *dyew- (“to be bright, day sky”), and the second part of the Latin name to *ph₂tḗr (“father”).^[1][3][7] The same name is Ancient Greek Ζεύς (Zeús), and the formula has matches in Sanskrit द्यौष्पितृ (dyáuṣ-pitṛ́) and Ζεῦ πάτερ (Zeû páter, “o father Zeus”).^[1] diēs (“day”) belongs to the same root.^[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

The first record DELI dates is Dante's, from 1304–1308, and it names the planet: the fifth planet from the Sun and the largest of the solar system.^[3][6]

Semantic evolution

Beside the planet, the name has always meant the supreme god of the Romans, father of gods and men, the counterpart of the Greek Zeus.^[8][9][7] In the Ptolemaic system that Dante followed, Jupiter is the sixth heaven, and in astrology it is the planet that rules Sagittarius and Pisces and gives people a cheerful temper.^[9][6][4] From this belief comes gioviale: Late Latin ioviālis meant “of Jupiter”, and the Italian sense “cheerful” is recorded from 1589, while Florio in 1598 still gave only “born under Jupiter”.^[3]

The exclamation per Giove!, a euphemism for per Dio!, expresses wonder, impatience, anger or emphatic agreement.^[4][9][6] Giove pluvio, the god as sender of rain, is used jokingly for rainy or changeable weather, and the literary uccello di Giove is the eagle.^[6][4][9] In popular speech Giove can also mean Thursday.^[6] The name of the day, giovedì, is the Latin “day of Jove”; some dialects took it from a form *iovia, and northern writers of the early 16th century still used giove or giobia for the day.^[3] The planet's name was also used for tin, and in 1770 giovale meant “containing tin”.^[3]

English took Jove from Latin in the late 14th century, as a name of the god and, in poetry, of the planet.^[10]

Timeline

• 1253 – giovidì “Thursday” is recorded.^[3]
• 1304–1308 – Dante uses Giove for the planet.^[3]
• Late 14th century – English Jove is recorded.^[10]
• 1589 – gioviale “cheerful” is recorded.^[3]
• 1770 – giovale “containing tin” is recorded.^[3]

Meanings

Proper noun

1. (Roman mythology) Jupiter, Jove: the supreme god of the Roman religion, father of gods and men, identified with the Greek Zeus.^[8][9][7]
2. (astronomy) Jupiter, the largest planet of the solar system and the fifth from the Sun.^[8][9][7]
3. (astrology) Jupiter as the planet that rules Sagittarius and Pisces.^[9][6][5]
4. (popular) Thursday, giovedì.^[6]

Related words

• giovedì
• Zeus
• gioviale
• Latin Iuppiter

Usage notes

Set phrases include per Giove!, an exclamation of surprise or annoyance, Giove pluvio for rainy weather, and essere sulle ginocchia di Giove, said of something whose outcome is uncertain.^[4][8]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ Tommaseo, Niccolò; Bellini, Bernardo (1861–1879), Dizionario della lingua italiana, 4 vols., Torino: UTET
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Cortelazzo, Manlio; Zolli, Paolo (1999), Dizionario etimologico della lingua italiana, 2nd ed. by Manlio Cortelazzo and Michele A. Cortelazzo, Bologna: Zanichelli
4. ^ a b c d e Vocabolario della lingua italiana Treccani (2011), Roma: Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana
5. ^ a b Gabrielli, Aldo (2020), Grande dizionario italiano, digital ed., Milano: Hoepli
6. ^ a b c d e f g h Zingarelli, Nicola (2009), Lo Zingarelli 2010: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Bologna: Zanichelli
7. ^ a b c d Sabatini, Francesco; Coletti, Vittorio; Manfredini, Manuela (2026), Dizionario italiano Sabatini Coletti, digital ed., Milano: Sansoni / Rizzoli Larousse
8. ^ a b c d De Mauro, Tullio (ed.) (2003), Grande dizionario italiano dell'uso, CD-ROM version 2.0, Torino: UTET
9. ^ a b c d e f g Devoto, Giacomo; Oli, Gian Carlo; Serianni, Luca; Trifone, Maurizio (2026), Nuovo Devoto–Oli: il vocabolario dell'italiano contemporaneo, digital ed., Milano: Le Monnier
10. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com