occhio Italian · revision 37662

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=12th–13th century, Gerardo Patecchio, in the form oclo|origins=ine-pro *h₃ekʷ-}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈɔk.kjo/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''occhio''' ''m'' (plural occhi, diminutive occhièllo, augmentative occhióne, pejorative occhiàccio, diminutive-endearing occhiétto or occhiettìno or occhìno or occhiolìno, (uncommon) occhiùccio or occhiùzzo)^(Wiktionary)

+ The oldest form is [[roa-oit|oclo]], in Gerardo Patecchio and Stefano Protonotaro.^(DELI 1999)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|la-vul|oclus]], [[inh|la|oculus|t=eye]], with the loss of the unstressed vowel: the late Latin list of corrections known as the Appendix Probi condemns ⟨oclus⟩ in favour of ⟨oculus⟩.^(DELI 1999)^(Wiktionary)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026) The word is pan-Romance: [[fr|œil]], [[oc|uelh]], [[ca|ull]], [[es|ojo]], [[pt|olho]] and [[ro|ochi]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(REW 1935) The learned [[oculo]] is its doublet.^(Wiktionary)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+

+ The Latin noun is formed with the suffix ⟨-lo-⟩ on the root [[ine-pro|*h₃ekʷ-|t=eye; to see]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(de Vaan 2008)^(Wiktionary) De Vaan notes that most Indo-European languages have a root noun or an i-stem for the eye, so the Latin formation is probably not inherited from Proto-Indo-European; the cognates include [[sa|अक्षि|tr=ákṣi]], [[grc|ὄσσε|tr=ósse|t=the two eyes]], [[lt|akis|alt=akìs]], [[goh|ouga]] and [[m|en|eye]].^(de Vaan 2008)^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ Some figurative senses are already Latin: Virgil and Columella use the noun for a bud, perhaps after [[grc|ὀφθαλμός|tr=ophthalmós]] in Theophrastus.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ DELI's earliest record is the form ''oclo'' in Gerardo Patecchio (12th–13th century), for the organ of sight;^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003) ''occhio'' itself is in an anonymous poet before 1250.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The sense “look, sight” is in Stefano Protonotaro (''oclo'', before 1250) and Guido Cavalcanti, who also uses the word for a state of mind shown in the look;^(DELI 1999) Bono Giamboni (before 1292) uses it for the power to understand and judge.^(DELI 1999) The transferred senses for things like an eye began in building: a Florentine text of 1291 speaks of “uno occhio per alluminare la casa” (a round window to light the house).^(DELI 1999)^(DEI|2622) Boccaccio (1341–1342) uses it for a bud, the ''Canti carnascialeschi'' (15th century) for attention, and printers from 1925 for the face of a type.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ Nocentini notes how widely the word is applied to round things that stand out against their ground: the hole in a hammer, the eye of a cyclone, the spot on a bean, and ''occhio di bue'', which can name a round window, a spotlight or a fried egg.^(Nocentini 2010) ''Occhio di bue'' in architecture translates French ''œil-de-bœuf'', and ''saltare agli occhi'' “to be obvious” is French ''sauter aux yeux'' (1648).^(DELI 1999) ''Occhio per occhio'' comes from the law of retaliation in Exodus, spread by the Gospel of Matthew.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ The plural ''occhiali'' “spectacles” is the old adjective ''occhiale'' “of the eye”, used as a noun with ''vetro'' “glass” understood.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010) German has ''Okki'' (1879) for a kind of light lace worked in rosettes.^(DIFIT)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 12th–13th century – Gerardo Patecchio uses the form ''oclo''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1250 – The form ''occhio'' is recorded.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)

+ * 1291 – A Florentine text uses ''occhio'' for a round window.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1292 – Bono Giamboni uses it for the power to judge.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1341–1342 – Boccaccio uses it for a bud.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1648 – French ''sauter aux yeux'', the model of ''saltare agli occhi'', is recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1879 – German ''Okki'' is recorded.^(DIFIT)

+ * 1925 – The typographical sense is recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # [[m|en|eye]], the organ of sight; also its visible part, with the coloured iris: ''Mia sorella ha gli occhi verdi.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Sight, eyesight; a look, gaze.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(figurative)'' The ability to judge or notice: ''avere occhio per i colori''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+ # A round [[m|en|hole]] or opening: the eye of a needle, the hole for a handle, a round window; the eye of a cyclone.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Nocentini 2010)^(DELI 1999)

+ # ''(botany)'' A [[m|en|bud]].^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)

+ # ''(printing)'' The face of a type, the raised letter on the end of the type body.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)

+

+ ===Interjection===

+ # Look out!, watch out!: ''Occhio, arriva una macchina!''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[occhiata]]

+ * [[occhiaia]]

+ * [[occhiali]]

+ * [[occhiello]]

+ * [[occhiolino]]

+ * [[occhiaccio]]

+ * [[occhieggiare]]

+ * [[occhiuto]]

+ * [[adocchiare]]

+ * [[sottocchio]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[oculare]]

+ * [[oculo]]

+ * [[oculista]]

+ * [[oculato]]

+ * [[la|oculus]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ The plural is ''occhi''.^(Wiktionary) Among many set phrases are ''a occhio e croce'' “roughly, at a guess”, ''a quattr’occhi'' “in private”, ''costare un occhio della testa'' “to cost the earth” and ''in un batter d’occhio'' “in the twinkling of an eye”.^(DELI 1999)^(Wiktionary)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}