capitolo

Forms

capitolo m (plural capitoli)^[1]

Etymology

It is learned: it is borrowed from Latin capitulum (“small head; section of a text”),^[2][3][4][1] a diminutive of caput (“head”).^[2][5][1] Cato already used the Latin word for the top of trees; it then came to mean a section of a law, and so of a book.^[6][2] DEI notes this use in Tertullian and calls it a calque of Greek words for “head”;^[7][1] Wiktionary compares Ancient Greek κεφάλαιον (kephálaion).^[7][1]

The sense “body of canons” comes from the Christian Latin phrase īre ad capitulum (“to go to the reading of a chapter”), since a chapter of Scripture or of the rule was read at the meeting.^[2][8][9] DEI and Zingarelli treat that sense as a separate headword, DELI and Nocentini as one word.^[7][8][2][3]

The inherited outcome of the same Latin word is capecchio, coarse tow, and southern dialects have forms of it meaning “nipple”.^{[3][1][10][6]} The learned word is French chapitre, Old Occitan capitol, Spanish cabildo and Portuguese cabido, with Spanish capítulo beside the first Spanish form.^[10][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The TLIO's first record is Brunetto Latini's Rettorica (c. 1260–1261), for one of the divisions of a work.^[11][6] DELI and GRADIT date it to 1282, in Restoro d'Arezzo: Capitolo quintadecimo de la sedazione del sole e dela luna (“fifteenth chapter, on the setting of the sun and moon”).^[2][4][12]

Semantic evolution

Old Italian also used the word for an article of a legal document, a clause of a contract, the terms of a league, a poem in terza rima, and an assembly, especially of religious.^[11] DELI records the body of canons of a cathedral in Malispini in the 13th century and the article of a law in G. Villani before 1348.^[2] From the capitoli of a surrender came capitolare “to surrender” (before 1432) and capitolazione (before 1540).^[2][3]

As a verse form, the capitolo in terza rima, mostly comic, is named in 1536, and Berni's are the best known; in the 20th century the word was used for a short piece of art prose.^[2][8][13] The phrase aver voce in capitolo, “to have a say in the chapter”, dates from the 16th century and now means to have authority in a matter.^[7][2][8] Today it also names a heading of the state budget and, figuratively, a period of history or of one's life.^[4][14]

Timeline

• c. 1260–1261 – Brunetto Latini uses it in the Rettorica.^[11][6]
• 1262 – The ecclesiastical sense is recorded.^[8]
• 1282 – Restoro d'Arezzo uses it for a chapter of a book.^[2][4]
• 13th century – Malispini uses it for the body of canons.^[2]
• Before 1348 – G. Villani uses it for an article of a law.^[2]
• Before 1432 – Capitolare “to surrender” appears.^[2]
• 1536 – The verse capitolo in terza rima is named.^[2]
• 1691 – Capitolato is recorded in the Crusca dictionary.^[2]

Meanings

Noun

1. chapter: one of the parts into which a book, a story or a dissertation is divided.^[4][14][15]
2. (figurative) A period or episode in the history of a country or in a person's life; a topic, an issue: Con il trasloco si apre un nuovo capitolo.^[4][14][8]
3. A section of a contract or regulation; in the plural, the terms of an agreement between states or parties.^[4][14][16]
4. (administration) A heading of a budget, especially the state budget.^[4][14][16]
5. (literature) A poem in terza rima, often burlesque; in 20th-century writing, a short piece of art prose.^[4][14][8]
6. (ecclesiastical) The body of canons of a cathedral or collegiate church.^[4][14][8]
7. An assembly of a religious or chivalric order; the place where it meets.^[4][14][16]

Word family

• capitolare
• capitolato
• capitolazione
• ricapitolare
• ricapitolazione
• capitolessa

Related words

• capo
• capecchio
• Latin capitulum

Usage notes

Avere voce in capitolo first meant having a vote in a chapter's assemblies, and figuratively means having credit or authority in a matter.^[17][16]

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 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 Nocentini, Alberto; Parenti, Alessandro (2010), l'Etimologico: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Firenze: Le Monnier
4. ^ 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
5. ^ Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
6. ^ a b c d Pfister, Max; Schweickard, Wolfgang; Prifti, Elton (eds.) (1979–), Lessico Etimologico Italiano, Wiesbaden: Reichert; online at lei-digitale.it, p. 11, 183
7. ^ a b c d Battisti, Carlo; Alessio, Giovanni (1950–1957), Dizionario etimologico italiano, 5 vols., Firenze: Barbèra (reprint 1975), p. 736
8. ^ a b c d e f g h Zingarelli, Nicola (2009), Lo Zingarelli 2010: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Bologna: Zanichelli
9. ^ Prati, Angelico (1951), Vocabolario etimologico italiano, Milano: Garzanti, p. 230
10. ^ a b Meyer-Lübke, Wilhelm (1935), Romanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., Heidelberg: Winter
11. ^ a b c Tesoro della Lingua Italiana delle Origini (1997–), Opera del Vocabolario Italiano, CNR, Firenze; tlio.ovi.cnr.it
12. ^ Battaglia, Salvatore; Bàrberi Squarotti, Giorgio (1961–2002), Grande dizionario della lingua italiana, 21 vols., Torino: UTET; digital ed. Accademia della Crusca, p. 2, 694
13. ^ Duro, Aldo (ed.) (1986–1994), Vocabolario della lingua italiana, Roma: Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana; online ed. treccani.it/vocabolario (2008 copy)
14. ^ 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
15. ^ Sabatini, Francesco; Coletti, Vittorio; Manfredini, Manuela (2026), Dizionario italiano Sabatini Coletti, digital ed., Milano: Sansoni / Rizzoli Larousse
16. ^ a b c d Vocabolario della lingua italiana Treccani (2011), Roma: Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana
17. ^ Gabrielli, Aldo (2020), Grande dizionario italiano, digital ed., Milano: Hoepli