savere

Italian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /saˈve.re/
• Rhymes: -ere
• Hyphenation: sa‧vé‧re

Verb

savere

1. (literary, obsolete) Alternative form of sapere
   1. (transitive, intransitive) to know (information) [auxiliary avere]
      • a. 1290, Guido Cavalcanti, Sonetto dell'Orlandi‎^[1], lines 9–12; collected in Ercole Rivalta, editor, Rime di Guido Cavalcanti [Rhymes of Guido Cavalcanti]‎^[2], Bologna: Nicola Zanichelli, 1902, page 122:

        che cosa è, dico, amor? ae figura?
        à per sè forma o pur somiglia altrui?
        è vita questo amore o vero è morte?
        Chi ’l serve dee saver di sua natura

        I say, what is Love? Does It have an appearance?
        Does It have a form of Its own, or does It resemble something else?
        Is this Love life, or is It death?
        Those who serve It must know about Its nature.

      • 1300s–1310s, Dante Alighieri, “Canto II”, in Inferno [Hell]‎^[3], lines 85–87; republished as Giorgio Petrocchi, editor, La Commedia secondo l'antica vulgata [The Commedia according to the ancient vulgate]‎^[4], 2^nd revised edition, Florence: publ. Le Lettere, 1994:

        “Da che tuo vuo' saver cotanto a dentro,
        dirotti brievemente”, mi rispuose,
        “perch'i' non temo di venir qua entro.

        "Since you want to know so much,
        I'll briefly tell you," she answered me,
        "why I do not fear coming in here."

      • 1573, Torquato Tasso, Aminta‎^[5], Aldo Manuzio Jr., published 1583, Atto primo, Scena prima, page 29:

        pensa in tanto pur quel che più importa
        De la caccia, e del fonte; e, se non sai,
        Credi di non saver, e credi à’ savi.

        In the meantime, think of what is most important
        about hunting, and the source. And, if you do not know,
        believe you do not know, and believe the wise ones.

   2. (transitive, auxiliary) to be able to, can, could (to know how to)
      • 13th century, Guittone d'Arezzo, Ora parrà s'eo saverò cantare [Now we will see if I will be able to sing]‎^[6], lines 1–4; collected in Le rime di Guittone d'Arezzo [The rhymes of Guittone d'Arezzo]‎^[7], Bari: Laterza, 1940, page 59:

        Ora parrá s’eo saverò cantare
        e s’eo varrò quanto valer giá soglio,
        poiché del tutto Amor fuggo e disvoglio,
        e piú che cosa mai forte mi spare!

        Now we will see if I will be able to sing,
        and if I will be able to be worth what my usual worth,
        because I completely flee and dislike Love,
        and it tears me apart stronger than anything else ever!

Noun

savere m (uncountable)

1. (literary, obsolete) Alternative form of sapere (“knowledge”)
   • mid 13^th century–a. 1292 [5^th century CE], Bono Giamboni, transl., Dell'arte della guerra [On the art of war], translation of Epitoma reī mīlitāris by Publius Flavius Vegetius Renatus (in Late Latin); republished as “Come i Romani tutte le genti soverchiarono perchè usaro l'arme [How the Romans conquered all peoples by using arms]” (chapter 1), Libro I, in Dell'arte della guerra libri IV‎^[8], Florence: Giovanni Marenigh, 1815, page 6:

     Per neuna altra cosa veggiamo che il popolo di Roma tutto il mondo mise sotto la sua Signoria se non per lo molto uso dell'arme, e per lo savere della cavalleria, onde la sua oste era ammaestrata.

     [original: Nullā enim aliā rē vidēmus populum Rōmānum orbem subēgisse terrārum nisi armōrum exercitiō, disciplīnā castrōrum ūsūque mīlitiae.]

     The people of Rome put the entire world under their command for no other reason than the ample use of arms, and the knowledge of cavalry, about which their army was experienced.

   • 13th century, Guittone d'Arezzo, Ben saccio de vertá che ’l meo trovare [I actually know well that my findings]‎^[9], lines 1–4; collected in Le rime di Guittone d'Arezzo [The rhymes of Guittone d'Arezzo]‎^[10], Bari: Laterza, 1940, page 151:

     Ben saccio de vertá che ’l meo trovare
     val poco, e ha ragion de men valore,
     poi ch’eo non posso in quel loco intrare
     ch’adorna l’om de gioia e de savere.

     I know full well that my findings are of little worth, and reason has less worth, for I cannot enter that place which adorns man with joy and knowledge.

   • c. 1260s, Brunetto Latini, chapter 1, in Il tesoretto [The small treasure]‎^[11], lines 14–19; collected in Raccolta di rime antiche toscane [Collection of ancient Tuscan rhymes]‎^[12], volume 1, Palermo: Giuseppe Assenzio, 1817, page 9:

     E poi da l’altro lato
     Potem tanto vedere
     In voi senno, e savere
     Ad ogne condizione,
     Ch’un altro Salamone
     Pare ’n voi rivenuto.

     And then, on the other hand, we can see in you much wisdom and knowledge, under all conditions, so that another Solomon seems to have returned in you.

   • 1300s–1310s, Dante Alighieri, “Canto VII”, in Inferno [Hell]‎^[13], lines 73–76; republished as Giorgio Petrocchi, editor, La Commedia secondo l'antica vulgata [The Commedia according to the ancient vulgate]‎^[14], 2^nd revised edition, Florence: publ. Le Lettere, 1994:

     Colui lo cui saver tutto trascende,
     fece li cieli e diè lor chi conduce
     sì, ch'ogne parte ad ogne parte splende,
     distribuendo igualmente la luce.

     He whose knowledge transcends all created the heavens, and gave them the ones who drive them, so that every part shines on every part, distributing light equally.

   • 1343, Giovanni Boccaccio, Amorosa visione [Loving Vision]‎^[15], published 1833, Chapter 6, page 25:

     […] nè potere
     Aveva di partir gli occhi dal loco
     Dove parea il signor d'ogni savere

     And I lacked the power to avert my gaze from the place where the lord of all knowledge appeared

Middle English

Noun

savere

1. Alternative form of saveour