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copertura

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Etymology and origin of the Italian word copertura

Confidence
Established
Formation
Inherited
First attested
1274, Pietro da Bescapè
Inherited from
Latin coopertura
Ultimate origin
Latin cooperiō

Pronunciation

  • /ko.perˈtu.ra/[1]

Forms

copertura f (plural coperture)[1] Old forms include Old Italian covertura, Old Italian covertora, Old Italian cupertura and Old Italian cuvertura.[2][3]

Etymology

It continues inherited from Late Latin coopertūra (“covering”), a derivative of coopertus (“covered”), the past participle of cooperiō (“to cover completely”).[4][5][6][1] DEI finds the Late Latin word in Rufinus and in the Codex Cavensis of 935.[7] Its suffix is -tūra.[1] The verb is the source of coprire.[5][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The TLIO's first record is the Lombard poet Pietro da Bescapè (1274).[2] The Novellino (late 13th century), DELI's first record for the act of covering, describes a boat fitted out with a rich bed and ricche e nobili coverture di seta, “rich and noble coverings of silk”.[5][3]

Semantic evolution

Old Italian used the word for many things that cover: a lid, a bedspread, a horse's trappings, armour, and the roof of a building, a sense DELI dates to the Italian Marco Polo of the early 14th century.[2][5] It was also figurative from the start, for an outward appearance that hides the truth.[2]

The financial sense, the securities that guarantee a transaction against risk, is recorded in 1941 in the dictionary of the Italian Academy.[5][8] From the military sense of protecting frontiers or troops come fuoco di copertura (covering fire) and, in police and spy work, agente sotto copertura, an undercover agent; a lawful business that hides an illegal one is also a copertura.[9][10][11] Newer senses are the area reached by a broadcast or telephone signal and, in boxing, the guard of the arms.[6][10] In the early 20th century the word could mean the outer tyre of a bicycle, as in Gozzano.[3]

Timeline

  • 935 – Late Latin coopertura appears in the Codex Cavensis.[7]
  • 1274 – Pietro da Bescapè uses the word.[2]
  • Late 13th century – The Novellino has coverture of silk.[5][3]
  • Early 14th century – The sense “roof” appears in the Italian Marco Polo.[5]
  • 1941 – The financial sense is recorded.[5]

Meanings

Noun

  1. The act of covering and its result: La copertura della piscina richiese due giorni.[6][10][12]
  2. Something that covers or protects, especially the roof of a building: una copertura di tegole.[6][9][8]
  3. (cooking) A coating, especially of chocolate, on a cake or sweet.[9][11][12]
  4. (figurative) Protection or a guarantee against risk: La polizza offre una copertura completa.[6][8][11]
  5. (figurative) A false front that hides something, especially an illegal activity: Il bar era solo una copertura.[6][10][12]
  6. (finance) The funds or securities that guarantee a transaction, and an operation that reduces such risk.[6][10][8]
  7. (military) Measures and forces that protect frontiers or troops: fuoco di copertura.[6][10][11]
  8. (telecommunications) The area reached by a television, radio or mobile signal.[6][8][10]
  9. (geology) Material or ground that covers the rocks beneath.[6][9][11]
  10. (boxing) The guard of the arms over the head and body.[6][10]
  • coperchio
  • coperto
  • coprire
  • coperta
  • Latin coopertura

Usage notes

Sotto copertura describes police or secret agents working under a false identity.[9][13]

References

  1. ^ a b c d 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 Battaglia, Salvatore; Bàrberi Squarotti, Giorgio (1961–2002), Grande dizionario della lingua italiana, 21 vols., Torino: UTET; digital ed. Accademia della Crusca
  4. ^ a b Nocentini, Alberto; Parenti, Alessandro (2010), l'Etimologico: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Firenze: Le Monnier
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h Cortelazzo, Manlio; Zolli, Paolo (1999), Dizionario etimologico della lingua italiana, 2nd ed. by Manlio Cortelazzo and Michele A. Cortelazzo, Bologna: Zanichelli
  6. ^ 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
  7. ^ a b Battisti, Carlo; Alessio, Giovanni (1950–1957), Dizionario etimologico italiano, 5 vols., Firenze: Barbèra (reprint 1975), p. 1096
  8. ^ a b c d e Sabatini, Francesco; Coletti, Vittorio; Manfredini, Manuela (2026), Dizionario italiano Sabatini Coletti, digital ed., Milano: Sansoni / Rizzoli Larousse
  9. ^ 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
  10. ^ a b c d e f g h Zingarelli, Nicola (2009), Lo Zingarelli 2010: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Bologna: Zanichelli
  11. ^ a b c d e Vocabolario della lingua italiana Treccani (2011), Roma: Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana
  12. ^ a b c Gabrielli, Aldo (2020), Grande dizionario italiano, digital ed., Milano: Hoepli
  13. ^ Wikizionario (Italian Wiktionary), it.wiktionary.org

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Copertura.” Etymologically, 22 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/it/copertura. Accessed 22 Oct. 2026.

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