nocchia

Forms

nocchia f (plural nocchie)^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Latin nucula (“small nut”), a diminutive of nux (“nut”), in the view of most dictionaries.^{[2][3][4][5][6][7]} Treccani gives the Latin source only as a possibility, and Devoto–Oli starts from a Vulgar Latin *nucŭla.^[8][3] DEI cites Medieval Latin nuga in a Lombard document of 813, an error for *nugla.^[9]

From the same Latin word come Old Italian nocula at Pisa, nocola (“small boat”) at Lucca, and Friulian nole.^[6][9][10]

Earliest recorded meaning

DEI finds nuchia in the Latin of Montelibretti in the 15th century, and GRADIT and Devoto–Oli date the Italian word from the same century.^[9][2][3] Tommaso di Silvestro tells of hail at Orvieto grossa come nocchie (“as big as hazelnuts”).^[5] Oudin's dictionary gives it in 1639 with the Roman sense “hazelnut”.^[9][11]

Semantic evolution

The word belongs to Tuscany, Umbria, Lazio, Abruzzo and Campania; the other dialects have words of the type nocciola or nocella.^[9][10] In Tuscany it was used for a hazelnut still green, and Tommaseo records the street cry Granite le nocchie.^[12][11][5] The GDLI also has the senses “any hard, round fruit” and “bump on the head”.^[5] In the same dialects nocchio is the hazel tree.^[10]

Timeline

• 813 – Nuga (for *nugla) appears in a Lombard document.^[9]
• 15th century – Nuchia is recorded in the Latin of Montelibretti.^[9]
• 15th century – GRADIT, Devoto–Oli and Zingarelli date the Italian word to the 15th century.^[2][3][13]
• 1639 – Oudin records nocchia.^[9]

Meanings

Noun

1. (regional, central Italy) A hazelnut (nocciola), especially one not yet ripe.^{[2][3][13][5]}
2. A hard, round fruit or berry.^[5]
3. A bump or lump on the head.^[5]

Word family

• nocchieto

Related words

• nocciola
• noce
• Latin nux

Usage notes

The GDLI lists two minor nocchia words: a parodic feminine of nocchio in the Canti carnascialeschi, and a variant of nocca.^[5]

References

1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d De Mauro, Tullio (ed.) (2003), Grande dizionario italiano dell'uso, CD-ROM version 2.0, Torino: UTET
3. ^ a b c d e Devoto, Giacomo; Oli, Gian Carlo; Serianni, Luca; Trifone, Maurizio (2026), Nuovo Devoto–Oli: il vocabolario dell'italiano contemporaneo, digital ed., Milano: Le Monnier
4. ^ Gabrielli, Aldo (2020), Grande dizionario italiano, digital ed., Milano: Hoepli
5. ^ a b c d e f g h Battaglia, Salvatore; Bàrberi Squarotti, Giorgio (1961–2002), Grande dizionario della lingua italiana, 21 vols., Torino: UTET; digital ed. Accademia della Crusca
6. ^ a b Meyer-Lübke, Wilhelm (1935), Romanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., Heidelberg: Winter
7. ^ Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
8. ^ Duro, Aldo (ed.) (1986–1994), Vocabolario della lingua italiana, Roma: Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana; online ed. treccani.it/vocabolario (2008 copy)
9. ^ a b c d e f g h Battisti, Carlo; Alessio, Giovanni (1950–1957), Dizionario etimologico italiano, 5 vols., Firenze: Barbèra (reprint 1975), p. 2591
10. ^ a b c Cortelazzo, Manlio; Marcato, Carla (1998), I dialetti italiani: dizionario etimologico, Torino: UTET
11. ^ a b Prati, Angelico (1951), Vocabolario etimologico italiano, Milano: Garzanti, p. 699
12. ^ Tommaseo, Niccolò; Bellini, Bernardo (1861–1879), Dizionario della lingua italiana, 4 vols., Torino: UTET
13. ^ a b Zingarelli, Nicola (2009), Lo Zingarelli 2010: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Bologna: Zanichelli