matrigna

Forms

matrigna f (plural matrigne)^[1] The variant madrigna is less common.^[2][3][4] Old forms include Old Italian madregna and Old Italian matregna.^[5]

Etymology

It is inherited from Late Latin matrĭnia, a Late Latin word recorded from the 8th century, formed from Latin māter (“mother”) on the model of prīvignus (“stepson”).^[6][7][8] DELI follows Castellani (1955), who set aside the form usually quoted, matrīgna, which would have given Italian ⟨matregna⟩, in favour of the recorded matrĭnia, whose ending developed as in gramĭnea, the source of gramigna.^[6] DELI still calls the Italian word learned,^[6] while Nocentini treats it as a Romance formation from Latin.^[7] Devoto–Oli, Sabatini–Coletti, Zingarelli and Treccani give the Late Latin form as matrigna, modelled on prīvignus.^{[2][3][9][10]}

Wiktionary gives Late Latin mātrīnea, from māter with the suffix -īneus, and compares matrina (“stepmother, godmother”), recorded in 753.^[1] Devoto read the model prīvignus as “born of one of the spouses only”.^[11] Meyer-Lübke lists matrigna (“stepmother”) from the Latin glosses, with Romansh madrena, and keeps matrina (“godmother”) apart as the source of madrina and French marraine.^[12]

Earliest recorded meaning

The word is first recorded before 1292 in Bono Giamboni, for the second wife of a widower as seen by the children of his first marriage: Giamboni tells of an emperor who married Iulia, matrigna sua (Julia, his stepmother).^[6][13]

Semantic evolution

The figurative sense, a mother who shows no love, is recorded before 1588 in Sperone Speroni, who writes of a mother who si tramuta in matrigna (turns into a stepmother).^[6] Leopardi called nature madre di parto e di voler matrigna, a mother by birth and a stepmother by will.^[2][9] The word is also used of fate, fortune or one's country when they seem hostile, also as an adjective: natura matrigna.^[2][9][8] A Tuscan proverb says that snow is a mother to the earth for eight days and a stepmother after that.^[14]

The cruel stepmother of fairy tales such as Snow White and Cinderella is the type the word now calls to mind.^[10] The derivatives matrignale, matrignare and matrigneggiare are old.^[15]

Timeline

• 753 – Late Latin matrina is first recorded.^[1]
• 8th century – Late Latin matrĭnia is recorded.^[6]
• Before 1292 – Bono Giamboni uses matrigna.^[6][8]
• Before 1588 – Sperone Speroni uses it of an unloving mother.^[6]
• 1955 – Castellani argues for Late Latin matrĭnia as the source.^[6]

Meanings

Noun

1. stepmother: a man's new wife, as seen by the children of his earlier marriage: Dopo la morte della madre, le due bambine furono cresciute dalla matrigna.^[8][2][3]
2. (figurative) An unloving, harsh mother.^[8][2][9]
3. (figurative, literary) Something abstract, such as fate, nature or one's country, that seems hostile or cruel.^[8][2][10]

Adjective

1. (feminine only, after the noun) hostile, unkind: sorte matrigna.^[9][2][3]

Word family

• matrignale
• matrignare
• matrigneggiare
• matrignesco

Related words

• madre
• madrina
• Latin māter

Usage notes

Noverca is a literary synonym.^[3]

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h Devoto, Giacomo; Oli, Gian Carlo; Serianni, Luca; Trifone, Maurizio (2026), Nuovo Devoto–Oli: il vocabolario dell'italiano contemporaneo, digital ed., Milano: Le Monnier
3. ^ a b c d e Sabatini, Francesco; Coletti, Vittorio; Manfredini, Manuela (2026), Dizionario italiano Sabatini Coletti, digital ed., Milano: Sansoni / Rizzoli Larousse
4. ^ Vocabolario della lingua italiana Treccani (2011), Roma: Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana
5. ^ Battaglia, Salvatore; Bàrberi Squarotti, Giorgio (1961–2002), Grande dizionario della lingua italiana, 21 vols., Torino: UTET; digital ed. Accademia della Crusca, p. 9
6. ^ a b c d e f g h i Cortelazzo, Manlio; Zolli, Paolo (1999), Dizionario etimologico della lingua italiana, 2nd ed. by Manlio Cortelazzo and Michele A. Cortelazzo, Bologna: Zanichelli
7. ^ a b Nocentini, Alberto; Parenti, Alessandro (2010), l'Etimologico: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Firenze: Le Monnier
8. ^ a b c d e f De Mauro, Tullio (ed.) (2003), Grande dizionario italiano dell'uso, CD-ROM version 2.0, Torino: UTET
9. ^ a b c d e Zingarelli, Nicola (2009), Lo Zingarelli 2010: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Bologna: Zanichelli
10. ^ a b c 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
12. ^ 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
15. ^ Battisti, Carlo; Alessio, Giovanni (1950–1957), Dizionario etimologico italiano, 5 vols., Firenze: Barbèra (reprint 1975), p. 2392