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lavandino

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Etymology and origin of the Italian word lavandino

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
1820 inventory from Udine More words from the 19th century
Ultimate origin
Latin lavō
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Italian lavanda
Italian lavandino

Pronunciation

  • /la.vanˈdi.no/[1]

Forms

lavandino m (plural lavandini)[1]

Etymology

It is formed from Italian lavanda (“washing”) + -ino, with -ino as a suffix of instruments rather than a diminutive.[2][3][4][5] Nocentini and Devoto–Oli call it a word of northern origin, and DEI and the GDLI compare Lombard lavandìn and Piedmontese lavandìn.[6][3][7][5]

That noun is learned: from Latin lavanda (“things to be washed”), the neuter plural of the gerundive of lavō (“to wash”).[8][6][2] De Vaan traces the Latin verb through Proto-Italic *lowa- to Proto-Indo-European *louH-.[9]

Earliest recorded meaning

DELI's first record is an inventory from Udine of 1820, where the word means a kitchen sink: lavandino vivo sfeso e rotto (“a stone sink, split and broken”).[8] DEI dates the word to 1901, and Nocentini, GRADIT and Devoto–Oli to 1905.[7][6][2][3]

Semantic evolution

The GDLI describes a small basin of majolica, enamelled iron or stone under a tap, with a drain, used in the bathroom or bedroom for washing, in the kitchen for the dishes, and in laboratories and factories.[5] Montale writes of mistletoe hanging sul tuo lavandino (“over your washbasin”).[5]

In colloquial speech a lavandino is also a person who eats a great deal, and anything at all.[2][3]

Timeline

  • 1820 – An inventory from Udine records lavandino “sink”.[8]
  • 1901 – DEI's date for the word.[7]
  • 1905 – The date Nocentini, GRADIT and Devoto–Oli give.[6][2][3]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A washbasin or sink with running water and a drain, in a bathroom, kitchen or laboratory: Lava le tazze nel lavandino.[2][3][1]
  2. (figurative, colloquial, jocular) A person who eats a lot and anything, a glutton: Tuo fratello è un lavandino.[2][3]

Usage notes

Synonyms are lavabo and acquaio.[1] GRADIT also lists a botanical lavandino as a variant of lavandina, the hybrid lavender, formed from lavanda “lavender” (1957).[2]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h De Mauro, Tullio (ed.) (2003), Grande dizionario italiano dell'uso, CD-ROM version 2.0, Torino: UTET
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Devoto, Giacomo; Oli, Gian Carlo; Serianni, Luca; Trifone, Maurizio (2026), Nuovo Devoto–Oli: il vocabolario dell'italiano contemporaneo, digital ed., Milano: Le Monnier
  4. ^ Devoto, Giacomo (1968), Avviamento alla etimologia italiana: dizionario etimologico, 2nd ed., Firenze: Le Monnier
  5. ^ a b c d Battaglia, Salvatore; Bàrberi Squarotti, Giorgio (1961–2002), Grande dizionario della lingua italiana, 21 vols., Torino: UTET; digital ed. Accademia della Crusca, p. 8, 847
  6. ^ a b c d Nocentini, Alberto; Parenti, Alessandro (2010), l'Etimologico: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Firenze: Le Monnier
  7. ^ a b c Battisti, Carlo; Alessio, Giovanni (1950–1957), Dizionario etimologico italiano, 5 vols., Firenze: Barbèra (reprint 1975), p. 2186
  8. ^ a b c Cortelazzo, Manlio; Zolli, Paolo (1999), Dizionario etimologico della lingua italiana, 2nd ed. by Manlio Cortelazzo and Michele A. Cortelazzo, Bologna: Zanichelli
  9. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Lavandino.” Etymologically, 14 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/it/lavandino. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.

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