pena Italian · revision 38407

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=1211, Florentine bankers' book|origins=grc ποινή}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈpe.na/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''pena''' ''f'' (plural pene)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old forms include ''penna'' and ''pina''.^(GDLI|12, 981)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|la|poena|t=fine; punishment; suffering]], which Latin had taken [[der|grc|ποινά|tr=poiná|t=compensation, price of blood; penalty]], the Doric form of [[m|grc|ποινή|tr=poinḗ]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary) The Greek word first meant the price paid as compensation for a crime, especially a killing, then expiation and punishment.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Nocentini 2010) Nocentini traces it to [[ine-pro|*kʷoinā|t=price]], which is also found in [[lt|káina|t=price]] and [[ru|цена|tr=cená|t=price]], and Devoto to a root meaning “to pay”, found in Iranian, Slavic and Baltic.^(Nocentini 2010)^(Devoto 1968|323)

+

+ The word is panromance except in Romanian: [[fr|peine]], [[oc|pena]], [[ca|pena]], [[es|pena]] and [[pt|pena]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(REW 1935) Latin also lent it to Germanic, as [[goh|pīna]] and [[de|Pein]], and to British Celtic, as [[cy|poen]].^(REW 1935)^(DEI|2830)

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+ The phrase “valere la pena” “to be worth it” is a calque of [[fr|valoir la peine]], recorded around 1590.^(DELI 1999)

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+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The first record is a Florentine bankers' book of 1211, in the legal sense of a penalty or fine.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)^(DIFIT) The sense “suffering” is found in Giacomo da Lentini before 1250.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In the 13th century the word already covered the whole range from legal punishment to pain: Bono Giamboni, before 1292, uses it for the punishment of the soul for its sins, Dante for toil and hardship, and Benvenuto da Imola in the 14th century for the distress and pity caused by the sufferings of others.^(DELI 1999) Its derivatives ''penare'' “to suffer” (before 1250), ''penoso'' (13th century) and the adverb ''appena'', from ''a pena'' “with difficulty”, are just as old.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)

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+ The French model of ''valere la pena'' was condemned by 19th-century purists, and Tommaseo thought it proper only when the matter really costs some effort.^(DELI 1999) ''Penale'' “penal” is in Matteo Villani, before 1363, but ''diritto penale'' (1822) and ''penalista'' (1871) were also criticized.^(DELI 1999) German borrowed the legal word as ''Pene'' in 1470.^(DIFIT)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1211 – A Florentine bankers' book uses ''pena'' for a penalty.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1250 – Giacomo da Lentini uses it for suffering, and ''penare''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1292 – Bono Giamboni uses it for the punishment of the soul.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1321 – Dante uses it for toil.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1363 – Matteo Villani uses ''penale''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1470 – German ''Pene'' is recorded.^(DIFIT)

+ * c. 1590 – ''Valere la pena'' is recorded, after French.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # ''(law)'' A [[m|en|penalty]] imposed by law on someone who has committed an offence: ''pena di morte'', ''pena detentiva'' (imprisonment), ''scontare una pena''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(by extension)'' A [[m|en|punishment]] suffered for a fault.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(religion)'' The punishment of the soul after death for its sins: ''le pene dell'inferno''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # [[m|en|suffering]], physical or mental: ''pene d'amore''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # [[m|en|pity]], compassion, ''fare pena'', to arouse pity: ''Mi fa pena vederlo così solo.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # [[m|en|worry]], anxiety: ''Siamo stati in pena tutta la notte.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Trouble, effort: ''Non si è nemmeno preso la pena di rispondere.''^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[penare]]

+ * [[penoso]]

+ * [[penale]]

+ * [[appena]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[punire]]

+ * [[la|poena]]

+ * [[fr|peine]]

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+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Valere la pena'' means “to be worth it” (''non vale la pena di insistere'').^(DELI 1999)^(Wiktionary) ''A mala pena'' or ''a malapena'' means “hardly, barely”, and the adverb ''appena'' grew out of ''a pena''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Nocentini 2010)

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+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}