Etymologically
Log in

capezzagna

History Permalink

Etymology and origin of the Italian word capezzagna

Confidence
Established
Formation
Inherited
First attested
1815 More words from the 19th century
Inherited from
Latin *capitianea
Ultimate origin
Latin caput

Pronunciation

  • /ka.petˈt͡saɲ.ɲa/[1]

Forms

capezzagna f (plural capezzagne)[1] Variants are capitagna and the northern cavedagna.[2][3][1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Vulgar Latin *capitianea, derived from Latin capitium (“a thing belonging to the head; opening of a tunic”), from caput (“head”).[4][2][5] The strip is so called because it lies at the head of the field.[6] The variant capitagna goes back to Late Latin capitanea.[4][6] The same Latin word also gave capezzale, capezzolo and cavezza.[4]

Semantic evolution

Cherubini wrote in 1839 that in parts of Tuscany the headland was called viuzza, ciglione, capezzagna or capitagna.[6] It is the strip at each end of a field where the plough turns to start the next furrow, also used as an earth track.[3][7]

Timeline

  • 1767 – Nocentini's first date for capitagna.[4]
  • 1777 – G. Lapi uses capitagna.[6]
  • 1815 – Nocentini's first date for capezzagna.[4]
  • 1839 – Cherubini records capezzagna in Tuscany.[6][8]

Meanings

Noun

  1. (agriculture) A headland: a strip of unploughed land at either end of a field, where the plough turns.[8][2][3]
  2. An earth track giving access along the ends of the fields.[7][9]

References

  1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c Devoto, Giacomo; Oli, Gian Carlo; Serianni, Luca; Trifone, Maurizio (2026), Nuovo Devoto–Oli: il vocabolario dell'italiano contemporaneo, digital ed., Milano: Le Monnier
  3. ^ a b c Duro, Aldo (ed.) (1986–1994), Vocabolario della lingua italiana, Roma: Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana; online ed. treccani.it/vocabolario (2008 copy)
  4. ^ a b c d e Nocentini, Alberto; Parenti, Alessandro (2010), l'Etimologico: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Firenze: Le Monnier
  5. ^ Sabatini, Francesco; Coletti, Vittorio; Manfredini, Manuela (2026), Dizionario italiano Sabatini Coletti, digital ed., Milano: Sansoni / Rizzoli Larousse
  6. ^ a b c d e Cortelazzo, Manlio; Zolli, Paolo (1999), Dizionario etimologico della lingua italiana, 2nd ed. by Manlio Cortelazzo and Michele A. Cortelazzo, Bologna: Zanichelli
  7. ^ a b Zingarelli, Nicola (2009), Lo Zingarelli 2010: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Bologna: Zanichelli
  8. ^ a b De Mauro, Tullio (ed.) (2003), Grande dizionario italiano dell'uso, CD-ROM version 2.0, Torino: UTET
  9. ^ Gabrielli, Aldo (2020), Grande dizionario italiano, digital ed., Milano: Hoepli

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Capezzagna.” Etymologically, 14 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/it/capezzagna. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.

Last edited on . ·