orciolo

Forms

orciolo m (plural orcioli)^[1] The older and literary form is orciuolo.^[2][3][4] Old texts also have orçuolo, orçulo, horçolo and urciuolo.^[5]

Etymology

It is inherited from Latin urceolus (“small pitcher”), a diminutive of urceus (“pitcher, jug”).^[6][2][4][7] Sabatini–Coletti and Zingarelli start from a spoken Latin *urceolus with the stress moved to the ⟨o⟩.^[8][3] The TLIO takes it as formed in Italian, from Italian orcio + -olo.^[5] Wiktionary gives both explanations.^[1]

The same Latin word gave Old French orguel and Old Occitan orsol.^[9]

Earliest recorded meaning

The first record is in the Sienese text of Mattasalà (1233–1243), for a small orcio, a container of varying material and make.^[5][6]

Semantic evolution

Old Italian also used the word for a vessel in church use.^[5] Boccaccio has the diminutive orcioletto for a small Bolognese jug of white wine.^[10] In modern Italian it is a jug or pitcher, and in fishing a clay pot set on the sea floor to catch octopus.^[11][2][4] The phrase fare la bocca d'orciolo means to twist one's mouth.^[12] De Mauro marks the word as rare, and its sense “chamber pot” as obsolete.^[11]

Timeline

• 1233–1243 – the word appears in the Sienese text of Mattasalà.^[5][6]
• 13th century – the form orciuolo is recorded.^[2][8]

Meanings

Noun

1. A small orcio, a jar for holding or pouring liquids.^[11][2][4]
2. A jug or pitcher; a brocca.^[11][2][3]
3. (fishing) A clay pot laid on the sea floor to catch octopuses.^[11][2][4]
4. (obsolete) A chamber pot.^[11]

Word family

• orcioletto
• orciolino
• orciolaio

Related words

• orcio
• Latin urceus

References

1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ 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
3. ^ a b c Zingarelli, Nicola (2009), Lo Zingarelli 2010: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Bologna: Zanichelli
4. ^ a b c d e Vocabolario della lingua italiana Treccani (2011), Roma: Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana
5. ^ a b c d e Tesoro della Lingua Italiana delle Origini (1997–), Opera del Vocabolario Italiano, CNR, Firenze; tlio.ovi.cnr.it
6. ^ a b c Nocentini, Alberto; Parenti, Alessandro (2010), l'Etimologico: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Firenze: Le Monnier
7. ^ Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
8. ^ a b Sabatini, Francesco; Coletti, Vittorio; Manfredini, Manuela (2026), Dizionario italiano Sabatini Coletti, digital ed., Milano: Sansoni / Rizzoli Larousse
9. ^ Meyer-Lübke, Wilhelm (1935), Romanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., Heidelberg: Winter
10. ^ Duro, Aldo (ed.) (1986–1994), Vocabolario della lingua italiana, Roma: Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana; online ed. treccani.it/vocabolario (2008 copy)
11. ^ a b c d e f De Mauro, Tullio (ed.) (2003), Grande dizionario italiano dell'uso, CD-ROM version 2.0, Torino: UTET
12. ^ Gabrielli, Aldo (2020), Grande dizionario italiano, digital ed., Milano: Hoepli