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Joined: Apr 2007
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stranger
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OP
stranger
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 2 |
This word takes me back to age 12, when my grandfather, despite that I spoke no Italian, gave me an exercise in pronunciation. He had me memorize a passage from The Divine Comedy, in which Dante describes Beatrice with a verse ending "E par che della sua labbia si muova/ Uno spirito soave e pien d'amore,/Che va dicendo all'anima: sospira!" which, as best I can recall, translates "and it seems that from her lips there moves a spirit, sweet and full of love, that says to the soul, over and over: 'sigh!'" Somehow it sounds much prettier in Italian.
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Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 5,295
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 5,295 |
Hello Edgar In the world of Dante many sighs were sighed. In his Divina Commedia the damned did a lot of moaning and sighing. In theater and opera and also in real life,(I guess)lots of things per sospirare. Sighs for love, remorse, despair, relief and to cross this bridge.Ponte dei Sospiri "The Bridge of Sighs in Venice connects the Palazzo Ducale with the prison across the canal. In the old days convicted criminals or those who were injustly condemned, had to walk this bridge before the were locked away in the cold and humid dungeons. Through the little windows the prisoners saw the light of day for the last time. The name Ponte dei Sospiri refers to their sighs for walking to their sad destiny." Famous prisoners in this prison were Giacomo Casanova and Galilio Galilei. There are various copies of the bridge in the world, even one in New York. Ponti dei Sospiri .
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Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 876
old hand
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old hand
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 876 |
Correctors: I'm posting... pay attention now...
I believe "soave" would mean soft or smooth, as sweet would be "dolce" ("dolci"?). I vote for soft just because I like the poetry of it better. Nice poem, EdgarJr. :0)
Siblings of suspire include respire, inspire, expire, all related to breathing. There are probably more, but I ain't lookin' nuthin' up right now... But I could make some up that might be real: subspire, supraspire, nanospire... ;0)
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Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 5,295
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 5,295 |
Correctors: I'm posting... pay attention now...
LOL! ( to use your words)  I have a little problem with inspire. You mean all those hard won concepts and lyrical creations are just blown into artists' (and whoever is ceative in no matter what)'s heads by the gods? Transpire, is that a form of breathing in a way? Yeh, maybe. Conspire (breathing?) Soave is also a certain qualification for wines. Yes, soft , sweet , velvet, svelte, (that might be French).
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Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 3,290
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 3,290 |
Italian soave < Latin suavis 'charming, pleasant, agreeable, attractive', cf. English suave. French svelte is from Italian svelto, past passive participle of svellere 'to stretch out' < Vulgar Latin *exvello < Latin evello, evellere, 'to tear, pluck out; eradicate'. Italian sospire < Latin susspiro, susspire, 'to sigh; heave a sigh'. (It reminded me of Dario Argento's horror movie Suspiria.)
Ceci n'est pas un seing.
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