vilucchio

Forms

vilucchio m (plural vilucchi)^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Vulgar Latin *volūculum, from Latin volvō (“to turn, roll, wrap”), named for the stem that winds around other plants.^{[2][3][4][5][1]} DELI, Nocentini and Devoto–Oli take it as an alteration of *volūtulum, from the past participle of the verb, a form also continued in the dialects;^[2][3][6] Flechia proposed the etymology in 1876.^[2][3][6] Latin glosses also have volvola for the same plant.^[2] The initial vi- is explained by the influence of viluppo “tangle”.^[7][8][9]

The dialects have Ligurian verlügoa, Lombard verügola and velügora, and the Sicilian malòcchiu.^[10][5] volvō is from Proto-Indo-European *welH- (“to turn, wind”).^[1][11]

Earliest recorded meaning

The first record is in Lorenzo de' Medici, before 1492, who compares two people clinging together to ivy or bindweed (Come l'ellera o 'l vilucchio).^[2][4][12]

Semantic evolution

The word has always named the field bindweed, Convolvulus arvensis, a weed of cornfields with a creeping rootstock and pink or white trumpet flowers.^[2][4][12] Soderini's treatise on gardening describes it twining round whatever it finds, and Mattioli's Dioscoride calls a smilax vilucchio maggiore.^[12][13]

The augmentative vilucchione was given to the hedge bindweed, Convolvulus sepium (now Calystegia sepium), in 1825, and vilucchiello is recorded in the 19th century.^[10][3][14]

Timeline

• Before 1492 – Lorenzo de' Medici uses vilucchio.^[2][4]
• 1825 – O. Targioni Tozzetti uses vilucchione for the hedge bindweed.^[10]

Meanings

Noun

1. (botany) The field bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis), a perennial weed with twining stems and white or pink funnel-shaped flowers, eaten by rabbits.^{[4][6][8][14]}
2. (botany) With a qualifier, other plants of the genera Convolvulus and Calystegia: vilucchio bianco or vilucchio delle siepi, the hedge bindweed.^[4][8][14]

Word family

• vilucchione
• vilucchiello
• avvilucchiarsi

Related words

• convolvolo
• viluppo
• volgere
• Latin volvō

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g Cortelazzo, Manlio; Zolli, Paolo (1999), Dizionario etimologico della lingua italiana, 2nd ed. by Manlio Cortelazzo and Michele A. Cortelazzo, Bologna: Zanichelli
3. ^ a b c d 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 Meyer-Lübke, Wilhelm (1935), Romanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., Heidelberg: Winter
6. ^ a b c Devoto, Giacomo; Oli, Gian Carlo; Serianni, Luca; Trifone, Maurizio (2026), Nuovo Devoto–Oli: il vocabolario dell'italiano contemporaneo, digital ed., Milano: Le Monnier
7. ^ Devoto, Giacomo (1968), Avviamento alla etimologia italiana: dizionario etimologico, 2nd ed., Firenze: Le Monnier
8. ^ a b c Zingarelli, Nicola (2009), Lo Zingarelli 2010: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Bologna: Zanichelli
9. ^ Gabrielli, Aldo (2020), Grande dizionario italiano, digital ed., Milano: Hoepli
10. ^ a b c Battisti, Carlo; Alessio, Giovanni (1950–1957), Dizionario etimologico italiano, 5 vols., Firenze: Barbèra (reprint 1975), p. 4055
11. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
12. ^ a b c Tommaseo, Niccolò; Bellini, Bernardo (1861–1879), Dizionario della lingua italiana, 4 vols., Torino: UTET
13. ^ Battaglia, Salvatore; Bàrberi Squarotti, Giorgio (1961–2002), Grande dizionario della lingua italiana, 21 vols., Torino: UTET; digital ed. Accademia della Crusca, p. 21, 878
14. ^ a b c Duro, Aldo (ed.) (1986–1994), Vocabolario della lingua italiana, Roma: Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana; online ed. treccani.it/vocabolario (2008 copy)