Tarocchi
/taˈrɔk.ki/noun
The Italian plural of tarocco, referring to tarot cards or the tarot card game.
Did you know?The earliest surviving tarot cards were not originally called Tarocchi: 15th-century Italian sources commonly called the added trump cards trionfi, meaning “triumphs.”
Etymological Timeline
15th Century
Italian
trionfi
““Triumphs”; an early name for the special trump cards later associated with tarot.”
15th Century
Italian
tarocchi
“The documented Italian plural form for the card game and its cards; the ultimate origin of the term is uncertain.”
16th Century
Italian
tarocco
“Singular form referring to a tarot card or the game; its relationship to the earlier name trionfi is historically documented but etymologically debated.”
16th Century
French
tarot
“French form of the Italian card-game name.”
18th Century
English
tarot
“English adoption of the French term for the cards and game, later strongly associated with divination.”
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