cuore Italian · revision 37772

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=late 12th century, Ritmo di Sant'Alessio (Marche)|origins=ine-pro *ḱḗr}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈkwɔ.re/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''cuore''' ''m'' (plural cuori, pejorative cuoràccio/coràccio, diminutive-endearing cuoricìno/coricìno, derogatory cuoriciàttolo/coriciàttolo or (uncommon) cuorùccio/corùccio)^(Wiktionary)

+ The old and poetic form is [[roa-oit|core]], shortened to [[roa-oit|cor]] in verse.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|la-vul|*corem]], [[inh|la|cor|t=heart]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary) The Latin neuter took a final “-e” and became masculine in Vulgar Latin, as did the words for “bile” and “honey”.^(Wiktionary)^(Prati 1951|358) The stressed /ɔ/ of the Latin nominative became /wɔ/ by the regular Tuscan diphthongization in an open syllable.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026) The word is found throughout the Romance languages except Romanian, which uses [[ro|inimă]], from the word for “soul”: [[fr|cœur]], [[oc|cor]], [[ca|cor]] and [[sc|coro]];^(Nocentini 2010)^(REW 1935)^(DEI|1191) Spanish and Portuguese replaced the old simple noun with the derivatives [[es|corazón]] and [[pt|coração]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(REW 1935)^(DEI|1191)

+

+ The Latin noun continues [[itc-pro|*kord]], from [[ine-pro|*ḱḗr]], whose oblique stem [[m|ine-pro|*ḱr̥d-]] Latin generalized.^(de Vaan 2008)^(Wiktionary) It is the Indo-European name of the heart, found in almost every branch: [[grc|κῆρ|tr=kêr]] and [[m|grc|καρδία|tr=kardía]], [[got|𐌷𐌰𐌹𐍂𐍄𐍉|tr=hairtō]], [[de|Herz]], [[lt|širdis]], [[ru|сердце|tr=sérdce]] and English [[m|en|heart]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(de Vaan 2008)^(Wiktionary) In the Middle Ages the heart was also the seat of reason and memory, hence [[fr|par cœur]] “by heart”.^(REW 1935)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The TLIO's first record is the ''Ritmo di Sant'Alessio'', a poem from the Marche of the late 12th century;^(TLIO)^(Nocentini 2010) Nocentini dates the word to the second half of that century.^(TLIO)^(Nocentini 2010) DELI has ''core'' as the seat of feelings before 1250 in Giacomo da Lentini, and for the organ before 1294 in Brunetto Latini.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The diphthongized ''cuore'' is first recorded for the seat of feelings in Dante (1293–1294), and for the organ in the 14th-century translation of Pietro Ispano.^(DELI 1999) From the start the word named the centre of a place or thing (before 1292, Bono Giamboni), and later “courage” (1310–1312, Dino Compagni).^(DELI 1999)^(TLIO) The TLIO also records star names such as ''cuore del Leone'' and ''cuore dello Scorpione''.^(TLIO) The suit of hearts in French playing cards is recorded in 1534, in Aretino.^(DELI 1999) Prati notes the heartwood of a tree, and the phrases ''crepacuore'' and ''a malincuore'' in Cavalca.^(Prati 1951|358)

+

+ The number of phrases is very large: ''avere a cuore'', ''amico del cuore'', ''col cuore in mano'', ''a cuore aperto'' (both frank and, in surgery, open-heart).^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010) Twentieth-century additions include the ''cuore artificiale'' (1984) and the ''cuore di bue'' tomato (1997).^(GDLI)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Late 12th century – The ''Ritmo di Sant'Alessio'' uses the word.^(TLIO)

+ * Before 1250 – Giacomo da Lentini uses ''core'' for the seat of feelings.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1292 – Bono Giamboni uses it for the centre of something.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1293–1294 – Dante writes ''cuore''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1310–1312 – Dino Compagni uses it for “courage”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1534 – Aretino uses it for the suit of hearts.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1984 – ''Cuore artificiale'' appears in ''La Repubblica''.^(GDLI)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # ''(anatomy)'' The [[m|en|heart]], the muscular organ that pumps the blood: ''Il medico gli ha ascoltato il cuore.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # The heart of a slaughtered animal as food.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+ # The part of the chest where the heart is; [[m|en|breast]]: ''Teneva la lettera stretta al cuore.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # A heart-shaped object; the stylized shape of a heart.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # ''(card games, plural)'' Hearts, one of the four suits of French cards: ''il re di cuori''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # ''(figurative)'' The seat of feelings and emotions; disposition, [[m|en|kindness]]: ''una persona di cuore''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # Love, affection: ''affari di cuore''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # Conscience, moral feeling; courage.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Treccani 2011)^(DELI 1999)

+ # The centre, [[m|en|core]] of something: ''nel cuore della notte''.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(DELI 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[cuoricino]]

+ * [[batticuore]]

+ * [[crepacuore]]

+ * [[rincuorare]]

+ * [[accorare]]

+ * [[accorato]]

+ * [[scorare]]

+ * [[cuoriforme]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[coraggio]]

+ * [[corata]]

+ * [[coratella]]

+ * [[cardiaco]]

+ * [[cardio-]]

+ * [[cordiale]]

+ * [[ricordare]]

+ * [[la|cor]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Core'' survives in poetry and in popular and regional speech, and verse often shortens the word to ''cor''.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861) ''Sacro Cuore'' is the Sacred Heart of Jesus.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}