bussola

Forms

bussola f (plural bussole)^[1] Older forms are bossola and the masculine bossolo and bussolo.^[2][3] Venetian has bòssola and bussola.^[3]

Etymology

Its origin is disputed.^[2][4] In Nocentini's view it is inherited from Vulgar Latin *buxula, from Late Latin buxis (“small box”) with a change of suffix.^[4] The Devoto–Oli dictionary starts from Medieval Latin buxula (“ballot urn”), and DEI and the Battaglia dictionary from Late Latin buxida, the accusative of buxis.^[5][6][7] Buxis is a form of classical pyxis recorded from the 2nd century AD, with a voiced first consonant, and pyxis was borrowed in the 1st century BC from Ancient Greek πυξίς (puxís, “box of boxwood”), a derivative of πύξος (púxos, “box tree”).^[4][8][1]

Cortelazzo and Zolli find the change from ⟨-ida⟩ to ⟨-ola⟩ hard to explain and prefer a derivative of bosso “box tree”, since bossolo named the ship's compass first, and the present word took that sense only in the 16th century.^[2] For Gradit too it is from Italian busso + -ola, and Prati sees the Latin word blended with buxus.^[9][3] All agree that the word first meant a small wooden box, and that the other senses came from objects shaped like a box.^[2][4][6]

The compass sense passed from Italian to French boussole, Spanish brújula, Portuguese bússola and Catalan brúixola, and to Arabic بُوصُلَة (būṣula) and Albanian busull.^[4][10][1] DEI traces Turkish pusula to Modern Greek μπούσουλας (boúsoulas), itself from Italian.^[6][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

In the Medieval Latin of Modena buxulla is an urn for votes in 1327.^[2][6] The first Italian record is bossola in the statutes of Perugia of 1342, a box for alms or ballots, and the form bussola appears in the Chronicle of L'Aquila of 1363–1383.^[2][9]

Semantic evolution

Francesco da Buti, before 1406, uses bussola for the box in which the magnetic needle was set.^[2] The instrument itself was first called bossolo (before 1424), and bussola takes that sense in Pigafetta's account of 1519–1525.^[2] Prati reports the supposition that sailors of Amalfi learned the magnetic compass from the Arabs, perhaps in the 12th century.^[3] Perdere la bussola, to lose one's bearings, is recorded by Prati, and the figurative sense of guidance in life is current.^[3][9]

Other box-like things took the name: the booth from which the pope heard sermons unseen (before 1638), an inner door that keeps out the draught (before 1646), a closed sedan chair (1729–1734), and in the 20th century the revolving door of hotels and shops.^[2] Manzoni has a character order a bussola to be carried to an inn.^[7][11] The chair gave bussolante, the papal attendant admitted to the booth (1780) and the chair-bearer (1825).^[2] French borrowed the compass word in 1527 and German as Bussole in 1608.^[12]

Timeline

• 1327 – Medieval Latin buxulla “ballot urn” is recorded at Modena.^[2]
• 1342 – Bossola appears in the statutes of Perugia.^[2][9]
• 1363–1383 – Bussola appears in the Chronicle of L'Aquila.^[2]
• Before 1406 – Francesco da Buti uses it for the box of the compass needle.^[2][12]
• Before 1424 – Bossolo is used for the ship's compass.^[2]
• 1519–1525 – Pigafetta uses bussola for the compass.^[2]
• 1527 – French borrows the word as bussole.^[12]
• 1608 – German Bussole is recorded.^[12]
• Before 1646 – It is used for an inner door.^[2]
• 1729–1734 – Fagiuoli uses it for a closed sedan chair.^[2]
• 1930 – Bussola giroscopica “gyrocompass” is recorded.^[2]
• 1955 – It is used for a revolving door.^[2]

Meanings

Noun

1. compass: an instrument that shows the cardinal points, especially one with a magnetized needle: Senza la bussola si sarebbero persi nel bosco.^{[9][5][13][1]}
2. (figurative) A sense of direction in life or conduct: perdere la bussola (to lose one's bearings).^[9][14]
3. (historical) A closed sedan chair, or a small two-wheeled carriage pulled by hand.^[9][5][13]
4. An inner door of one or two leaves that keeps cold air from entering when the outer door opens, and a revolving door at the entrance of public premises.^[9][5][13]
5. (historical) A wooden booth from which the pope listened to sermons unseen.^[9][5][13]
6. A box for collecting alms, and a ballot box or urn for lottery tickets.^[9][5][13]
7. (mechanics) A bush or sleeve.^[13][1]
8. (astronomy, capitalized) The southern constellation Pyxis.^[13]

Word family

• bussolante
• imbussolare
• scombussolare

Related words

• bussolo
• bosso
• pisside
• French boussole

Usage notes

A separate word bussola, a brush for grooming horses, is recorded from 1829 and comes from bossolo.^[9][15][6]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t Cortelazzo, Manlio; Zolli, Paolo (1999), Dizionario etimologico della lingua italiana, 2nd ed. by Manlio Cortelazzo and Michele A. Cortelazzo, Bologna: Zanichelli
3. ^ a b c d e Prati, Angelico (1951), Vocabolario etimologico italiano, Milano: Garzanti, p. 196
4. ^ a b c d e Nocentini, Alberto; Parenti, Alessandro (2010), l'Etimologico: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Firenze: Le Monnier
5. ^ a b c d e f Devoto, Giacomo; Oli, Gian Carlo; Serianni, Luca; Trifone, Maurizio (2026), Nuovo Devoto–Oli: il vocabolario dell'italiano contemporaneo, digital ed., Milano: Le Monnier
6. ^ a b c d e Battisti, Carlo; Alessio, Giovanni (1950–1957), Dizionario etimologico italiano, 5 vols., Firenze: Barbèra (reprint 1975), p. 642
7. ^ a b Battaglia, Salvatore; Bàrberi Squarotti, Giorgio (1961–2002), Grande dizionario della lingua italiana, 21 vols., Torino: UTET; digital ed. Accademia della Crusca, p. 2, 463
8. ^ Pfister, Max; Schweickard, Wolfgang; Prifti, Elton (eds.) (1979–), Lessico Etimologico Italiano, Wiesbaden: Reichert; online at lei-digitale.it, p. 8, 506
9. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k De Mauro, Tullio (ed.) (2003), Grande dizionario italiano dell'uso, CD-ROM version 2.0, Torino: UTET
10. ^ Meyer-Lübke, Wilhelm (1935), Romanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., Heidelberg: Winter
11. ^ Duro, Aldo (ed.) (1986–1994), Vocabolario della lingua italiana, Roma: Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana; online ed. treccani.it/vocabolario (2008 copy)
12. ^ a b c d Stammerjohann, Harro, et al. (2008), Dizionario di italianismi in francese, inglese, tedesco, Firenze: Accademia della Crusca; online at difit.italianisticaonline.it
13. ^ a b c d e f g Sabatini, Francesco; Coletti, Vittorio; Manfredini, Manuela (2026), Dizionario italiano Sabatini Coletti, digital ed., Milano: Sansoni / Rizzoli Larousse
14. ^ Wikizionario (Italian Wiktionary), it.wiktionary.org
15. ^ Battaglia, Salvatore; Bàrberi Squarotti, Giorgio (1961–2002), Grande dizionario della lingua italiana, 21 vols., Torino: UTET; digital ed. Accademia della Crusca, p. 2, 464