fica

Forms

fica f (plural fiche)^[1] The northern form is figa, with the /k/ voiced as in the northern dialects; it is also common outside the north.^[2][3][4]

Etymology

It is inherited from Late Latin fīca (“fig”), used for Latin fīcus (“fig tree; fig”).^[5][6][4][1] Nocentini explains it as the plural of the neuter fīcum (“fig (the fruit)”) taken as a feminine singular, and the TLIO derives it from fico.^[7][8] As a name for the fruit the feminine survives in southern dialects, in Apulia, Basilicata and the Salento, and it is shared with Catalan figa, Occitan figa and Dalmatian faica.^{[7][9][1][10]}

The obscene sense comes from the likeness of the open fruit to the vulva.^[1][2] The same image was already in Greek, where Ancient Greek σῦκον (sûkon, “fig”) also meant the vulva, as in Aristophanes;^{[5][2][3][10]} GRADIT, Sabatini–Coletti and DEI see the Late Latin sense as modelled on it.^{[5][2][3][10]} The gesture of scorn called the fig was named from its likeness to the fig as well.^[7] The same gesture and word are Spanish higa and Portuguese figa, which also mean an amulet.^[11][12] Zingarelli and Gabrielli call the origin uncertain.^[13][14]

The Latin word was borrowed from another Mediterranean language, perhaps into pre-Latin with an initial ⟨θ⟩;^[15][1] the Greek word is related.^[15][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

The TLIO's first record is in Brunetto Latini's Tesoretto, before 1274;^[8][7] Nocentini dates the sense of the insulting gesture to the same time.^[8][7] The gesture was made by closing the hand into a fist with the thumb between the index and middle fingers, and fare le fiche meant to make it at someone; in Dante a thief le mani alzò con amendue le fiche (“raised his hands with both the figs”).^[8][2][13] In Old Italian the word was also used for the fig tree and its fruit.^[8]

Semantic evolution

The sense “vulva” is dated differently: DEI gives the 14th century, Nocentini the 15th and Devoto–Oli the 16th, and Tommaseo knew no notable example before the 16th century.^{[10][7][4][16]} In recent slang the word also means a very attractive woman.^[5][4]

From the northern form come sfiga “bad luck” (1974) and sfigato “unlucky; loser” (1980), with the privative prefix s-.^[7] Nocentini, following Cortelazzo, places their origin in Emilia-Romagna, where avere fica meant to be lucky.^[7] The youth-slang adjective fico “cool”, recorded from 1972, was formed from fica in this sense.^[2]

Timeline

• Before 1274 – First record, in Brunetto Latini's Tesoretto.^[8]
• 1300–1313 – Dante describes le fiche in the Inferno.^[2][13]
• 14th–16th century – The sense “vulva” is recorded (the sources differ on the date).^[10][7][4]
• 1974 – Sfiga is recorded.^[7]
• 1980 – Sfigato is recorded.^[7]

Meanings

Noun

1. (vulgar) The female genitals, the vulva.^[5][4][2][1]
2. (vulgar, slang) A very attractive woman.^[5][4][2][1]
3. (archaic, usually plural) The fig sign, a rude gesture made with the thumb between the index and middle fingers, in fare le fiche.^[5][4][6]
4. (regional) A fig.^[1][9]

Word family

• sfiga
• sfigato
• strafica

Related words

• fico
• Latin fīcus

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ 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
3. ^ a b c Duro, Aldo (ed.) (1986–1994), Vocabolario della lingua italiana, Roma: Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana; online ed. treccani.it/vocabolario (2008 copy)
4. ^ 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
5. ^ a b c d e f g De Mauro, Tullio (ed.) (2003), Grande dizionario italiano dell'uso, CD-ROM version 2.0, Torino: UTET
6. ^ a b Vocabolario della lingua italiana Treccani (2011), Roma: Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana
7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Nocentini, Alberto; Parenti, Alessandro (2010), l'Etimologico: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Firenze: Le Monnier
8. ^ a b c d e f Tesoro della Lingua Italiana delle Origini (1997–), Opera del Vocabolario Italiano, CNR, Firenze; tlio.ovi.cnr.it
9. ^ a b Cortelazzo, Manlio; Marcato, Carla (1998), I dialetti italiani: dizionario etimologico, Torino: UTET
10. ^ a b c d e Battisti, Carlo; Alessio, Giovanni (1950–1957), Dizionario etimologico italiano, 5 vols., Firenze: Barbèra (reprint 1975), p. 1632
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. ^ a b c Zingarelli, Nicola (2009), Lo Zingarelli 2010: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Bologna: Zanichelli
14. ^ Gabrielli, Aldo (2020), Grande dizionario italiano, digital ed., Milano: Hoepli
15. ^ a b de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
16. ^ Tommaseo, Niccolò; Bellini, Bernardo (1861–1879), Dizionario della lingua italiana, 4 vols., Torino: UTET