English
foiba
Foiba comes from Friulian foibe, from Latin fovea ‘pit, hole in the ground’, and ultimately from favissae ‘underground cellars’.
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEfavissae‘underground cellars’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEfovea‘pit, hole in the ground’
- Friulianmodernfoibe
- Italianc. 1300–presentfoiba
- Englishtodaysame form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEfavissae‘underground cellars’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEfovea‘pit, hole in the ground’
- Friulianmodernfoibe
- Italianc. 1300–presentfoiba
- Englishtodaysame form
The story
The term gained widespread use during and after World War II, when the Istrian foibe were used by Yugoslav Partisans as mass graves for local Italians.
Linked words
through Latin fovea ‘pit, hole in the ground’
Today it means
noun A deep sinkhole typical of karst regions and particularly Istria.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Latin favissae / foiba