cuccuma

Forms

cuccuma f (plural cuccume)^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Latin cucuma (“cooking pot, kettle”), also written cuccuma in Latin, first in Petronius.^{[2][3][1][4][5]} Wiktionary takes it as inherited, while DEI and the GDLI call it a learned word, and Prati a literary form.^[1][6][5][7] DEI notes that the Latin word survives in many dialects, southern ones too.^[6] DELI finds the word in northern Italy from the 14th century, but in Tuscany much later.^[2] Devoto explains the double ⟨-cc-⟩ by an early strengthening, which fits the Italian tendency to double the consonant after the stress in words like femmina.^[8] Prati sees the influence of cuocere in the 1585 form cuocoma.^[7]

The origin of the Latin word is uncertain.^{[2][9][10][4]} Nocentini derives it from cucumis (“cucumber”), for the shape and because hollowed gourds served as vessels.^[11] Devoto calls it a Mediterranean word, and Sabatini–Coletti links it tentatively to coquō (“to cook”).^[8][12] Wiktionary identifies it with Ancient Greek κούκκουμα (koúkkouma), recorded from the 1st century AD, and with a Syriac word for “pot” that goes back through Aramaic to Akkadian.^[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

The TLIO's first record is in Senisio's Sicilian Caternu of 1371–1381, for a kind of vessel.^[13] The Medieval Latin of Treviso already has cogoma in 1313.^[2]

Semantic evolution

Garzoni in 1585 lists cuocome among the copper vessels of the coppersmith's trade.^[2][5] Muratori noted that the people of Modena used cogoma.^[5] In 1905 Panzini described cògoma as chiefly Lombard and coccuma as central Italian, for the small copper or tin pot in which water is heated, especially for coffee, and said that Tuscany called it bricco.^[2] Viani distinguished the Tuscan bricco for coffee from the cuccuma for chocolate.^[2][14]

From the boiling of the pot came an old figurative sense, “rancour, pent-up anger”.^[14][12] A passage quoted by Tommaseo speaks of someone going “a vomitar la cuccuma indigesta” (to throw up his undigested rancour).^[14]

Timeline

• 1313 – Medieval Latin cogoma is recorded at Treviso.^[2]
• 1371–1381 – Senisio's Sicilian Caternu has the first Italian record.^[13]
• 1585 – Garzoni has the form cuocoma.^[2][3]
• 1818 – The form cuccuma is recorded in Monti.^[2][12]
• 1905 – Panzini records cògoma, coccuma and cuccuma as regional names of the coffee pot.^[2]

Meanings

Noun

1. A coffee pot, a metal pot with a handle and spout for making coffee or heating water; bricco.^{[3][9][10][1]}
2. The amount of liquid a coffee pot holds.^[15][1]
3. (archaic, figurative) rancour, anger: avere la cuccuma in corpo, to seethe with anger.^{[3][12][10][16]}

Word family

• cuccumella
• cuccumetta

Related words

• cuocoma
• Latin cucuma

Usage notes

Older and regional forms are cocoma, coccoma, cocuma and cogoma.^[1][5] The diminutives are cuccumetta, cuccumella and cuccumino.^[16]

In Cellini and Tommaseo cuccuma is also a form of curcuma, the spice plant.^[6][14]

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 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 De Mauro, Tullio (ed.) (2003), Grande dizionario italiano dell'uso, CD-ROM version 2.0, Torino: UTET
4. ^ a b Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
5. ^ a b c d e Battaglia, Salvatore; Bàrberi Squarotti, Giorgio (1961–2002), Grande dizionario della lingua italiana, 21 vols., Torino: UTET; digital ed. Accademia della Crusca, p. 3, 1030
6. ^ a b c Battisti, Carlo; Alessio, Giovanni (1950–1957), Dizionario etimologico italiano, 5 vols., Firenze: Barbèra (reprint 1975), p. 1183
7. ^ a b Prati, Angelico (1951), Vocabolario etimologico italiano, Milano: Garzanti, p. 355
8. ^ a b Devoto, Giacomo (1968), Avviamento alla etimologia italiana: dizionario etimologico, 2nd ed., Firenze: Le Monnier, p. 126
9. ^ a b 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 Zingarelli, Nicola (2009), Lo Zingarelli 2010: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Bologna: Zanichelli
11. ^ Nocentini, Alberto; Parenti, Alessandro (2010), l'Etimologico: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Firenze: Le Monnier
12. ^ a b c d Sabatini, Francesco; Coletti, Vittorio; Manfredini, Manuela (2026), Dizionario italiano Sabatini Coletti, digital ed., Milano: Sansoni / Rizzoli Larousse
13. ^ a b Tesoro della Lingua Italiana delle Origini (1997–), Opera del Vocabolario Italiano, CNR, Firenze; tlio.ovi.cnr.it
14. ^ a b c d Tommaseo, Niccolò; Bellini, Bernardo (1861–1879), Dizionario della lingua italiana, 4 vols., Torino: UTET
15. ^ Gabrielli, Aldo (2020), Grande dizionario italiano, digital ed., Milano: Hoepli
16. ^ a b Duro, Aldo (ed.) (1986–1994), Vocabolario della lingua italiana, Roma: Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana; online ed. treccani.it/vocabolario (2008 copy)