01 November 2017

Why the "Cc" ?


I have just begun reading The Creative Company's 2005 publication of the original "Adventures of Pinocchio," but before I could get started, my attention was drawn to the unusual typography on the cover (cropped screencap above).  In the word "Pinocchio," the double-c is presented as cap-C/lower case c, and the final "chio" letters are in a different color.

The book cover flap describes the author Carlo Collodi (pseudonym of Carlo Lorenzini (1826-1890)) and "an accomplished Italian journalist" and the illustrator was born in Florence, so the "cc" could be a convention of the Italian language.

IIRC, I have seen this same Cc construction on old Italian stamps, but I might be wrong.  Why not write it as "cc" ?  Mr. Google might yield an answer, but I thought it might be more informative to appeal to the immense knowledge base of the readership of the blog.

Thanks in advance for your comments.

20 comments:

  1. UnknownNovember 2, 2017 at 3:19 AM

    This comment has been removed by the author.

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    1. MinnesotastanNovember 2, 2017 at 7:36 AM

      It may well be the illustrator, as you suggest, since the "Cc" isn't repeated in the text. But I also not the "chio" is a different color, so that would seem to suggest a language-based incentive for the depiction. ??

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    2. DrabkikkerNovember 2, 2017 at 9:27 AM

      Not sure if this is what Eric P wrote before he removed his comment, but note that the Italian version of the book uses the exact same typography.

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    3. AnonymousNovember 2, 2017 at 11:03 AM

      Re: "language-based incentive" - that doesn't seem to work, from my perspective as an English speaker with only a few words of Italian. "Pinocchio" is a compound word for "pine knot" - "occhio" meaning "eye," so the color and size shift doesn't even happen at the switch between component words (e.g., PinOcchio).

      I don't have a better answer to the question of why the size and color are as they are, though.

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    4. UnknownNovember 2, 2017 at 12:07 PM

      I posted a Google Image Search link to different covers, the illustration without any text, etc. But then I realized that based on the question, using Google was bad form.

      Delete
  2. BJC_NorthCarolinaNovember 2, 2017 at 7:55 AM

    Just a hunch - but perhaps written that way to drive the correct pronunciation of the name for non-Italian speakers / readers?. A "cc" is not common in many english words but very common in Italian - so perhaps a graphical treatment to force "Pin-Oh-Key-O" vs. "Pin-nock-chee-o" pronunciation?

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  3. S.NormanNovember 2, 2017 at 8:26 AM

    I think it's just a way to suggest puppet and puppet maker. A not to good way as far as design goes.

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  4. DrabkikkerNovember 2, 2017 at 9:10 AM

    Maybe a reference to the author's initials, Carlo Collodi? Whichever the case, I couldn't find any indication on the web of this layout being a specifically Italian practice. I think it's most likely just typographic playfulness; compare for instance the lettering on the Disney book.

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    1. MinnesotastanNovember 2, 2017 at 10:32 AM

      The Disney one clearly evokes the strings of a puppet. Perhaps that is the case here (although the color shift then seems odd).

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    2. UmiDelMareApril 1, 2018 at 3:00 PM

      Hi! I'm Italian, actually I have no idea, there's no such orthographic rule in Italian, I believe it's just a graphic choice, however the split color might refer to the fact that -cchio is actually a funny diminutive/endearing desinence for a name. In fact the name Pinocchio sounds both like "Little/Silly Pino" (Pino is short for Giuseppe, Giuseppe > Giuseppino > Pino) and the actual word "pinocchio", which is a regional variant of "pinolo" which means "Pine Nut". Actually to an Italian ear the name could sound like a... "rough Pine tree"? You would call pinocchio to a shabby pine tree ahahha, aw wait maybe I'd say pinàcchio actually. Aw well last christmas we had a spel-acchio tree in Rome http://www.ansa.it/english/news/general_news/2018/01/11/spelacchio-farewell-party-held-in-rome-2_5d3c1c26-9d1c-435e-8b47-6d7642d20981.html

      I love your blog :D

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    3. MinnesotastanApril 1, 2018 at 3:13 PM

      I'm delighted to have an expert on Italian subject matter on board.

      :-)

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  5. S.NormanNovember 2, 2017 at 9:47 AM

    http://www.fantasybookreview.co.uk/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/the-adventures-of-pinocchio-cover1.png

    https://i.pinimg.com/736x/29/b0/29/29b02988ca091f20de00a251d2d01227--pinocchio-book-illustrations.jpg

    https://i.ebayimg.com/thumbs/images/g/bEUAAOSwa~FZjHDn/s-l225.jpg

    https://i.pinimg.com/236x/04/3e/1a/043e1a18e6791ef1c183a0318d889657--vintage-book-covers-vintage-books.jpg

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  6. lilypadNovember 2, 2017 at 10:16 AM

    No idea - but that cover is gorgeous.

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    1. MinnesotastanNovember 2, 2017 at 10:25 AM

      So are the illustrations. I hope to blog some of them when I post a review of the book.

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  7. AnonymousNovember 2, 2017 at 12:51 PM

    Perhaps its artistic license by the cover artist.

    But I'll note in other languages, you can see something similar.

    For example, McCloud, can be written as MacCloud or McCloud or M'Cloud or sometimes McCloud with the "c" in superscript. I've also seen it with decorative elements under the superscript c.

    Perhaps this is a similar usage.

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  8. lisa-dNovember 2, 2017 at 2:13 PM

    I agree with the above poster that the Cc is to call attention to the initials of the author, Carlo Collodi. Perhaps this is his trademark.

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  9. Janet RNovember 2, 2017 at 8:12 PM

    Don't forget McLeod !

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  10. JohnLeeMEDIANovember 2, 2017 at 10:05 PM

    "cchi" produces the hard "c" or "k" sound in Italian

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  11. jbNovember 3, 2017 at 7:08 PM

    Could it possibly be that the 'ch' corresponds to the Greek letter chi, in some sense? So then it would correspond to PinocXio (where I write X for chi). One flimsy bit of evidence to back this up is that in Catalan, they apparently write 'Pinotxo'.

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  12. MinnesotastanNovember 3, 2017 at 7:28 PM

    I think I should forward this question to the publishers.

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