Etymologically
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libro

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Pronunciation

Forms

libro m (plural libri, diminutive librétto or librìno or libriccìno (more common) or librettìno, augmentative libróne, pejorative libràccio, derogatory libriciàttolo or (literary) libràttolo, diminutive-derogatory librùccio or librettùccio or libricciòlo)[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin liber (“inner bark of a tree; book”), a learned or semi-learned word: Körting points out that the ⟨i⟩ kept in every Romance language shows a partly bookish transmission.[2][1][3][4] DEI records semi-learned forms in the old dialects of Siena and Umbria, such as Old Italian livoro, liro and lìvero.[3] The same word is French livre, Catalan llibre, Spanish libro and Portuguese livro.[2][4]

The Latin noun first meant the thin layer between the wood and the outer bark of a tree, which was used for writing before papyrus came in;[5][6][3] Tommaso Garzoni, quoted by DELI, already explained the word so.[5][6][3] For want of a better explanation, de Vaan connects it with Proto-Indo-European *lubʰ- (“bast, leaf”) through Proto-Italic *lufro-, comparing Lithuanian lúobas (“bast”), Russian луб (lub, “bast”) and Gothic 𐌻𐌰𐌿𐍆𐍃 (laufs, “leaf”).[7] Nocentini likewise compares Old Church Slavonic лѹбъ (lubŭ, “bark”) and lùpti (“to peel”) and assumes an older Latin *luber, as libet (“it pleases”) goes back to lubet;[2][3] DEI calls the origin unknown.[2][3] Nocentini notes parallel developments in cōdex, first “tree trunk” (see codice), and in German Buch (“book”) beside Buche (“beech”).[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

DELI's first record is a Florentine bankers' account book of 1211, where the word means a register of accounts.[5][2][8] The sense “written work” is older in northern Italy, as libre in a 12th-century Gallo-Italic sermon.[5]

Semantic evolution

Restoro d'Arezzo (1282) uses libro for one of the parts into which a work is divided, and Francesco da Barberino (1313) for a volume of sheets, in the old form livro.[5][9] Domenico Cavalca (before 1342) defines it plainly: “'l libro non è altro che pelli d'agnello ben rase, legate fra due tavole” (a book is nothing but well-shaved lambskins bound between two boards).[5][9] In botany it was again used for the inner bark, the phloem, from Bernardino Daniello (before 1565).[5]

The colour of the binding gave names to official books such as the libro d'oro and libro nero; the libri all'Indice were those condemned by the Church.[5] Libraio “bookseller” is recorded from 1368 and libreria “bookshop” from Tasso (1586); the older sense of libreria “collection of books, library” survives in English library.[5] Libretto “little book” is in Brunetto Latini (before 1294) and became the text of an opera with Metastasio (1724).[5] Libresco “bookish” (1931) comes from French livresque.[5][2]

Timeline

  • 12th century – Libre is used for a written work in a Gallo-Italic sermon.[5]
  • 1211 – A Florentine bankers' book uses libro for an account book.[5]
  • 1282 – Restoro d'Arezzo uses it for a part of a work.[5]
  • 1313 – Francesco da Barberino uses it for a volume.[5]
  • 1368 – Libraio is recorded.[5]
  • Before 1565 – Bernardino Daniello uses it for the phloem of plants.[5]
  • 1724 – Metastasio uses libretto for the text of an opera.[5]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A book, a set of printed or written sheets bound together with a cover: Ho comprato tre libri usati al mercato.[8][10][11]
  2. A written work, the text contained in a book: un libro di ricette, Il suo ultimo libro parla della guerra.[8][10][12]
  3. One of the parts into which a long work is divided, especially a classical one: il sesto libro dell'Eneide.[8][10]
  4. Each of the books of the Bible: il libro di Giobbe.[8][10]
  5. A register or account book kept by a business or a public office: libri contabili.[8][10][5]
  6. (figurative) Something that can be read or studied like a book: il libro della natura.[8]
  7. (botany) The phloem, the inner bark of woody plants.[10][1][5]

Word family

  • libraio
  • libreria
  • librario
  • libretto
  • librettista
  • libresco
  • libercolo
  • librone

Usage notes

A libro describes something that opens and closes like a book (tavolo a libro), and essere un libro aperto is said of a sincere, transparent person.[11][12][6] An obsolete adjective libro “free”, a syncopated form of libero, is found in the 14th and 15th centuries.[13][3]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Nocentini, Alberto; Parenti, Alessandro (2010), l'Etimologico: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Firenze: Le Monnier
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Battisti, Carlo; Alessio, Giovanni (1950–1957), Dizionario etimologico italiano, 5 vols., Firenze: Barbèra (reprint 1975), p. 2223
  4. ^ a b Körting, Gustav (1907), Lateinisch-romanisches Wörterbuch: etymologisches Wörterbuch der romanischen Hauptsprachen, 3rd ed., Paderborn: Schöningh
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t Cortelazzo, Manlio; Zolli, Paolo (1999), Dizionario etimologico della lingua italiana, 2nd ed. by Manlio Cortelazzo and Michele A. Cortelazzo, Bologna: Zanichelli
  6. ^ a b c Vocabolario della lingua italiana Treccani (2011), Roma: Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana
  7. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  8. ^ a b c d e f g De Mauro, Tullio (ed.) (2003), Grande dizionario italiano dell'uso, CD-ROM version 2.0, Torino: UTET
  9. ^ a b Battaglia, Salvatore; Bàrberi Squarotti, Giorgio (1961–2002), Grande dizionario della lingua italiana, 21 vols., Torino: UTET; digital ed. Accademia della Crusca
  10. ^ a b c d e f Sabatini, Francesco; Coletti, Vittorio; Manfredini, Manuela (2026), Dizionario italiano Sabatini Coletti, digital ed., Milano: Sansoni / Rizzoli Larousse
  11. ^ 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
  12. ^ a b Zingarelli, Nicola (2009), Lo Zingarelli 2010: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Bologna: Zanichelli
  13. ^ Tommaseo, Niccolò; Bellini, Bernardo (1861–1879), Dizionario della lingua italiana, 4 vols., Torino: UTET