beninanza

Italian

Alternative forms

• benenanza

Etymology

Borrowed from Old Occitan benenanza.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /be.niˈnan.t͡sa/
• Rhymes: -antsa
• Hyphenation: be‧ni‧nàn‧za

Noun

beninanza f (uncountable)

1. (obsolete) goodness, benignity

   Synonyms: benignità, bontà

   Antonyms: cattiveria, malignità, malvagità

   • 13^th century, Guido Cavalcanti, “Quando di morte mi convien trar vita”, in Rime‎^[1], Nicola Zanichelli, published 1902, lines 11–14:

     Canto piacere, beninanza e riso
     me’n son dogli’ e sospiri:
     guardi ciascuno e miri
     che Morte m’è nel viso già salita!

     I sing of pleasure; goodness and laughter
     to me are sorrow and sighs:
     let everyone look and watch
     how Death has already come to my face!

   • 1316–c. 1321, Dante Alighieri, “Canto XX”, in Paradiso [Heaven]‎^[2], lines 94–99; republished as Giorgio Petrocchi, editor, La Commedia secondo l'antica vulgata [The Commedia according to the ancient vulgate]‎^[3], 2^nd revised edition, Florence: publ. Le Lettere, 1994:

     Regnum celorum vïolenza pate
     da caldo amore e da viva speranza,
     che vince la divina volontate:
     non a guisa che l'omo a l'om sobranza,
     ma vince lei perché vuol esser vinta,
     e, vinta, vince con sua beninanza.

     The Kingdom of Heaven suffers violence
     from fervent love, and from that living hope
     that overcomes the Divine will;
     not like man overcomes man,
     but it conquers because it wishes to be conquered,
     and – conquered – conquers with its benignity.

Further reading

• beninanza in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana