cocuzza

Forms

cocuzza f (plural cocuzze)^[1] The form cucuzza is also used.^[2][3][4] Old forms are Old Italian cocossa, Old Italian cocoça and Old Italian cucuza.^[5][6] The word is Sicilian cucuzza in Sicilian.^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Late Latin cucutia (“a kind of gourd”), the name of a fruit in Plinius Valerianus, listed beside cucumbers.^[7][5][8] Medieval Latin cocutia (“gourd”) is recorded at Rome in 1025.^[9] GRADIT and Zingarelli call the Latin word of uncertain origin.^[5][3] Nocentini assigns it to the pre-Latin substrate, with cocomero and cucurbita (“gourd”).^[7] DEI calls it a Mediterranean word like cucumis (“cucumber”), perhaps adapted from a Greek name for the sweet colocynth recorded by Hesychius.^[9] Wiktionary derives the Late Latin word from the Latin word for gourd.^[1] De Vaan considers that word itself probably a loanword, comparing the similar opening of the Latin word for cucumber.^[10]

The word is widespread in southern Italy.^[9] Related forms are Piedmontese cusa and Sardinian curcuta.^[9][11] The Late Latin cucutium (“hood, head covering”) shares the basic sense of roundness.^[7][12] Devoto saw a crossing with coccia (“head”) and the southern diminutive suffix ⟨-uzza⟩.^[13] The usual view derives zucca from the Late Latin word through a metathesis to ⟨*(co)zucca⟩, which DELI finds difficult.^[14]

Earliest recorded meaning

The first record is in the Sienese poet Cecco Angiolieri, at the end of the 13th century, in the variant cocossa: Porto cocosse a vender una soma (“I am bringing a load of gourds to sell”), with the sense “gourd”.^[6][5][8]

Semantic evolution

As an insult, cogoza is documented in 1244 at Baldaria.^[9] Ariosto writes of someone with no more hair than a cucuzza, and Redi prescribes a decoction of cucuzza.^[8] DEI dates the figurative sense “head” to the 17th century.^[9] Salvini noted that Tuscans preferred zucca, but kept cocuzzolo, the middle of the gourd and so of the head, from cocuzza.^[15]

Today the word is regional, central and southern: a gourd or courgette, jokingly the head or a dimwit, in the plural money, and in the exclamation cocuzze! expressing surprise.^[5][2][3][4]

Timeline

• 1025 – Medieval Latin cocutia “gourd” is recorded at Rome.^[9]
• 1244 – Cogoza is recorded as an insult at Baldaria.^[9]
• Late 13th century – Cecco Angiolieri uses cocossa “gourd”.^[6][5]
• 1310 – The derivative cocuzzolo is recorded.^[7]
• 17th century – Cocuzza is used figuratively for the head.^[9]

Meanings

Noun

1. (regional, central and southern) A gourd or courgette.^[5][2][3][4]
2. (figurative, humorous) The head.^[5][2][4][1]
3. (figurative, humorous, mostly in the plural) money, coins: mi ha chiesto cento cocuzze.^[5][2][4][1]
4. (figurative) A foolish person, a dunce.^[5]

Interjection

1. (colloquial, mostly in the plural) Cocuzze!, an exclamation of surprise or wonder.^{[5][3][16][1]}

Word family

• cocuzzolo

Related words

• zucca
• cocomero
• Late Latin cucutia

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e 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 d e Zingarelli, Nicola (2009), Lo Zingarelli 2010: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Bologna: Zanichelli
4. ^ 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)
5. ^ 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
6. ^ a b c Tesoro della Lingua Italiana delle Origini (1997–), Opera del Vocabolario Italiano, CNR, Firenze; tlio.ovi.cnr.it
7. ^ a b c d Nocentini, Alberto; Parenti, Alessandro (2010), l'Etimologico: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Firenze: Le Monnier
8. ^ a b c Battaglia, Salvatore; Bàrberi Squarotti, Giorgio (1961–2002), Grande dizionario della lingua italiana, 21 vols., Torino: UTET; digital ed. Accademia della Crusca
9. ^ a b c d e f g h i Battisti, Carlo; Alessio, Giovanni (1950–1957), Dizionario etimologico italiano, 5 vols., Firenze: Barbèra (reprint 1975), p. 998
10. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
11. ^ Meyer-Lübke, Wilhelm (1935), Romanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., Heidelberg: Winter
12. ^ Körting, Gustav (1907), Lateinisch-romanisches Wörterbuch: etymologisches Wörterbuch der romanischen Hauptsprachen, 3rd ed., Paderborn: Schöningh
13. ^ Devoto, Giacomo (1968), Avviamento alla etimologia italiana: dizionario etimologico, 2nd ed., Firenze: Le Monnier
14. ^ Cortelazzo, Manlio; Zolli, Paolo (1999), Dizionario etimologico della lingua italiana, 2nd ed. by Manlio Cortelazzo and Michele A. Cortelazzo, Bologna: Zanichelli
15. ^ Tommaseo, Niccolò; Bellini, Bernardo (1861–1879), Dizionario della lingua italiana, 4 vols., Torino: UTET
16. ^ Gabrielli, Aldo (2020), Grande dizionario italiano, digital ed., Milano: Hoepli