Spirito Santo

Italian

Etymology

From Latin Spīritus Sānctus. The /ss/ pronunciation might be a remnant of the original Latin -s.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˌspi.ri.to ˈsan.to/, (traditional) /ˌspi.ri.to‿sˈsan.to/
• Rhymes: -anto

Proper noun

lo Spirito Santo m

1. (Christianity) the Holy Ghost
   • mid 13^th century, Gherardo Patecchio, Splanamento de li proverbi di Salomone [Explanation of Solomon's proverbs], lines 1–2; collected in Roberto Tagliani, editor, compiled by Maria Luisa Meneghetti, Il manoscritto Saibante-Hamilton 390 - Edizione critica‎^[1], Rome: Salerno Editrice, 2019, →ISBN, page 324:

     Ê nome del Pare altissemo e del Fig beneeto
     e del Spirito Santo, en cui força me meto (northern Italy)

     In the name of the highest Father, and of the blessed Son, and of the Holy Ghost in whose power I place my trust

   • 1310s, Dante Alighieri, “Canto XX”, in Purgatorio [Purgatory]‎^[2], lines 97–99; 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:

     Ciò ch’io dicea di quell’unica sposa
     de Spirito Santo e che ti fece
     verso me volger per alcuna chiosa

     What I said about that sole bride of the Holy Ghost, and that had you speak to me for some explanation

Further reading

• Spirito Santo in Luciano Canepari, Dizionario di Pronuncia Italiana (DiPI)