Etymologically
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coprire

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Pronunciation

  • /koˈpri.re/[1]

Forms

coprire (first-person singular present còpro, first-person singular past historic coprìi or copèrsi, past participle copèrto, auxiliary avére)[1] The old and poetic form is Old Italian covrire, with cuoprire and a present cuopro.[2][3][4] Sabatini–Coletti explain the /v/ of covrire as probably due to French couvrir, through the northern dialects.[5]

Etymology

It is inherited from Latin cooperīre (“to cover completely”), formed with co- on operiō (“to cover, close”).[6][7][8][1] The unstressed vowel before the stress was lost in the normal way.[9] The past historic copersi follows the pattern of perdere and morire.[1]

The same Latin verb gave French couvrir, Occitan cobrir, Catalan cobrir, Spanish cubrir, Sardinian cobèrrere and Romanian acoperi.[7][10]

Latin operiō forms a pair with its opposite aperiō (“to open”).[7] De Vaan reconstructs Proto-Italic *op-wer-i- (“to cover up”), with the root Proto-Indo-European *h₂wer- (“to cover”).[11][7]

Earliest recorded meaning

The TLIO's first record is the Venetian Proverbia quae dicuntur of the late 12th century.[12] DELI's first date is Bono Giamboni (before 1292), for covering something to hide, close, adorn or shelter it, and for protecting or defending.[6] Giamboni writes of using raw hides to cover war machines.[13]

Semantic evolution

The sense “to conceal, dissemble” is in Inghilfredi in the 13th century, and the reflexive “to cover one's body with clothes” in Jacopone da Todi (before 1306).[6] Dante writes li orecchi con le man copersi “I covered my ears with my hands”.[13] In the 14th century the verb was also used of a male animal mating.[14][15]

Later senses come from finance, office and distance: “to guarantee” in Paolo Sarpi (1619), “to hold a post” in Parini (before 1799), “to cover a distance” in Alfredo Oriani (1897–1902), and the reflexive “to protect oneself against risk” in banking (1927).[6] DEI sees the financial sense and coprirsi “to put one's hat on” as modelled on French couvrir and se couvrir.[14] The noun coperto “place setting” is a calque of French couvert, and most compounds in copri- (coprifuoco, copricapo) follow French ones such as couvre-feu.[6][7]

Timeline

  • Late 12th century – The Venetian Proverbia quae dicuntur has the first record.[12]
  • 13th century – Inghilfredi uses coprire for “to conceal”.[6]
  • Before 1292 – Bono Giamboni uses it for “to cover” and “to protect”.[6]
  • Before 1306 – Jacopone da Todi has the reflexive coprirsi.[6]
  • 14th century – Coprifuoco “curfew” is formed on French couvre-feu.[7]
  • 1619 – Paolo Sarpi uses it for financial cover.[6]
  • Before 1799 – Parini uses it for holding an office.[6]
  • 1897–1902 – Alfredo Oriani uses it for covering a distance.[6]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To cover: to put something over, in front of or around something to protect, hide or close it: Copri il pane con un tovagliolo.[8][2][5][1]
  2. Of a thing: to lie over, to spread over a whole surface: Il muschio copriva i sassi.[8][2][5]
  3. To wrap up, to clothe against cold or sun, coprirsi, to dress warmly: Copriti, fuori nevica.[8][2][5]
  4. To protect, to defend; in military use, to shield from enemy fire: coprire la ritirata.[8][4][5]
  5. (figurative) To hide or cover up a fault; to shield someone who is guilty.[4][5][16]
  6. To drown out a sound: Il rumore del treno copriva la sua voce.[2][4][16]
  7. To heap with, to shower with: coprire di baci, coprire di insulti.[5][4][16][1]
  8. To meet or guarantee a cost or debt: coprire le spese.[4][8]
  9. To hold a post or office.[5][4]
  10. To travel a distance: Ha coperto cinquanta chilometri in due ore.[5][4]
  11. Of a service, to reach every part of an area: Il segnale copre tutta la valle.[8]
  12. (zootechnics) Of a male animal, to mate with a female.[4][16]

Word family

  • coperta
  • copertina
  • coperto
  • copertone
  • copertura
  • copricapo
  • coprifuoco
  • copriletto
  • sopraccoperta
  • ricoprire
  • scoprire

Usage notes

Coprire le spalle a qualcuno is to protect someone, to watch their back.[2][8]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ 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
  3. ^ Gabrielli, Aldo (2020), Grande dizionario italiano, digital ed., Milano: Hoepli
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i Zingarelli, Nicola (2009), Lo Zingarelli 2010: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Bologna: Zanichelli
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i Sabatini, Francesco; Coletti, Vittorio; Manfredini, Manuela (2026), Dizionario italiano Sabatini Coletti, digital ed., Milano: Sansoni / Rizzoli Larousse
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Cortelazzo, Manlio; Zolli, Paolo (1999), Dizionario etimologico della lingua italiana, 2nd ed. by Manlio Cortelazzo and Michele A. Cortelazzo, Bologna: Zanichelli
  7. ^ a b c d e f Nocentini, Alberto; Parenti, Alessandro (2010), l'Etimologico: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Firenze: Le Monnier
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h De Mauro, Tullio (ed.) (2003), Grande dizionario italiano dell'uso, CD-ROM version 2.0, Torino: UTET
  9. ^ Devoto, Giacomo (1968), Avviamento alla etimologia italiana: dizionario etimologico, 2nd ed., Firenze: Le Monnier, p. 117
  10. ^ Meyer-Lübke, Wilhelm (1935), Romanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., Heidelberg: Winter
  11. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  12. ^ a b Tesoro della Lingua Italiana delle Origini (1997–), Opera del Vocabolario Italiano, CNR, Firenze; tlio.ovi.cnr.it
  13. ^ a b Battaglia, Salvatore; Bàrberi Squarotti, Giorgio (1961–2002), Grande dizionario della lingua italiana, 21 vols., Torino: UTET; digital ed. Accademia della Crusca, p. 3, 755
  14. ^ a b Battisti, Carlo; Alessio, Giovanni (1950–1957), Dizionario etimologico italiano, 5 vols., Firenze: Barbèra (reprint 1975), p. 1098
  15. ^ Prati, Angelico (1951), Vocabolario etimologico italiano, Milano: Garzanti
  16. ^ a b c d Vocabolario della lingua italiana Treccani (2011), Roma: Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana