avvoltoio

Forms

avvoltoio m (plural avvoltoi)^[1] Earlier forms include Old Italian avoltoio, avoltore, avoltoro and voltore.^[2]

Etymology

It is inherited from Latin vultŭrius (“vulture”), a derivative of vultur (“vulture”).^[3][4][5][1] The old form Old Italian avoltore continues instead the accusative Vulgar Latin *voltōrem, which replaced the classical accusative.^[3][6]

The initial ⟨av-⟩ is unexplained.^[3][4] Battisti and Alessio think of an influence of Late Latin acceptor (“sparrowhawk”), Devoto of Latin avis (“bird”), and M. Regula of a crossing with *advolitor.^[3] Nocentini suggests a popular association with avvolgere (“to wind, wrap”), from the wide circles the bird flies before dropping on its prey, and Devoto–Oli also links the word with that verb.^[4][7]

The same Latin word gave French vautour, Old French voutoir and Romanian vultur (“eagle”), while Spanish buitre and Portuguese abutre continue the accusative and Catalan voltor a variant *vultōrem.^[4][8]

The origin of the Latin word is uncertain.^[3][4][9] Heurgon read it as Etruscan, “the bird of the god Vel”; a more down-to-earth explanation derives it from vellō (“to pluck, tear”) with an agent suffix.^[4][3] De Vaan finds the connection with the verb, “the tearing bird”, possible, but the suffix ⟨-ur-⟩ surprising;^[9] Muller saw a rhyme with turtur (“turtle dove”), its opposite, which would allow an original Proto-Indo-European *welH-tor- (“tearer”), a view de Vaan does not find appealing.^[9]

Earliest recorded meaning

The first record is in the Libro of Uguccione da Lodi, of the early 13th century, in the sense “large bird of prey that feeds mainly on carrion”.^[2][4] DELI dates avoltoi to Ristoro d'Arezzo in 1282 and avoltore to Brunetto Latini before 1294;^[3][10] Brunetto writes that l'avoltore surpasses man dell'anasare, in its sense of smell.^[3][10]

Semantic evolution

Old Italian already used the word for a greedy, grasping person.^[2] The Tuscan poets paired it with other carrion birds, as in Guinizelli's li avoltori / e nibbi e corbi.^[10] In astronomy avvoltoio volante named the constellation Aquila and a star in it, and avvoltoio cadente a star in Scorpio.^[2]

The spelling avvoltoio is dated to Cristoforo Landino, before 1498, and Vespasiano da Bisticci uses the figurative sense of a greedy, rapacious person at the same time.^[3] Tasso used the plural for inner torments: da gli interni avoltoi.^[5][7] Today the figurative avvoltoio is someone who profits from other people's misfortunes.^[5][6]

Timeline

• Early 13th century – Uguccione da Lodi uses the word, the first record.^[2]
• 1282 – Ristoro d'Arezzo writes avoltoi.^[3]
• Before 1294 – Brunetto Latini writes avoltore.^[3]
• Before 1498 – Cristoforo Landino writes avvoltoio.^[3]
• Before 1498 – Vespasiano da Bisticci uses it for a greedy person.^[3]

Meanings

Noun

1. (zoology) A vulture: a large bird of prey that feeds mainly on carrion, with a bare or sparsely feathered head and neck and a long hooked beak; also the name of several large raptors of the families Accipitridae and Cathartidae, as in avvoltoio monaco (the cinereous vulture) and avvoltoio degli agnelli (the bearded vulture, gipeto).^{[5][7][11][1]}
2. (figurative) A greedy, ruthless person who profits from other people's misfortunes; compare sciacallo: Dopo il crollo dell'azienda arrivarono gli avvoltoi.^[5][7][6]
3. (figurative, literary) A torment, a gnawing anguish.^[5][7]

Related words

• Latin vultur
• French vautour

Usage notes

The plural is avvoltoi.^[1][7] Avvoltoio is the usual word;^[7][6][1] avvoltore and avoltoio are old or literary.^[7][6][1]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g 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. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m 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 f g Nocentini, Alberto; Parenti, Alessandro (2010), l'Etimologico: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Firenze: Le Monnier
5. ^ a b c d e f De Mauro, Tullio (ed.) (2003), Grande dizionario italiano dell'uso, CD-ROM version 2.0, Torino: UTET
6. ^ a b c d e Sabatini, Francesco; Coletti, Vittorio; Manfredini, Manuela (2026), Dizionario italiano Sabatini Coletti, digital ed., Milano: Sansoni / Rizzoli Larousse
7. ^ a b c d e f g h Devoto, Giacomo; Oli, Gian Carlo; Serianni, Luca; Trifone, Maurizio (2026), Nuovo Devoto–Oli: il vocabolario dell'italiano contemporaneo, digital ed., Milano: Le Monnier
8. ^ Meyer-Lübke, Wilhelm (1935), Romanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., Heidelberg: Winter
9. ^ a b c de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
10. ^ a b c Battaglia, Salvatore; Bàrberi Squarotti, Giorgio (1961–2002), Grande dizionario della lingua italiana, 21 vols., Torino: UTET; digital ed. Accademia della Crusca, p. 1
11. ^ Duro, Aldo (ed.) (1986–1994), Vocabolario della lingua italiana, Roma: Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana; online ed. treccani.it/vocabolario (2008 copy)