cucinare Italian · revision 38845

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=before 1294, Guittone d'Arezzo|origins=la coquō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ku.t͡ʃiˈna.re/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''cucinare''' (first-person singular present cucìno, first-person singular past historic cucinài, past participle cucinàto, auxiliary avére)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old forms include ''chucinare'', ''cusinar'' and ''cocinare''.^(TLIO)^(GDLI)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|la-vul|*cocīnō|alt=*cocināre]], a variant of [[la-lat|coquīnō|alt=coquināre|t=to cook]], which is derived from [[m|la|coquīna|t=kitchen]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary) DEI explains the Late Latin form with ⟨c⟩ as remodelled on [[la|cocus]] (beside [[m|la|coquus|t=cook]]); the TLIO and DELI simply derive it from Italian [[cucina]].^(DEI|1184)^(TLIO)^(DELI 1999) The Latin noun goes back to [[m|la|coquō|t=to cook]].^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+

+ The verb is found in Italy and the western Romance languages: [[fr|cuisiner]], [[ca|cuinar]], [[es|cocinar]] and [[pt|cozinhar]].^(DEI|1184)^(REW 1935)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The first record is in Guittone d'Arezzo (before 1294), with the figurative sense of setting something in order.^(DELI 1999)^(TLIO) The sense “to prepare and cook food” follows in Domenico Cavalca (before 1342), who tells of a hermit who saw good herbs “to cook” for the monks' meals.^(DELI 1999)^(GDLI)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Jacopone da Todi uses the verb for the work of the kitchen, and Ariosto in his ''Satires'' asks for someone to cook him a little beef or mutton.^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861)^(GDLI) The TLIO also records the infinitive used as a noun for the art of cooking.^(TLIO)

+

+ The figurative senses developed from the old one: to arrange something suitably, in journalists' jargon to rework an article for publication, and humorously to deal with someone harshly, as in ''ti cucino io!''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011) In recent Internet slang ''cucinare'' “to cook” is a semantic loan from English ''cook'', to perform brilliantly.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Before 1294 – Guittone d'Arezzo uses ''cucinare'' figuratively.^(DELI 1999)^(TLIO)

+ * Before 1342 – Domenico Cavalca uses it for preparing food.^(DELI 1999)^(GDLI)

+ * 14th century – The noun ''cucinatore'' “cook” is recorded.^(DEI|1184)

+ * 16th century – ''Cucinatura'' is recorded.^(DEI|1184)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To [[m|en|cook]], prepare and cook food: ''Stasera cucino il pesce al forno.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # Used without an object, to do the cooking, or to be able to cook: ''Mio nonno cucina benissimo.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # ''(figurative, informal)'' To arrange or put into shape; in journalism, to rework an article for publication.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # ''(humorous)'' To deal with someone harshly, or win them over: ''Adesso lo sistemo io, lo cucino a dovere.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+ # ''(Internet slang)'' To do something brilliantly.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[cucinabile]]

+ * [[cucinatore]]

+ * [[cucinatura]]

+ * [[cucinazione]]

+ * [[ricucinare]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[cucina]]

+ * [[cuocere]]

+ * [[cuoco]]

+ * [[la|coquīna]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}