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lenzuolo

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Etymology and origin of the Italian word lenzuolo

Confidence
Established
Formation
Inherited
First attested
1178–1182 Savona document More words from the 12th century
Inherited from
Latin linteolum
Ultimate origin
Latin līnum

Pronunciation

  • /lenˈt͡swɔ.lo/[1]

Forms

lenzuolo m (plural (sheet) lenzuoli m or (bedsheet) lenzuola f, diminutive lenzuolétto or lenzuolìno, augmentative lenzuolóne, pejorative lenzuolàccio, derogatory lenzuolùccio)[1] The plural is lenzuoli in general and le lenzuola for the pair on a bed.[2][3][4] The popular Tuscan form is lenzolo.[4][5][3] Old forms include Old Italian lençol, lenzuol, linçol and lenzolo, among many other forms.[6]

Etymology

It is inherited from Latin linteolum (“small linen cloth”), recorded from Plautus, a diminutive of linteum (“linen cloth”), the neuter of the adjective linteus (“of linen”), from līnum (“flax, linen”).[7][8][9][10][1] A variant lenteolum is recorded in Late Latin.[7] The stress moved: Devoto and Sabatini–Coletti start from Vulgar Latin *lintjólum, stressed on the ending as in *interus.[11][5] The origin of the Latin word for flax is uncertain.[2]

The same word is French linceul “shroud”, Occitan lensol, Catalan llençol, Spanish lenzuelo “handkerchief” and Portuguese lençol.[8][12] Meyer-Lübke adds Dalmatian lenzul, Logudorese lentolu, Engadine linzöl and Friulian lintsul.[12]

Earliest recorded meaning

The first record is in a Savona document of 1178–1182, in the sense of a linen cloth covering a mattress.[6] DELI cites the 12th-century Dichiarazione di Paxia (lençol) and the Tuscan form lençuolo in an inventory of 1221.[7] Giordano (1305–1306) quotes travellers asking at inns for clean sheets: Dammi lenzuola lavate, per amor di Dio “give me washed sheets, for the love of God”.[7]

Semantic evolution

Old Italian also used the word for cloths of personal use and for a tablecloth, and more widely for any large piece of fabric.[6] Cecco Angiolieri says his swaddling bands were made of a sheet, and Folgore da San Gimignano promises lenzuoi di seta “silk sheets”.[13] Tommaseo noted that the feminine plural lenzuola recalls the Latin neuter.[14]

The lenzuolo funebre or mortuario is the shroud in which a body is wrapped, the only sense of French linceul.[2][3][8] Figurative uses compare things to a sheet for their whiteness or size: bianco come un lenzuolo “deathly pale”, a lenzuolo di neve, a sheet of paper grande come un lenzuolo.[2][3][9] Covare le lenzuola is to lie idly in bed.[3][9]

Timeline

  • 1178–1182 – The word appears in a document from Savona.[6]
  • 1100s – Lençol appears in the Dichiarazione di Paxia.[7]
  • 1221 – Lençuolo appears in an inventory of goods in Tuscany.[7]
  • 1305–1306 – Giordano speaks of washed sheets at inns.[7]

Meanings

Noun

  1. bedsheet: either of the two large cloths spread on a bed, one over the mattress and one over the sleeper: Ho steso le lenzuola pulite sul letto.[9][4][2]
  2. A shroud in which a dead body is wrapped (lenzuolo funebre, lenzuolo mortuario).[4][3][2]
  3. A very large piece of cloth or sheet of paper.[9][4]
  4. (figurative) A white expanse covering the ground, especially of snow.[9][4][5]

Word family

  • lenzuolino
  • lenzuoletto
  • lenzuolata
  • lino
  • lenza
  • Latin linteolum
  • French linceul

Usage notes

Lenzuolo da bagno is a large bath towel.[4][9]

References

  1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f Zingarelli, Nicola (2009), Lo Zingarelli 2010: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Bologna: Zanichelli
  3. ^ a b c d e f Vocabolario della lingua italiana Treccani (2011), Roma: Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana
  4. ^ 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
  5. ^ a b c Sabatini, Francesco; Coletti, Vittorio; Manfredini, Manuela (2026), Dizionario italiano Sabatini Coletti, digital ed., Milano: Sansoni / Rizzoli Larousse
  6. ^ a b c d Tesoro della Lingua Italiana delle Origini (1997–), Opera del Vocabolario Italiano, CNR, Firenze; tlio.ovi.cnr.it
  7. ^ a b c d e f g Cortelazzo, Manlio; Zolli, Paolo (1999), Dizionario etimologico della lingua italiana, 2nd ed. by Manlio Cortelazzo and Michele A. Cortelazzo, Bologna: Zanichelli
  8. ^ a b c Nocentini, Alberto; Parenti, Alessandro (2010), l'Etimologico: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Firenze: Le Monnier
  9. ^ a b c d e f g De Mauro, Tullio (ed.) (2003), Grande dizionario italiano dell'uso, CD-ROM version 2.0, Torino: UTET
  10. ^ Duro, Aldo (ed.) (1986–1994), Vocabolario della lingua italiana, Roma: Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana; online ed. treccani.it/vocabolario (2008 copy)
  11. ^ Devoto, Giacomo (1968), Avviamento alla etimologia italiana: dizionario etimologico, 2nd ed., Firenze: Le Monnier, p. 257
  12. ^ a b Meyer-Lübke, Wilhelm (1935), Romanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., Heidelberg: Winter
  13. ^ Battaglia, Salvatore; Bàrberi Squarotti, Giorgio (1961–2002), Grande dizionario della lingua italiana, 21 vols., Torino: UTET; digital ed. Accademia della Crusca
  14. ^ Tommaseo, Niccolò; Bellini, Bernardo (1861–1879), Dizionario della lingua italiana, 4 vols., Torino: UTET

Related etymologies

  • no · also from Latin
  • cosa · also from Latin
  • a · also from Latin
  • mio · also from Latin
  • uno · also from Latin
  • si · also from Latin
  • sapere · also from Latin
  • fare · also from Latin
Cite this entry

“Lenzuolo.” Etymologically, 10 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/it/lenzuolo. Accessed 11 Nov. 2026.

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