tega

Forms

tega f (plural teghe)^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Latin thēca (“case, box”), a popular northern outcome beside the learned teca.^[2][3][1] Prati, following Merlo, notes that the Tuscan word agrees with Tuscan sound laws and is unlikely to be the Venetian word.^[4] The Latin noun is from Ancient Greek θήκη (thḗkē, “case, receptacle”), from τίθημι (títhēmi, “to put”).^[1][5]

The same word is Piedmontese teja (“pod”), Sardinian tega, French taie (Old French toie) and Romanian teacă.^[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

Zingarelli dates the word before 1557, Nocentini and GRADIT before 1580.^[7][2][8] Ramusio describes shrubs that bear teghe lunghe come son quelle de' fasoli (“pods as long as those of beans”).^[9][6]

Semantic evolution

In Tuscany (Pisa and Pistoia) the word came to mean the awn of wheat and a fishbone, from the 18th century.^[6][4][10] From this, the plural teghe also named long straight locks of hair.^[11][8] In Veneto the diminutive tegoline means green beans.^[6][2]

Timeline

• Before 1557 – First record, in the sense “pod”.^[7]
• 1768 – Lapi records the sense “awn, fishbone” in Pisa and Pistoia.^[6]
• Before 1873 – Tegolino “green bean” is recorded.^[2]

Meanings

Noun

1. (regional) pod of a broad bean, bean or other legume.^[8][3][7]
2. (Tuscany) awn of wheat, or a glume.^[8][3][7]
3. (Tuscany) fishbone.^[8][3]
4. (in the plural) Long straight locks of hair.^[8][11]
5. (slang) penis.^[8][1]

Word family

• tegolino

Related words

• teca
• Latin thēca

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d Nocentini, Alberto; Parenti, Alessandro (2010), l'Etimologico: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Firenze: Le Monnier
3. ^ a b c d Sabatini, Francesco; Coletti, Vittorio; Manfredini, Manuela (2026), Dizionario italiano Sabatini Coletti, digital ed., Milano: Sansoni / Rizzoli Larousse
4. ^ a b Prati, Angelico (1951), Vocabolario etimologico italiano, Milano: Garzanti, p. 982
5. ^ Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
6. ^ a b c d e Battisti, Carlo; Alessio, Giovanni (1950–1957), Dizionario etimologico italiano, 5 vols., Firenze: Barbèra (reprint 1975), p. 3739
7. ^ a b c d Zingarelli, Nicola (2009), Lo Zingarelli 2010: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Bologna: Zanichelli
8. ^ a b c d e f g De Mauro, Tullio (ed.) (2003), Grande dizionario italiano dell'uso, CD-ROM version 2.0, Torino: UTET
9. ^ Battaglia, Salvatore; Bàrberi Squarotti, Giorgio (1961–2002), Grande dizionario della lingua italiana, 21 vols., Torino: UTET; digital ed. Accademia della Crusca, p. 20, 798
10. ^ Tommaseo, Niccolò; Bellini, Bernardo (1861–1879), Dizionario della lingua italiana, 4 vols., Torino: UTET
11. ^ a b Duro, Aldo (ed.) (1986–1994), Vocabolario della lingua italiana, Roma: Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana; online ed. treccani.it/vocabolario (2008 copy)