medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
The term enters English as "pitance." This is the Oxford English
Dictionary's entry:
*pitaunce*, ME-15 *pittaunce*, ME-17 **pitance**, 15 *petans*, 15
*petons*, 15 **pitance**, 15 *pittane* (prob. transmission error), 15
*pittans*, 15 *pytance*, 15 *pyttance*, 15 *pyttans*, 15 *pyttaunce*, 15
*pyttons*, 15- *pittance*, 16 *pettance*, 16 *pietance*, 16 *pittens*.
*1.* Now /hist./ and /rare/.
*a.* A bequest made to a religious house or order for the provision of
an additional allowance of food, wine, etc., at particular festivals, or
on the anniversary of the benefactor's death, in return for the saying
of masses; an allowance or dole of this sort; (also) a service held on
the anniversary of a benefactor's death. Also /fig./
*/c/1230* (?/a/1200) /Ancrene Riwle/ (Corpus Cambr.) 210 Forga{edh} an
dei ower pitance [/a/1250 /Nero/ pitaunce]. */c/1387-95* CHAUCER
<http://dictionary.oed.com/help/bib/oed2-c2.html#chaucer> /Canterbury
Tales Prol./ 224 He was an esy man to yeue penaunce, Ther as he wiste to
haue a good pitaunce [/v.rr./ petaunce, petauns]. */a/1400* (/c/1303) R.
MANNYNG <http://dictionary.oed.com/help/bib/oed2-b4.html#r-mannyng>
/Handlyng Synne/ (Harl.) 10446 Synge me a messe For a man {th}at dede
ys..At myn ese he shal haue To a pytaunce {th}at he wyl craue. *1463* in
S. Tymms /Wills & Inventories Bury St. Edmunds/ (1850) 16 To eche
monk..xij d. and a petaunce a monges them, eche man a french loof and a
quart wyn. */a/1475* in A. Clark /Eng. Reg. Godstow Nunnery/ (1906) II.
605 To the said mynchons, euery yere in the day of his anniuersary, xl
shillings, to a pytaunce into mynde of his sowle. */c/1500* /Melusine/
337 Raymondyn dyde doo send to hys bretheren hermytes besyde theire
pytaunce other meetes for recreacion. *1619* in R. Brown /Hist. Paisley/
(1886) I. 234 That the whole persons that are indebted in any pittances
be warned to compear. *1737* J. OZELL
<http://dictionary.oed.com/help/bib/oed2-o.html#j-ozell> /Urquhart's
Rabelais/ III. xxiii. 143 To bequeath..to those good Religious
Fathers..many Pitances. *1868* H. H. MILMAN
<http://dictionary.oed.com/help/bib/oed2-m3.html#h-h-milman> /Ann. St.
Paul's Cathedral/ vii. 135 Each member and servant of the Chapter
received his portion or pittance. *1904* /Church Times/ 29 Apr. 569/1
The pittance was an occasional relief to the usual strict dietary in the
way of some exceptional or extra food or delicacy... In not a few
monasteries there were special endowments for certain pittances, usually
of early origin.
*b.* A charitable gift of food or money; an alms.
*/a/1425* (?/a/1400) CHAUCER
<http://dictionary.oed.com/help/bib/oed2-c2.html#chaucer> /Romaunt Rose/
7075 If he have noon sich pitaunces, Late hym study in equipolences, And
late lyes and fallaces, If that he wolde deserve oure graces. */a/1450*
(/c/1412) T. HOCCLEVE
<http://dictionary.oed.com/help/bib/oed2-h3.html#t-hoccleve> /De
Regimine Principum/ (Harl. 4866) 4513 Thow {th}at..to {th}e nedy yeuest
no pitaunce. */a/1500* (1413) /Poems from Pilgr. Soul/ (Egerton) in F.
J. Furnivall /Wks. T. Hoccleve/ (1897) III. p. lx, I pray you..Of youre
merites superhabundaunce As grauntith me of almesse some pietaunce.
*1834* S. ROGERS
<http://dictionary.oed.com/help/bib/oed2-r2.html#s-rogers> /Voy.
Columbus/ Pref. in /Poems/ 220 A Pilot..Stopt to solicit at the gate A
pittance for his child. *1993* B. HARVEY /Living & Dying in Eng./ ii. 50
Large plaice, it appears, were used for pittances; if so, we can
probably assume that ‘small plaice’ were used for the ordinary courses.
*{dag}2.* A small allowance or portion of food and drink; a meagre meal
or diet. Also /fig./ /Obs./
*/c/1230* (?/a/1200) /Ancrene Riwle/ (Corpus Cambr.) 61 Hwer wes eauer
i{ygh}euen to eani blodleten se poure pitance? */a/1393* GOWER
<http://dictionary.oed.com/help/bib/oed2-g2.html#gower> /Confessio
Amantis/ (Fairf.) VI. 877 Min Ere with a good pitance Is fedd of redinge
of romance. */a/1450* /York Plays/ 431 Lo, her is a sege, goode sir..of
{th}is poure pitaunce take parte now, we pray yow. */c/1475* /Advice to
Lovers/ in J. O. Halliwell /Select. Minor Poems/ (1840) 45 By sotyl
crafte a morsel or pitaunce, A rustiler shal sone be redy founde. *1541*
T. ELYOT <http://dictionary.oed.com/help/bib/oed2-e.html#t-elyot> /Image
of Gouernance/ xxxii. f. 73^v , Suche a small pitaunce..as nowe our
seruauntes wolde disdayne. *1586* A. DAY
<http://dictionary.oed.com/help/bib/oed2-d.html#a-day> /Eng. Secretorie/
I. sig. D5^v , At night againe, hauing eaten some small pitance to
supper. */c/1611* G. CHAPMAN
<http://dictionary.oed.com/help/bib/oed2-c2.html#g-chapman> tr. Homer
/Iliad/ XI. 547 She seru'd a holsome Onion cut For pittance to the
potion. *1647* J. TRAPP
<http://dictionary.oed.com/help/bib/oed2-t2.html#j-trapp> /Comm. 1 Cor./
i. 28 [Poor men] have but prisoners pittances, which will keep them
alive, and that's all. *1696* E. PHILLIPS
<http://dictionary.oed.com/help/bib/oed2-p2.html#e-phillips> /New World
of Words/ (ed. 5), /Pittance/, any small proportion of Bread, or Meat.
*1870* W. C. BRYANT
<http://dictionary.oed.com/help/bib/oed2-b4.html#w-c-bryant> tr. Homer
/Iliad/ XII. 520 Some just woman..spinning wool,..that she may provide A
pittance for her babes.
Tom Izbicki
Brunner Karl wrote:
> medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
>
> In principle it refers to pious donations of wine, meat and other good
> things at certain days, often days of memory for the donator.
> yours
> k
>
> Am 11. Nov.2007 um 19:21 Uhr schrieb E Corbari:
>
>> medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and
>> culture
>>
>> Esteemed members of this list,
>>
>> I hope you can help with the medieval use of an Italian term. I would be
>> grateful for suggestions on the meaning of the Italian word
>> "pietanza" in
>> the context of donations to friars.
>> Does "pietanza" in this context refer to the common translation of "meat
>> dish" or does it refer to pious donations in general?
>>
>> thank you in advance.
>>
>> E. Corbari
>>
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>
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