Broccolo
/ˈbrɔk.kolo/noun
An Italian word for a brassica plant, especially broccoli or a sprouting cabbage head.
Did you know?Italian *broccolo* comes from *brocco* (“sprout, shoot; also a pointed nail”), and the same root also gave English words tied to a sharp point or projection.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*bhr̥g- / *bhrug-
“A root associated with something projecting or breaking out, source of later “point” and “sprout” senses in Romance.”
Late Latin
Latin
broccus
“Projecting, pointed; also used for a protruding tooth.”
Medieval Italian
Italian
brocco
“A shoot, sprout, or pointed piece; also a nail or peg.”
Medieval Italian
Italian
broccolo
“A cabbage sprout or the flowering head of a brassica.”
Modern English
English
broccoli
“The edible green vegetable with a large flowering head.”