Trionfi and Tarocchi Terms

Overview

The terminology surrounding tarot cards has evolved significantly over six centuries. What we now call "tarot" was originally known as trionfi (triumphs) in 15th-century Italy, later becoming tarocchi in Italian, tarot in French and English, and Tarock in German. Understanding this linguistic evolution illuminates the history of the cards themselves — from a courtly card game to a global phenomenon.

The Original Name: Trionfi (Triumphs)

Meaning and Usage

The earliest name for tarot cards was "carte da trionfi" (cards of triumphs) or simply "trionfi" (triumphs). This name referred specifically to the 22 trump cards that could beat any card in the four regular suits — they "triumphed" over all others.

"These new decks were originally called 'Carte da trionfi' or Triumph cards, and the additional cards known simply as Trionfi, which became 'trumps' in English."
— FoAM / The Libarynth, "Tarot and Ethnobotany Tutorial"
Source: https://libarynth.org/parn/tarot_tutorial

"Trionfi (Italian, 'triumphs') are 15th and 16th-century Italian playing card sets, all trumps rather than numbers, with allegorical content related to those used in tarocchi games."
— Wikipedia, "Trionfi (cards)"
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trionfi_(cards)

First Documentary Evidence

The first literary evidence of "carte da trionfi" appears in court records in Ferrara in 1442, though the game likely existed somewhat earlier.

"The first literary evidence of the existence of 'Carte da trionfi' is a written statement in the court records in Ferrara in 1442 but the oldest surviving tarot cards are 15 fragmented decks painted in the mid 15th century for the Visconti-Sforza family — the rulers of Milano."
— FoAM / The Libarynth, "Tarot and Ethnobotany Tutorial"
Source: https://libarynth.org/parn/tarot_tutorial

Why "Triumphs"?

There are several hypotheses for why the trump cards were called "triumphs":

1. Game mechanics: The trump cards "triumph" over all other cards in play
2. Carnival processions: The imagery may have been inspired by Renaissance trionfi — elaborate parade floats depicting allegorical victories (e.g., the Triumph of Love, the Triumph of Death)
3. Petrarch's poem: The Italian poet Petrarch wrote I Trionfi (The Triumphs), a series of allegorical poems depicting Love triumphing over Chastity, Death over Love, Fame over Death, Time over Fame, and Eternity over Time — themes that echo the tarot sequence

"Actually there are various hypotheses on why the Major Arcana were previously called 'Triumphs' ('trionfi'); on one hypothesis they were called 'Triumphs' because they triumphed over all other cards in the game."
— Carlo Penco, "Dummett and the Game of Tarot"
Source: https://dialnet.unirioja.es/descarga/articulo/4247990.pdf

The Word "Trump" in English

The English word "trump" (as in trump cards in bridge or whist) derives directly from the Italian trionfi via the French triomphe. This linguistic connection confirms that the concept of a "trump suit" in card games originated with tarot.

The Shift to "Tarocchi"

When and Why the Name Changed

Sometime in the late 15th or early 16th century, the name shifted from trionfi to tarocchi (singular: tarocco). The reasons for this shift are debated:

• As the game spread beyond the courts where "trionfi" had specific cultural resonance, a new name may have been needed
• The word "trionfi" became a general term for any trump-based card game, creating confusion with the specific 78-card deck
• Regional dialects may have influenced the transition

"This is why the name 'trionfi' for trumps was let go of in Italy, and was applied as a general term for games involving trumping as well as trumps themselves."
— History Forum, "Tarot, the Game of Triumphs: European heritage in the form of leisure"
Source: https://historum.com/t/tarot-the-game-of-triumphs-european-heritage-in-the-form-of-leisure.95793

The Word "Tarocco"

The singular form tarocco originally referred to a single trump card in the game. Over time, the plural tarocchi became the name for the entire deck and game.

"Tarot (/ˈtæroʊ/, first known as trionfi) and later as tarocchi or tarocks is a set of playing cards used in Tarot card games and fortune-telling or divination."
— Wikipedia, "Tarot"
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tarot

Etymology of "Tarot" / "Tarocchi"

The Unsolved Mystery

The etymology of the word "tarot" (and its Italian source "tarocchi") remains unsolved. No single theory has achieved scholarly consensus.

"Although there are several theories concerning the origin or the etymology of the word 'tarot' none of these proved to be completely satisfactory neither any of these we could call 'the right one' or the most probable."
— FoAM / The Libarynth, "Tarot and Ethnobotany Tutorial"
Source: https://libarynth.org/parn/tarot_tutorial

"The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary entry for Tarot reads: 'Also Taroc. 1598. [F., ad. It. tarocco (pl. tarocchi), of unkn. origin.]'"
— Edmund Leach, London Review of Books, "Tarot Triumph"
Source: https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v02/n17/edmund-leach/tarot-triumph

Proposed Etymologies

"One theory relates the name 'Tarot' to the river Taro in the northern Italy near Parma which can be seen in relation with the geographical source of the tarocchi game. The other theories however often point out Arabic words 'Turuq' which means 'ways' or in other case to the word 'Taraka' meaning 'to leave, abandon, omit, leave behind.'"
— FoAM / The Libarynth, "Tarot and Ethnobotany Tutorial"
Source: https://libarynth.org/parn/tarot_tutorial

"Finally, there is also a proposal that word Tarot refers also to the term 'Harut and Marut' mostly regarding the phonetic resemblance with two angels mentioned in a short account in the Qu'ran."
— FoAM / The Libarynth, "Tarot and Ethnobotany Tutorial"
Source: https://libarynth.org/parn/tarot_tutorial

Scholarly Consensus

Most serious scholars (including Michael Dummett, the foremost academic authority on tarot history) consider the etymology unresolved. The word likely emerged from Italian dialect in the late 15th century, but its precise roots remain obscure.

International Variants of the Name

As tarot spread across Europe, the name adapted to local languages:

"Tarot (/ˈtæroʊ/, first known as trionfi) and later as tarocchi or tarocks) is a set of playing cards used in Tarot card games and fortune-telling or divination."
— Wikipedia, "Tarot"
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tarot

Related Terminology

Arcana

The term "Arcana" (singular: Arcanum) comes from Latin meaning "closed" or "secret." It was popularized by Eliphas Lévi in the 19th century to distinguish the two groups of tarot cards:

• Major Arcana (Arcana Maggiore): The 22 trump cards
• Minor Arcana (Arcana Minore): The 56 suit cards

"Arcana — plural form of the Latin word 'Arcanum' meaning 'closed' or 'secret'."
— FoAM / The Libarynth, "Tarot and Ethnobotany Tutorial"
Source: https://libarynth.org/parn/tarot_tutorial

"Levi also introduced the terms 'Major' and 'Minor Arcana' to refer to the trump cards and the pip cards respectively."
— Victoria and Albert Museum, "A history of tarot cards"
Source: https://www.vam.ac.uk/articles/tarot-cards

Pip Cards

The numbered cards (Ace through Ten) in the Minor Arcana are traditionally called "pip cards" — from the small symbols (pips) that indicate the suit and number.

Court Cards

The four face cards in each suit (Page, Knight, Queen, King) are called "court cards" because they depict members of a royal court.

Trump / Atout

In French tarot, the trump cards are called "atouts" (literally "to all" — they beat all other suits). In English, they are simply "trumps" — derived from the original Italian trionfi.

The Minchiate: A Related Game

The Minchiate was a related but distinct card game played in Florence, using an expanded deck of 97 cards (including additional trump cards representing the zodiac, elements, and virtues). The name "minchiate" is thought to derive from a Florentine dialect word meaning "trifles" or "nonsense."

Regional Italian Variants

Different Italian cities developed their own names and rules:

The Name in Divination Context

When tarot transitioned from a card game to a divination tool in the 18th century, the terminology shifted as well:

• "Cartomancy": The general practice of fortune-telling with cards (from Latin carta = card, Greek manteia = divination)
• "Reading": The modern term for a tarot consultation
• "Spread": The layout pattern used in a reading
• "Querent": The person asking the question
• "Reader": The person interpreting the cards

Debates and Different Perspectives

Was "Trionfi" Always the Original Name?

View 1: Yes, "trionfi" preceded "tarocchi"

The documentary evidence clearly shows "carte da trionfi" appearing in records from 1442, while "tarocchi" doesn't appear until later in the 15th century.

View 2: The terms may have coexisted

Some scholars suggest that "trionfi" and "tarocchi" may have been used simultaneously in different regions or social contexts, with "trionfi" being the more formal/courtly term and "tarocchi" the popular/colloquial one.

Is the Arabic Etymology Plausible?

View 1: Possible but unproven

The Arabic theories (Turuq, Taraka) are intriguing given the documented transmission of playing cards from the Islamic world to Europe. However, there is no direct linguistic evidence connecting these Arabic words to the Italian "tarocchi."

View 2: Unlikely

Most etymologists consider the Arabic theories speculative. The word more likely emerged from Italian dialect, though the precise derivation remains unknown.

"Although there are several theories concerning the origin or the etymology of the word 'tarot' none of these proved to be completely satisfactory."
— FoAM / The Libarynth, "Tarot and Ethnobotany Tutorial"
Source: https://libarynth.org/parn/tarot_tutorial

Dummett's Position

Michael Dummett (1920–2011), the Oxford philosopher and foremost academic authority on tarot history, maintained that:

• Tarot was invented as a card game, not a divination tool
• The name "tarocchi" has no established etymology
• The esoteric interpretations are a much later overlay (18th century onward)
• The game mechanics (trumps beating other suits) are the defining feature

"The general effect of Dummett's work is to establish that the tarot pack was invented as a pack for playing a game."
— Edmund Leach, London Review of Books, "Tarot Triumph"
Source: https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v02/n17/edmund-leach/tarot-triumph

Summary

Sources consulted: Wikipedia (Trionfi cards, Tarot), FoAM / The Libarynth (libarynth.org), London Review of Books (lrb.co.uk), History Forum (historum.com), Carlo Penco / Dialnet (dialnet.unirioja.es), Victoria and Albert Museum (vam.ac.uk), Trionfi.com.