ciorchine

Romanian

Alternative forms

Etymology

Unknown. There are several etymologies proposed, and no single one can be said to be far ahead of the others in terms of getting majority preference yet.^[1] Pușcariu and Densușianu proposed a derivation from a Vulgar Latin root *circ[u]lina, from Latin circulus, with an Italian dialectal word as the main evidence, a word which referred to "inflorescence of walnut trees and oak trees" and which derives from Latin circellus.

Another etymology ^[2] derives it from Romanian cioc, citing the Italian word ciocca (“bunch of grapes; bunch of leaves; tuft/bunch/lock of hair”). Italian ciocca is of unclear origin; an Italian etymological dictionary derives it from a Slavic word which could be cognate to Romanian ciuc, hence the similar meanings of ciocca and Romanian ciuc ("tuft of hair", etc.). A more recent etymology derives ciorchine from ciochină, an old Romanian word for the back part of a horse saddle which was essentially an eminence to which packs and items were attached, often in a bunch, and ciochină itself may derive from cioc/ciuc. There are additional etymologies as well.

Noun

ciorchine m (plural ciorchini)

a species of aloe showing inflorescence in the sense found in *ciorchine* #1

inflorescence (cluster of flowers arranged on a stem)
a cluster (fruits arranged in the manner of an inflorescence)
bunch of grapes
fir cone
(figuratively) a cluster, a bunch (of people, etc.)

Declension

	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
	singular		plural
nominative-accusative	ciorchine	ciorchinele	ciorchini	ciorchinii
genitive-dative	ciorchine	ciorchinelui	ciorchini	ciorchinilor
vocative	ciorchine		ciorchinilor

References

^ Victor Celac, « O etimologie complicată: ciorchine » (A difficult etymology: ciorchine „bunch”), in „Philologica Jassyensia”, an XII, nr. 1 (23), 2016, p. 15–32. Available in its entirety online at Academia.edu (in Romanian, but page 32 has a synopsis in English, summarizing the new etymology).
^ Dicționarul etimologic român, by Alexandru Ciorănescu. Editură: Universidad de la Laguna, Tenerife, 1958-1966. His entry for ciorchine is available at DEX Online. He derives ciorchine from cioc and cites the Italian word ciocca as one of the evidences.

ciorchine in DEX online—Dicționare ale limbii române (Dictionaries of the Romanian language)

[1] Victor Celac, « O etimologie complicată: ciorchine » (A difficult etymology: ciorchine „bunch”), in „Philologica Jassyensia”, an XII, nr. 1 (23), 2016, p. 15–32. Available in its entirety online at Academia.edu (in Romanian, but page 32 has a synopsis in English, summarizing the new etymology).

[2] Dicționarul etimologic român, by Alexandru Ciorănescu. Editură: Universidad de la Laguna, Tenerife, 1958-1966. His entry for ciorchine is available at DEX Online. He derives ciorchine from cioc and cites the Italian word ciocca as one of the evidences.

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