pigna

Forms

pigna f (plural pigne)^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Latin pīnea, the feminine of pīneus (“of pine”) used as a noun, from pīnus (“pine”).^[2][3][4][1] The Latin noun is short for nux pīnea, “pine nut”.^[1][5][6]

The same word is Spanish piña and Portuguese pinha, and Old French pigne.^[3][6] In southern Italy forms such as Sicilian pignu mean “pine”.^[7]

The origin of pīnus is uncertain: de Vaan compares Ancient Greek πίτυς (pítus, “pine”) and Ancient Greek πίναξ (pínax, “plank”), and thinks it may be a non-Indo-European tree name or a word related to pix (“pitch”).^[8]

Earliest recorded meaning

DEI finds the word in the 13th century at Ravenna, and Zingarelli dates it to 1287;^[7][9][2] DELI's first record is Dino Dini in the 14th century (1329 in DEI), with the sense “the cone of the pine”.^[7][9][2]

Semantic evolution

From the cone the word passed to things of the same shape: an object or heap of objects shaped like a cone (1536), a bunch of grapes (Salvini, 18th century), and in architecture the triangular top of a wall that carries the roof (1908).^[2][7] In the 16th century it could also mean the pine tree itself.^[7] In nautical use pigna (1889) is the perforated cap at the end of a suction pipe.^[2]

Figurative phrases: avere le pigne in testa, to have odd ideas (Roman), and pigna verde, a miser, because pine nuts cannot be got out of a green cone.^[10][11] The Abruzzese pigna is an Easter cake topped with hard-boiled eggs.^[7]

Timeline

• 1287 – Zingarelli's date of first record.^[9]
• 1329 – Dino Dini uses it for the cone of the pine.^[7][2]
• 1473 – pinochyata, a sweet of sugar paste and pine nuts, is recorded at Naples.^[2]
• 1536 – it is recorded for an object or a heap shaped like a pine cone.^[2]
• 1889 – Guglielmotti records it for the perforated cap on a suction pipe.^[2]
• 1908 – Panzini records it for the triangular top of a wall under the roof.^[2]

Meanings

Noun

1. A pine cone, the woody cone of the pine and other conifers, with scales that each cover two seeds, the pine nuts (pinoli).^{[4][10][5][1]}
2. An object, or a pile of objects, shaped like a pine cone: una pigna di piatti.^[10][9][1]
3. (uncommon) A bunch of grapes, especially a tight one.^[4][10][5]
4. (architecture) An ornament in the form of a pine cone on a cornice, pillar or fountain; the finial of a bell tower; the triangular top of a wall that carries a roof with two slopes.^[4][9][12]
5. (technology) A perforated strainer cap on the end of a suction pipe, which keeps out solid matter.^[4][10][11]
6. A grooved cone, once used by rope makers to twist the strands, or to grind beans in old coffee mills.^[4][5]

Word family

• pignolo
• pignone
• pignoccata
• pignolata
• pignocco

Related words

• pino
• pina
• pinolo
• pignatta
• Latin pīnea

Usage notes

Tuscan has the form pina.^[5][9][1] An old pigna meaning “pot” is explained by GDLI as the same word, from the shape, while Cortelazzo and Marcato mention a derivation from pignatta; another old pigna, the pineapple, was taken from Spanish piña.^[13][14]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Cortelazzo, Manlio; Zolli, Paolo (1999), Dizionario etimologico della lingua italiana, 2nd ed. by Manlio Cortelazzo and Michele A. Cortelazzo, Bologna: Zanichelli
3. ^ a b Nocentini, Alberto; Parenti, Alessandro (2010), l'Etimologico: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Firenze: Le Monnier
4. ^ a b c d e f De Mauro, Tullio (ed.) (2003), Grande dizionario italiano dell'uso, CD-ROM version 2.0, Torino: UTET
5. ^ a b c d e Sabatini, Francesco; Coletti, Vittorio; Manfredini, Manuela (2026), Dizionario italiano Sabatini Coletti, digital ed., Milano: Sansoni / Rizzoli Larousse
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. 13, 461
7. ^ a b c d e f g Battisti, Carlo; Alessio, Giovanni (1950–1957), Dizionario etimologico italiano, 5 vols., Firenze: Barbèra (reprint 1975), p. 2916
8. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
9. ^ a b c d e f Zingarelli, Nicola (2009), Lo Zingarelli 2010: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Bologna: Zanichelli
10. ^ 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
11. ^ a b Duro, Aldo (ed.) (1986–1994), Vocabolario della lingua italiana, Roma: Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana; online ed. treccani.it/vocabolario (2008 copy)
12. ^ Gabrielli, Aldo (2020), Grande dizionario italiano, digital ed., Milano: Hoepli
13. ^ Battaglia, Salvatore; Bàrberi Squarotti, Giorgio (1961–2002), Grande dizionario della lingua italiana, 21 vols., Torino: UTET; digital ed. Accademia della Crusca, p. 13, 462
14. ^ Cortelazzo, Manlio; Marcato, Carla (1998), I dialetti italiani: dizionario etimologico, Torino: UTET