cupola

Where does the word "cupola" come from? It comes from Latin cupula, passing through Italian before entering English (1650s).

Cupola’s story begins in Latin: cupula meant “a small cup.” A small cup, a diminutive of cupa (a cask, a tub). By 1600s, the word had taken hold in Italian as cupola. Settled in Italian for a small dome atop a roof or building. It reached English by 1650s as cupola. Italian 'little cup'; Brunelleschi's dome of Florence cathedral set the model. Today, cupola means a small dome-shaped structure, often on top of a building.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient cupula "a small cup", a small cup, a diminutive of cupa (a cask, a tub).
2. Stage 2 · Italian · 1600s cupola "a small dome", settled in Italian for a small dome atop a roof or building.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1650s cupola "a small dome-shaped structure on a roof", Italian 'little cup'; Brunelleschi's dome of Florence cathedral set the model.