Where does “mazzapicchio” come from?

mazzapicchio (Italian) comes from Italian mazza, from Vulgar Latin mattea, from Latin mateola, from Latin -ulus, from Proto-Italic -olos, from Proto-Italic -elos, from Proto-Indo-European -e-lós, from Proto-Indo-European -lós — Forms agent nouns from verbal roots.

mazzapicchio (Italian): poleaxe

Definitions

  1. poleaxe

Ancestry of “mazzapicchio”, step by step

mazzapicchio traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Italian mazza

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Italianmazzabaton; club; mace
2Vulgar LatinmatteaA dainty dish, a delicacy
3LatinmateolaThe meaning of this term is uncertain....
4Latin-ulusUsed to form a diminutive of a noun, indicating...
5Proto-Italic-olos
6Proto-Italic-elosForms desubstantival and deadjectival diminutive nouns
7Proto-Indo-European-e-lós
8Proto-Indo-European-lósForms agent nouns from verbal roots

via Italian picchio

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Italianpicchiowoodpecker; rap, tap, knock; rapping, tapping,...
2Vulgar Latinpiccussharp point; sharp point, peak; spike, pike
3Latinpīcuswoodpecker

Words derived from “mazzapicchio

Every word from Proto-Indo-European -lósEvery word from Latin -ulusEvery word from Latin mateola