arcella

Forms

arcella f (plural arcelle)^[1] The form Venetian arçela is recorded in 1313.^[2]

Etymology

It is inherited from Latin arcella (“small chest”), a diminutive of arca (“chest”).^[3][4][5][1] In the sense “small chest” the Latin word lives on only in Italian and in Sardinian arkéḍḍa, a chest for grain.^[5][6] DEI and Zingarelli treat the modern senses as learned, from Late Latin.^[7][8] The name of the protozoan genus is New Latin Arcella, from the same word.^[9][7]

In the dialects the word took many senses: a hopper, the box of a bellows, and in Lazio and the Abruzzi a beehive.^[5][6] Its use for shellfish gave the northern type arsella, which spread from Genoa into Italian.^[5][6]

Earliest recorded meaning

The first record is an inventory from Pistoia of 1297–1303, which lists due arche e una arcile e una arcella among household goods, in the sense of a small chest.^[2]

Semantic evolution

In 16th-century documents from the Veneto and Basilicata it is a chest for a bride's linen.^[5] D'Annunzio used it in 1905 for a nuptial coffer.^[5][10] The archaeological sense, the space under an early Christian altar that held relics, and the protozoan genus are modern technical uses.^[4][9]

Timeline

• 1297–1303 – Arcella appears in an inventory from Pistoia.^[2]
• 1313 – Venetian arçela da farina, a flour chest, is recorded.^[2]
• 1579 – Arcella grande is a bridal chest at Venosa.^[5]
• 1905 – D'Annunzio uses arcella for a wedding chest.^[5]

Meanings

Noun

1. A decorated wedding chest.^[4][11][9]
2. (archaeology) In early Christian churches, the space under the altar that held relics.^[4][8][9]
3. (zoology) A protozoan of the genus Arcella, with a brown disc-shaped shell.^[4][9]

Related words

• arca
• arcile
• arsella

Usage notes

In Rome arcella is also a form of arsella.^[1] The TLIO has a separate Old Veronese arçela “arch of a door or window, niche”, from arco.^[2]

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e Tesoro della Lingua Italiana delle Origini (1997–), Opera del Vocabolario Italiano, CNR, Firenze; tlio.ovi.cnr.it
3. ^ Nocentini, Alberto; Parenti, Alessandro (2010), l'Etimologico: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Firenze: Le Monnier
4. ^ a b c d e De Mauro, Tullio (ed.) (2003), Grande dizionario italiano dell'uso, CD-ROM version 2.0, Torino: UTET
5. ^ a b c d e f g h Pfister, Max; Schweickard, Wolfgang; Prifti, Elton (eds.) (1979–), Lessico Etimologico Italiano, Wiesbaden: Reichert; online at lei-digitale.it
6. ^ a b c Meyer-Lübke, Wilhelm (1935), Romanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., Heidelberg: Winter
7. ^ a b Battisti, Carlo; Alessio, Giovanni (1950–1957), Dizionario etimologico italiano, 5 vols., Firenze: Barbèra (reprint 1975), p. 271
8. ^ a b Zingarelli, Nicola (2009), Lo Zingarelli 2010: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Bologna: Zanichelli
9. ^ 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)
10. ^ Battaglia, Salvatore; Bàrberi Squarotti, Giorgio (1961–2002), Grande dizionario della lingua italiana, 21 vols., Torino: UTET; digital ed. Accademia della Crusca
11. ^ Devoto, Giacomo; Oli, Gian Carlo; Serianni, Luca; Trifone, Maurizio (2026), Nuovo Devoto–Oli: il vocabolario dell'italiano contemporaneo, digital ed., Milano: Le Monnier