forbice

Forms

forbice f (plural forbici)^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Vulgar Latin *fŏrbice, a variant of Latin forfex (“scissors; tongs”) according to DELI, GRADIT, Devoto–Oli and Sabatini–Coletti.^[2][3][4][5] Nocentini doubts the unattested form: the other Romance languages continue the classical form, and the Italian word is recorded only from the 14th century.^[6] He sees an Italian innovation, a blend of the classical word with forceps (“smith's tongs”) through a metathesised *forpex.^[6] The TLIO leaves open a Vulgar Latin form or the influence of forbire (“to polish”), and perhaps of forcipe.^[7] DEI explains the ⟨b⟩ as dissimilation and notes that it is also northern, with forms at Ravenna in 1305 and at Modena in the 14th century.^[8]

The Latin word lives on in French forces (“shears”), Occitan forfe, Romanian foarfece and Sardinian forfighe.^[6][9] DEI notes that it is missing in Spanish and Portuguese except in place names, and that a northern Calabrian form continues the variant Late Latin porfex.^[8]

The origin of the Latin word is uncertain.^[10][6] Its internal ⟨-rf-⟩ does not follow the Latin sound laws, so it has been taken from Osco-Umbrian and linked with an Umbrian verb that probably meant “to shear”.^[10][6] De Vaan adds a possible link with Ancient Greek πέρθω (pérthō, “to sack, take”) from an adjective Proto-Indo-European *bʰr̥dʰ-o-, and mentions de Melo's view that the Latin word is forceps changed by metathesis and remodelled on nouns in -fex.^[10] The OLD likewise calls it an alteration of forpex, a variant of forceps.^[11]

Earliest recorded meaning

DELI's first record is the plural forbici in Florentine texts of 1281–1297, and the singular forbice is first found in Francesco da Barberino, before 1348.^[2] From the start it named the cutting tool of two pivoted blades with a ring for the fingers at the end of each.^[7][2]

Semantic evolution

Old Italian used forbici beside forfice, forfici and forfese, and the word also named tongs and similar gripping tools: the smith's tongs, the tongs for castrating calves and the snuffers of a lamp.^[7] In military language it was a V-shaped formation, like a pair of open blades, a sense Latin forfex already had in Gellius.^[7][11]

The crab's and scorpion's claws were called forbici by Redi, before 1698, and the earwig is forbicina from its forked tail, a calque on Latin forficula.^[2] In the 20th century the word came to mean the widening gap between two quantities, as in la forbice dei prezzi.^[3][12] The scissors are also a figure of the censor's cuts, le forbici della censura, and of a sharp tongue (una lingua che taglia come le forbici).^[3][12][13]

Timeline

• 1281–1297 – Florentine texts have forbici.^[2]
• Before 1348 – Francesco da Barberino uses forbice.^[2]
• 14th–15th century – Cennino Cennini has forbicina “small scissors”.^[2]
• Before 1675 – Forbiciata, a cut with scissors, in Panciatichi.^[2]
• Before 1698 – Redi uses forbici for the claws of crabs and scorpions.^[2]
• Before 1730 – Vallisnieri uses forbicina for the earwig.^[2]
• 1940 – Sforbiciare is first recorded.^[6]

Meanings

Noun

1. Usually in the plural, scissors: a cutting tool of two crossed steel blades joined by a pivot, with rings for the fingers: forbici per le unghie.^{[3][4][5][12]}
2. (figurative) Cuts made in a text or a film, especially by censorship: lavorare di forbici.^[3][4][14]
3. (surgery) A surgical instrument for cutting.^[12][13]
4. (popular) In the plural, the claws of crabs, scorpions and similar animals.^[3][4][5]
5. (economics, statistics) A widening gap between two comparable quantities, such as prices or wages.^[3][4][12]
6. (nautical, military) Various fittings and works shaped like an open pair of blades.^[13][3]

Word family

• forbiciata
• forbicina
• sforbiciare
• sforbiciata
• forbiciaio
• forbicione
• forbicista

Related words

• forfecchia
• forcipe
• Latin forfex

Usage notes

In standard Italian the tool is usually le forbici or un paio di forbici; the singular is old or regional.^[14][3] A forbice means shaped like or moving like scissors (salto a forbice, scala a forbice).^[3][5][14]

References

1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j 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 e f g h i j De Mauro, Tullio (ed.) (2003), Grande dizionario italiano dell'uso, CD-ROM version 2.0, Torino: UTET
4. ^ 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
5. ^ a b c d Sabatini, Francesco; Coletti, Vittorio; Manfredini, Manuela (2026), Dizionario italiano Sabatini Coletti, digital ed., Milano: Sansoni / Rizzoli Larousse
6. ^ a b c d e f Nocentini, Alberto; Parenti, Alessandro (2010), l'Etimologico: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Firenze: Le Monnier
7. ^ a b c d Tesoro della Lingua Italiana delle Origini (1997–), Opera del Vocabolario Italiano, CNR, Firenze; tlio.ovi.cnr.it
8. ^ a b Battisti, Carlo; Alessio, Giovanni (1950–1957), Dizionario etimologico italiano, 5 vols., Firenze: Barbèra (reprint 1975), p. 1685
9. ^ Körting, Gustav (1907), Lateinisch-romanisches Wörterbuch: etymologisches Wörterbuch der romanischen Hauptsprachen, 3rd ed., Paderborn: Schöningh
10. ^ a b c de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
11. ^ a b Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
12. ^ a b c d e Zingarelli, Nicola (2009), Lo Zingarelli 2010: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Bologna: Zanichelli
13. ^ a b c Gabrielli, Aldo (2020), Grande dizionario italiano, digital ed., Milano: Hoepli
14. ^ a b c Duro, Aldo (ed.) (1986–1994), Vocabolario della lingua italiana, Roma: Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana; online ed. treccani.it/vocabolario (2008 copy)