soave

soave¹ the wine

Pronunciation

• /soˈa.ve/^[1]

Forms

soave m (invariable)^[2][3]

Etymology

The word for the wine is from Italian Soave, the town in the province of Verona where it is made.^[4][5][6][1] Nocentini traces the name of the town to the Germanic people called Latin Suēbi in Latin, the Swabians (svevo).^[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

The word is first recorded in 1895, for a pale straw-yellow dry wine from the province of Verona.^[4][5][6]

Semantic evolution

Palazzeschi and Soldati name the wine, sometimes with a capital as the place name.^[7] A sweet wine from the same grapes is the recioto di soave.^[8]

Timeline

• 1895 – The name of the wine is first recorded.^[4][5][3]

Meanings

Noun

1. Soave: a dry white wine made from garganega and trebbiano grapes in the hills around Soave and Monteforte d'Alpone, in the province of Verona.^[5][2][9][7]

soave² sweet, gentle

Etymology tree of soave²

inherited borrowed derived

Latin suāvis

Italian soave

From the same root · soave²

English assuage ← suāvis

English suave ← suāvis

Latin sāvium ← suāvis

Latin suāvitās ← suāvis

Latin suāviter ← suāvis

Pronunciation

• /soˈa.ve/^[1]

Forms

soave m or f by sense (plural soavi, superlative soavissimo)^[1] Old forms include Old Italian suave, Old Italian soafe and Old Italian sovave.^[10][11][2]

Etymology

The adjective is inherited from Latin suāvis (“sweet, pleasant”).^[4][6][5][1] The same word is French souef, now out of use and replaced by the learned suave, and Occitan suau and Catalan suau.^[6][12] The DEI calls it a word of the western Romance languages.^[11]

The Latin adjective shares its root with suādeō (“to advise, persuade”) and so with persuadere.^[4][6][5] It continues Proto-Italic *swādu-, from Proto-Indo-European *swéh₂dus (“sweet”).^[13][1] Its cognates include Ancient Greek ἡδύς (hēdús, “sweet”), Old English swōt and English sweet.^[13][14] The old u-stem adjective was remade as an i-stem, and the ⟨d⟩ was then lost before ⟨w⟩.^[13][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

DELI's first record is in the poet Bondie Dietaiuti, in the 13th century, for what is pleasing and sweet to the senses.^[4] The DEI's first example is Cavalcanti, also in the 13th century.^[11]

Semantic evolution

In the 13th century the word could also mean gentle or calm, and in the 14th smooth, soft and fine to the touch.^[11] Dante's Convivio glosses soave as “persuaded”, that is, made fair, sweet and pleasing.^[15] An old adverbial use meant “slowly, gently”, as in Francesco da Barberino's advice to ride fast on the flat and gently in the hills.^[15][9] The sense “easy, not tiring” is now archaic.^[2][3][16]

Petrarch's line “Quel rosignuol che sì soave piagne” (“that nightingale who weeps so sweetly”) shows the adverb, which is now only poetic.^[2][16][3] Today the adjective is used for gentle sensations and for tender, serene feelings.^[5][2]

As a musical term suave is recorded in 1420, for what is pleasant to hear.^[17] French took soave as a musical direction in 1703, German in 1728 and English in 1740.^[17]

Timeline

• 13th century – Bondie Dietaiuti uses soave.^[4]
• Before 1303 – The noun suavitade appears.^[4]
• Before 1321 – Dante uses soavità.^[4]
• 1420 – Suave is recorded as a term of music.^[17]
• 1703 – French uses soave as a musical direction.^[17]
• 1728 – German uses soave as a musical direction.^[17]
• 1740 – English uses soave as a musical direction.^[17]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Pleasing to the senses in a delicate way: sweet, gentle: Dal giardino veniva un odore soave di gelsomino.^[5][2][8][1]
2. Of feelings: tender, serene and gentle.^[5][2][16]
3. (archaic) Easy, not tiring.^{[5][2][3][16]}
4. (archaic) Calm, quiet, mild, as of the weather, the sea or a gait.^[5][2][8]

Adverb

1. (literary, poetic) Sweetly, gently, calmly.^{[5][2][16][8]}

Word family

• soavemente
• soavezza
• soaveolente
• soavizzare
• insoave