mandorla

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Italian mandorla. Doublet of almond, amygdala, and amygdale.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mænˈdɔː(ɹ)lə/

Noun

mandorla (plural mandorlas)

1. A vesica piscis-shaped aureola that surrounds the figures of Christ and the Virgin Mary, or represents God the Father (who is not traditionally depicted) in traditional Eastern Christian art.
   • 2005, Andreas Andreopoulos, Metamorphosis: The Transfiguration in Byzantine Theology and Iconography:

     In addition, the mandorla may be considered on a more primal level as an archetypically ritual shape that transcends conscious and intentional symbolism, thus falling under the category of the mandala.

Translations

A vesica piscis-shaped aureola

• Catalan: màndorla (ca) f
• French: mandorle (fr) f
• Galician: mandorla (gl) f
• German: Mandorla (de) f
• Polish: mandorla (pl) f
• Russian: мандо́рла (ru) f (mandórla)
• Sicilian: mènnula (scn) f

Anagrams

• malandro

Czech

Etymology

Borrowed from Italian mandorla. Doublet of amygdala and mandle.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈmandorla]

Noun

mandorla f

1. mandorla

Declension

Declension of mandorla (hard feminine reducible)

	singular	plural
nominative	mandorla	mandorly
genitive	mandorly	mandorel
dative	mandorle	mandorlám
accusative	mandorlu	mandorly
vocative	mandorlo	mandorly
locative	mandorle	mandorlách
instrumental	mandorlou	mandorlami

Galician

A mandorla illustrates the Historia Turpini of the Codex Calixtinus

Etymology

Borrowed from Italian mandorla. Doublet of améndoa and amígdala.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /manˈdɔɾla̝/

Noun

mandorla f (plural mandorlas)

1. mandorla

References

• Antón Santamarina, Ernesto X. González Seoane, María Álvarez de la Granja, editors (2003–2018), “mandorla”, in Tesouro informatizado da lingua galega (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega

Further reading

• “mandorla”, in Dicionario da Real Academia Galega (in Galician), A Coruña: Royal Galician Academy, 2012–2026
• “mandorla”, in Dicionário Estraviz de galego (in Galician), 2014–2026

Italian

Alternative forms

• mandola

Etymology

From Vulgar Latin *amandula, from Latin amygdala, from Ancient Greek ἀμυγδάλη (amugdálē).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈman.dor.la/
• Rhymes: -andorla
• Hyphenation: màn‧dor‧la

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

mandorla f (plural mandorle, diminutive mandorlina or mandorlétta)

1. almond (fruit/nut)

Derived terms

• latte di mandorla

Related terms

• mandorlato
• mandorlo

Descendants

• → English: mandorla
• → Galician: mandorla
• → Polish: mandorla
• → Serbo-Croatian: mandula

Further reading

• mandorla on the Italian Wikipedia.Wikipedia ^it
• “mandorla”, in Collins Italian-English Dictionary
• “mandorla”, in Vocabolario Treccani on line (in Italian), Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana, 2026

Anagrams

• mandarlo

Polish

Etymology

Borrowed from Italian mandorla. Doublet of migdał.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /manˈdɔr.la/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɔrla
• Syllabification: man‧dor‧la

Noun

mandorla f

1. (art) mandorla

Declension

Declension of mandorla

	singular	plural
nominative	mandorla	mandorle
genitive	mandorli	mandorli
dative	mandorli	mandorlom
accusative	mandorlę	mandorle
instrumental	mandorlą	mandorlami
locative	mandorli	mandorlach
vocative	mandorlo	mandorle

Further reading

• “mandorla”, in Polish dictionaries at PWN‎^[1] (in Polish)

Portuguese

Etymology

Borrowed from Italian mandorla. Doublet of amêndoa and amígdala.

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /mɐ̃ˈdɔʁ.lɐ/ [mɐ̃ˈdɔɦ.lɐ]

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /mɐ̃ˈdɔʁ.lɐ/ [mɐ̃ˈdɔɦ.lɐ]
  • (São Paulo) IPA^(key): /mɐ̃ˈdɔɾ.lɐ/
  • (Rio de Janeiro) IPA^(key): /mɐ̃ˈdɔʁ.lɐ/
  • (Caipira) IPA^(key): /mɐ̃ˈdɔɻ.lɐ/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /mɐ̃ˈdɔɾ.lɐ/

• Hyphenation: man‧dor‧la

Noun

mandorla f (plural mandorlas)

1. mandorla

Further reading

• “mandorla”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2026

Spanish

Etymology

Borrowed from Italian mandorla. Doublet of almendra and amígdala.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /manˈdoɾla/ [mãn̪ˈd̪oɾ.la]
• Rhymes: -oɾla
• Syllabification: man‧dor‧la

Noun

mandorla f (plural mandorlas)

1. mandorla

Further reading

• “mandorla”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025

Swedish

Etymology

From Italian mandorla. Doublet of amygdala and mandel.

Noun

mandorla c

1. mandorla

Declension

Declension of mandorla

		nominative	genitive
singular	indefinite	mandorla	mandorlas
	definite	mandorlan	mandorlans
plural	indefinite	mandorlor	mandorlors
	definite	mandorlorna	mandorlornas

Further reading

• “mandorla”, in Svenska Akademiens ordlista [Wordlist of the Swedish Academy] (in Swedish)