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garofolo

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Etymology and origin of the Italian word garofolo

Confidence
Established
Formation
Inherited
Inherited from
Latin caryophyllum
Ultimate origin
Ancient Greek καρυόφυλλον

Pronunciation

  • /ɡaˈrɔ.fo.lo/[1]

Forms

garofolo m (plural garofoli)[1]

Etymology

It is a regional variant of garofano.[2][1] Like it, it is inherited from Latin caryophyllum, from Ancient Greek καρυόφυλλον (karuóphullon).[1][3] The Italian forms continue a popular Late Latin cariophalum, recorded in a gloss as the form “the people” used, which kept the Greek stress.[4][3] The Greek word was reinterpreted as “nut leaf”, from κάρυον (káruon, “nut”) and φύλλον (phúllon, “leaf”), but it adapts an Old Indian name of the clove, “fruit of the bud” according to Nocentini and the LEI.[3][4][1]

Meyer-Lübke gives Venetian garofolo beside Sicilian galofaru.[5][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

The TLIO lists garofolo and garoffolo among the Old Italian forms of garofano, meaning the clove tree and its buds.[6] The LEI records Italian garofoli in Ramusio in 1550 and garofolo in Marinello in 1565.[4]

Semantic evolution

The form garofolo was widespread in northern Italy, as Venetian garòfolo and Lombard and Emilian garòfol, and D'Annunzio still used it in 1904.[4] In Italian today it is regional, used in Rome for the carnation.[2][1]

Timeline

  • 1550 – Plural garofoli in Ramusio's travel collection.[4]
  • 1565 – Garofolo in Marinello.[4]
  • 1904 – D'Annunzio uses garofolo.[4]

Meanings

Noun

  1. (regional, Rome) The carnation, a variant of garofano.[2][1]
  • garofano
  • Latin caryophyllon

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c De Mauro, Tullio (ed.) (2003), Grande dizionario italiano dell'uso, CD-ROM version 2.0, Torino: UTET
  3. ^ a b c Nocentini, Alberto; Parenti, Alessandro (2010), l'Etimologico: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Firenze: Le Monnier
  4. ^ a b c d e f g Pfister, Max; Schweickard, Wolfgang; Prifti, Elton (eds.) (1979–), Lessico Etimologico Italiano, Wiesbaden: Reichert; online at lei-digitale.it
  5. ^ Meyer-Lübke, Wilhelm (1935), Romanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., Heidelberg: Winter
  6. ^ Tesoro della Lingua Italiana delle Origini (1997–), Opera del Vocabolario Italiano, CNR, Firenze; tlio.ovi.cnr.it

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Garofolo.” Etymologically, 14 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/it/garofolo. Accessed 14 Nov. 2026.

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