trivella

Forms

trivella f (plural trivelle)^[1]

Etymology

Most dictionaries take it as inherited from Vulgar Latin *terebella, a diminutive of Latin terebra (“drill, gimlet”).^{[1][2][3][4][5]} DELI starts from the Late Latin terebellum, known from inscriptions, a diminutive of the same noun and of its late variant terebrum (before 420, Jerome).^[6] Nocentini, GRADIT, the GDLI and the TLIO instead take the word as the feminine of the older trivello “gimlet”, with an augmentative sense, and the TLIO derives the masculine from terebellus.^{[7][8][9][10]}

The Latin noun for “drill” is formed from terō (“to rub”) with the instrument suffix -bra.^[11][1][6] De Vaan traces the verb to Proto-Indo-European *terh₁- (“to rub”), and compares Ancient Greek τέρετρον (téretron, “drill”).^[12] Devoto explains the first syllable ⟨tri-⟩ by the influence of trito.^[13]

Earliest recorded meaning

The first record is a Pisan naval account of the first half of the 12th century, which notes five denari paid in trivelle.^[10][6][9] DELI thinks the sense there may already be a tool for boring wood.^[6]

Semantic evolution

In the 16th century the word is used by Biringuccio (before 1537) for an iron tool with a spiral point for boring wood, beside trivello, and Florio's dictionary of 1598 has it for a steel rod with a screw or chisel head for boring holes in the ground.^[6] Leonardo appeals to la esperienza della trivella against a claim of Vitruvius about small models.^[9] Pigafetta compared the drill to the screw, since it keeps going further in as it bores.^[9][14]

The verb trivellare is in Leonardo, of swirling waters, and in Biringuccio for boring holes; in 1939–1940 Palazzi records its figurative use for a thought that gnaws at the mind.^[6] Trivellazione, drilling for water, oil or surveys, is recorded in 1839 or 1879.^[7][6] In cheese dairies the word now also names the tool used to take samples from the wheels of Parmesan to check how they are ageing.^[8][15][4]

Timeline

• First half of the 12th century – Trivelle appears in a Pisan naval account.^[10][6]
• 1290 – Trivello is recorded in a Bolognese document.^[10]
• Before 1519 – Leonardo uses trivella and trivellare.^[6][9]
• Before 1537 – Biringuccio uses trivella for a tool for boring wood.^[6][8]
• 1598 – Florio records the word for a rod for boring the ground.^[6]
• 1839 – Trivellazione is recorded.^[7]

Meanings

Noun

1. An auger or drill: a steel rod shaped like a long screw or with a chisel end, turned on itself to bore holes in the ground: Con la trivella hanno scavato un pozzo per l'acqua.^[8][2][3]
2. A drilling rig for deep wells, such as oil wells.^{[8][2][3][16]}
3. A gimlet: a tool with a spiral point for boring holes in wood.^[8][2][15]
4. In cheese-making, a tool for taking samples from cheese wheels to check their ageing.^[8][15][3]

Word family

• trivellare
• trivellazione
• trivellamento

Related words

• trivello
• trito
• Latin terebra
• Latin tero

Usage notes

Trivello is a synonym for the tool for boring wood.^[15][4]

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ 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
3. ^ a b c d Zingarelli, Nicola (2009), Lo Zingarelli 2010: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Bologna: Zanichelli
4. ^ a b c Duro, Aldo (ed.) (1986–1994), Vocabolario della lingua italiana, Roma: Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana; online ed. treccani.it/vocabolario (2008 copy)
5. ^ Gabrielli, Aldo (2020), Grande dizionario italiano, digital ed., Milano: Hoepli
6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Cortelazzo, Manlio; Zolli, Paolo (1999), Dizionario etimologico della lingua italiana, 2nd ed. by Manlio Cortelazzo and Michele A. Cortelazzo, Bologna: Zanichelli
7. ^ a b c Nocentini, Alberto; Parenti, Alessandro (2010), l'Etimologico: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Firenze: Le Monnier
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. ^ a b c d e Battaglia, Salvatore; Bàrberi Squarotti, Giorgio (1961–2002), Grande dizionario della lingua italiana, 21 vols., Torino: UTET; digital ed. Accademia della Crusca
10. ^ a b c d Tesoro della Lingua Italiana delle Origini (1997–), Opera del Vocabolario Italiano, CNR, Firenze; tlio.ovi.cnr.it
11. ^ Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
12. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
13. ^ Devoto, Giacomo (1968), Avviamento alla etimologia italiana: dizionario etimologico, 2nd ed., Firenze: Le Monnier, p. 454
14. ^ Tommaseo, Niccolò; Bellini, Bernardo (1861–1879), Dizionario della lingua italiana, 4 vols., Torino: UTET
15. ^ a b c d Sabatini, Francesco; Coletti, Vittorio; Manfredini, Manuela (2026), Dizionario italiano Sabatini Coletti, digital ed., Milano: Sansoni / Rizzoli Larousse
16. ^ Vocabolario della lingua italiana Treccani (2011), Roma: Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana