On two Old Italian Turkisms (1. cassasso 2. pettomagi/pettomanzi)
On two Old Italian Turkisms (1. cassasso 2. pettomagi/pettomanzi)
Author(s): Luciano RocchiSubject(s): Language and Literature Studies
Published by: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Jagiellońskiego
Keywords: etymology; diachrony; language contact; areal linguistics; linguistic history
Summary/Abstract: The paper aims to explain the origin of two old Italian words of Turkish origin,cassaso ‘a Turkish police officer’ and pettomagi/pettomanzi ‘Turkish officer(s) dealing with the possesions of the dead’. Contrary to a previous etymology of his, the author’s present opinion is that cassaso derives from the Ottoman-Turkish hasas, a spoken variant of the literary Arabism 'ases ‘a guard, night-watchman, policeman’.
Journal: Studia Etymologica Cracoviensia (SEC)
- Issue Year: 16/2011
- Issue No: 1
- Page Range: 125-128
- Page Count: 4
- Language: English
