vallecola

Forms

vallecola f (plural vallecole)^[1]

Etymology

It is learned: it is borrowed from Late Latin vallecula (“small valley”), a diminutive of Latin vallis (“valley”) with the suffix -cula.^[2][3][4][5] Treccani and the GDLI also give the later Latin variant vallicula.^[4][6] Tommaseo cites that form from Festus.^[7]

The popular word from the same Latin noun is valle.^[2] Nocentini places the Latin noun in the family of valva (“door leaf”) and volvō (“to roll, turn”), in the sense of a hollow that opens out or runs downhill.^[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

Nocentini and GRADIT date the word to 1856, and Zingarelli gives 1879.^[2][3][8] The first sense is a small valley, the diminutive of valle.^[3][2]

Semantic evolution

Tommaseo listed vallecola as a diminutive of valle and marked it as uncommon.^[7] Its later senses are scientific.^[3][4] In botany it names the grooves that run lengthwise between the ribs of the fruit of the umbellifers.^[3][4][6]

In human and comparative anatomy it renders the scientific Latin vallecula, a name for small hollows or depressions.^[4] Treccani's examples are a depression on the side of the forebrain of birds and the spaces between the ciliary processes of the eye.^[4]

Timeline

• 1856 – First record of vallecola.^[2][3]
• 1879 – The date Zingarelli gives for the word.^[8]

Meanings

Noun

1. (uncommon) A small valley.^[3][4][6]
2. (botany) In the umbellifers, each of the lengthwise grooves between the ribs of the fruit.^[3][4][6]
3. (anatomy) A small depression or hollow on the surface of an organ.^[3][8][4]

Related words

• valle

References

1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f Nocentini, Alberto; Parenti, Alessandro (2010), l'Etimologico: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Firenze: Le Monnier
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i De Mauro, Tullio (ed.) (2003), Grande dizionario italiano dell'uso, CD-ROM version 2.0, Torino: UTET
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i Duro, Aldo (ed.) (1986–1994), Vocabolario della lingua italiana, Roma: Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana; online ed. treccani.it/vocabolario (2008 copy)
5. ^ Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
6. ^ a b c d Battaglia, Salvatore; Bàrberi Squarotti, Giorgio (1961–2002), Grande dizionario della lingua italiana, 21 vols., Torino: UTET; digital ed. Accademia della Crusca
7. ^ a b Tommaseo, Niccolò; Bellini, Bernardo (1861–1879), Dizionario della lingua italiana, 4 vols., Torino: UTET
8. ^ a b c Zingarelli, Nicola (2009), Lo Zingarelli 2010: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Bologna: Zanichelli