giacchio

Forms

giacchio m (plural giacchi)^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Latin iaculum (“throwing net”), properly “a thing to throw”, from iaciō (“to throw”).^[2][3][4][1] In Latin it was first an adjective, Latin iaculus (“for throwing”), used of a net with rēte (“net”) understood;^[2][5][6] Ovid uses it as a noun.^[2][5][6] The word survives only in Italy.^[2]

From the Latin sense of a rope thrown over the horns of oxen DEI derives a central Italian word for the cord that ties a load to the pack-saddle, in Umbria and Abruzzo, and Lombard giàcol, a small cord at Milan.^[5][7]

The Latin verb goes back to Proto-Italic *jak-i- (“to throw”).^[8] De Vaan reconstructs an aorist Proto-Indo-European *(H)ieh₁- with the present *(H)ih₁-k- (“to throw, let go”).^[8]

Earliest recorded meaning

The TLIO's first record is in the Sienese Ruggieri Apugliese, in the middle of the 13th century, for a round net thrown after being swung, used in hunting and above all fishing.^[9] Nocentini, GRADIT and Zingarelli date the word to before 1320, DELI to before 1338, in B. Bonichi.^{[3][4][10][2]} Bonichi uses it figuratively of men who “fish for florins with the casting net”.^[11]

Semantic evolution

Around 1350 the Italian translation of Crescenzi describes the net: thin and close-meshed, round, weighted with lead round its edge and with a long rope at the top.^[2][12] Boccaccio's Decameron compares friars who catch many bigots under their wide hems with the fisherman who takes many fish at once with the giacchio.^[12][11]

The modern dictionaries describe a conical net with a circular mouth, swung so that it opens in the air and closes as it sinks, trapping the fish; it is also called rezzaglio or sparviero.^[10][13][14] Gabrielli records two figurative phrases: buttare il giacchio sulla siepe, to toil to no purpose, and tirare il giacchio tondo, to act without too many scruples.^[15] Giacchiata, a cast of the net, appears in the first half of the 18th century, and giacchiare, to fish with it, in 1923.^[3]

Timeline

• Mid-13th century – Ruggieri Apugliese uses giacchio.^[9]
• Before 1338 – B. Bonichi uses it figuratively.^[2][11]
• About 1350 – The Italian translation of Crescenzi describes the net.^[2]
• First half of the 18th century – Giacchiata is recorded.^[3]
• 1923 – Giacchiare is recorded.^[3]

Meanings

Noun

1. (fishing) A cast net: a round, conical fishing net weighted with lead at its mouth, swung and thrown so that it falls open on the water and closes round the fish as it sinks; a rezzaglio or sparviero.^{[4][14][10][13]}

Word family

• giacchiata
• giacchiare

Related words

• gettare
• Latin iaculum

Usage notes

Common phrases: buttare il giacchio sulla siepe, to waste one's effort, and tirare il giacchio tondo, to proceed without much scruple.^[15]

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h 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 Nocentini, Alberto; Parenti, Alessandro (2010), l'Etimologico: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Firenze: Le Monnier
4. ^ a b c De Mauro, Tullio (ed.) (2003), Grande dizionario italiano dell'uso, CD-ROM version 2.0, Torino: UTET
5. ^ a b c Battisti, Carlo; Alessio, Giovanni (1950–1957), Dizionario etimologico italiano, 5 vols., Firenze: Barbèra (reprint 1975), p. 1801
6. ^ a b Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
7. ^ Meyer-Lübke, Wilhelm (1935), Romanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., Heidelberg: Winter
8. ^ 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
9. ^ a b Tesoro della Lingua Italiana delle Origini (1997–), Opera del Vocabolario Italiano, CNR, Firenze; tlio.ovi.cnr.it
10. ^ a b c Zingarelli, Nicola (2009), Lo Zingarelli 2010: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Bologna: Zanichelli
11. ^ a b c Battaglia, Salvatore; Bàrberi Squarotti, Giorgio (1961–2002), Grande dizionario della lingua italiana, 21 vols., Torino: UTET; digital ed. Accademia della Crusca
12. ^ a b Tommaseo, Niccolò; Bellini, Bernardo (1861–1879), Dizionario della lingua italiana, 4 vols., Torino: UTET
13. ^ a b Duro, Aldo (ed.) (1986–1994), Vocabolario della lingua italiana, Roma: Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana; online ed. treccani.it/vocabolario (2008 copy)
14. ^ 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
15. ^ a b Gabrielli, Aldo (2020), Grande dizionario italiano, digital ed., Milano: Hoepli