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pecorino

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Etymology and origin of the Italian word pecorino

Confidence
Probable
Formation
Inherited
First attested
1298–1309 Statutes of the Wool Guild of Siena More words from the 13th century
Inherited from
Latin pecorinus
Ultimate origin
Latin pecus

Pronunciation

  • /pe.koˈri.no/[1]

Forms

pecorino (feminine pecorina, masculine plural pecorini, feminine plural pecorine)[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Late Latin pecorīnus (“of sheep”), from pecus (“livestock”).[2][3][4][1] Zingarelli and GDLI call the adjective learned, and DEI calls the cheese name learned, from the Late Latin phrase for sheep's cheese in Theodorus Priscianus.[5][6][7] Wiktionary treats it as inherited.[1] DEI compares Romanian păcuină (“milk ewe”).[7]

The Latin noun meant livestock in general and later the sheep.[5][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The first record is the adjective “of sheep”, in the statutes of the Wool Guild of Siena of 1298–1309, which allowed the guild's workers to work lana pecorina e montonina (“sheep's and ram's wool”).[8][9]

Semantic evolution

The cheese was first cascio pecorino: the Libro della Mensa of 1344 has casci pecorini and also the noun alone.[8] DEI records caso pecorino at Montecatini in the 15th century, and the noun is in GDLI's quotations from Frugoli in the 17th century on.[7][6] Today it is a hard cheese of whole sheep's milk, mild or sharp, made above all in central and southern Italy and in Sardinia and sold by region: pecorino romano, sardo, toscano, siciliano.[10][3][11]

The adjective also had a figurative side: something sheep-like in voice or face, and servile in one's submission.[10][11] Old Italian carta pecorina was parchment, the same as cartapecora.[9][3] The noun crossed into English in 1931 and into French in the 20th century.[12]

Timeline

  • 1298–1309 – The adjective appears in the statutes of the Wool Guild of Siena.[8]
  • 1344 – Casci pecorini “sheep's cheeses” are recorded in the Libro della Mensa.[8]
  • 1400s – Caso pecorino is recorded at Montecatini.[7]
  • 1600s – Frugoli uses pecorino alone for the cheese.[8]
  • 1931 – English pecorino is first recorded.[12]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Of sheep; made or obtained from sheep: lana pecorina, latte pecorino.[10][13][4]
  2. Recalling a sheep in look or behaviour;[10][11] (figurative) servile, sheepish.[10][11]

Noun

  1. pecorino, a hard cheese of whole sheep's milk, mild or sharp: Ha grattugiato un po' di pecorino sulla pasta.[10][3][5]

Word family

  • pecorina
  • pecorinamente

Usage notes

Alla pecorina (colloquial) means “on all fours”, also of a sexual position.[5][14] GDLI has a separate pecorino “small sheep, lamb”, a diminutive of pecora, used in comparisons for docility.[15] DEI and GDLI record a Sienese pecorino for a yellow bolete mushroom, also from pecora.[7][15] Older texts also use pecorino for sheep's dung, used as manure.[9][7]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ Nocentini, Alberto; Parenti, Alessandro (2010), l'Etimologico: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Firenze: Le Monnier
  3. ^ a b c d Devoto, Giacomo; Oli, Gian Carlo; Serianni, Luca; Trifone, Maurizio (2026), Nuovo Devoto–Oli: il vocabolario dell'italiano contemporaneo, digital ed., Milano: Le Monnier
  4. ^ a b c Gabrielli, Aldo (2020), Grande dizionario italiano, digital ed., Milano: Hoepli
  5. ^ a b c d Zingarelli, Nicola (2009), Lo Zingarelli 2010: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Bologna: Zanichelli
  6. ^ a b Battaglia, Salvatore; Bàrberi Squarotti, Giorgio (1961–2002), Grande dizionario della lingua italiana, 21 vols., Torino: UTET; digital ed. Accademia della Crusca, p. 12, 907
  7. ^ a b c d e f Battisti, Carlo; Alessio, Giovanni (1950–1957), Dizionario etimologico italiano, 5 vols., Firenze: Barbèra (reprint 1975), p. 2815
  8. ^ a b c d e Cortelazzo, Manlio; Zolli, Paolo (1999), Dizionario etimologico della lingua italiana, 2nd ed. by Manlio Cortelazzo and Michele A. Cortelazzo, Bologna: Zanichelli
  9. ^ a b c Tommaseo, Niccolò; Bellini, Bernardo (1861–1879), Dizionario della lingua italiana, 4 vols., Torino: UTET
  10. ^ a b c d e f De Mauro, Tullio (ed.) (2003), Grande dizionario italiano dell'uso, CD-ROM version 2.0, Torino: UTET
  11. ^ a b c d Duro, Aldo (ed.) (1986–1994), Vocabolario della lingua italiana, Roma: Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana; online ed. treccani.it/vocabolario (2008 copy)
  12. ^ a b Stammerjohann, Harro, et al. (2008), Dizionario di italianismi in francese, inglese, tedesco, Firenze: Accademia della Crusca; online at difit.italianisticaonline.it
  13. ^ Sabatini, Francesco; Coletti, Vittorio; Manfredini, Manuela (2026), Dizionario italiano Sabatini Coletti, digital ed., Milano: Sansoni / Rizzoli Larousse
  14. ^ Vocabolario della lingua italiana Treccani (2011), Roma: Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana
  15. ^ a b Battaglia, Salvatore; Bàrberi Squarotti, Giorgio (1961–2002), Grande dizionario della lingua italiana, 21 vols., Torino: UTET; digital ed. Accademia della Crusca, p. 12, 908

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

“Pecorino.” Etymologically, 14 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/it/pecorino. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.

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