Zucchini
/zuˈkiːni/noun
A variety of summer squash with a dark green, elongated fruit.
Did you know?Zucchini is an Italian diminutive ultimately tied to Latin words for a gourd or pumpkin, showing how everyday food names often preserve the old botanical language of Europe.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*gheu-
“to pour, to hollow out; the ancient root behind words for vessels and gourds”
Classical Latin
Latin
cucurbita
“a gourd, pumpkin, or squash”
Late Latin
Latin
*cucurbitae / *cocurbita
“a gourd-like plant; later regional forms developed in Romance languages”
Italian
Italian
zucchino
“a small squash or marrow; literally a little pumpkin/gourd”
19th–20th Century
English
zucchini
“borrowed from Italian, referring to the edible summer squash”