Inquisitor
Giuseppe Boerio (1754-1832) published his Dizionario del Dialetto Veneziano (Dictionary of the Venetian Dialect) in 1829 (2nd ed. 1856, 3rd ed. 1867). It is an invaluable tool for anybody who reads texts from the time of the Republic of Venice.
INQUISITOR, s. m. Inquisitor, title of office in some magistrates of the former Venetian Republic.
Inquisitors of State, a very well-known Magistracy of three patricians elected by the Council of Ten, two of whom were chosen from this body, who were called Black the dress they wore, and one from the Councillors, who was called Red; to this most authoritative Supreme Tribunal belonged the inquisition and also the secret judgment on state crimes. They were called metaphorically Babai and also Re Magi.
Babai
BABAI,1 was said par excellence in Venetian times of the State Inquisitors, called so colloquially after the Babao, who scares children, and by the terror that their tribunal inspired.
Re
THE THREE MAGI,2 the three State Inquisitors, were called thus in Venetian times, in allusion to their supreme and almost absolute authority.
Re Magi
RE MAGI3 were commonly called, at the time of the Venetian Government, the State Inquisitors.
Translator’s notes
- From the entry Babao, included for completeness. The Venetian word babao meant somebody threatening or scary. ↩︎
- From the entry Re — King — included for completeness. ↩︎
- From the entry Remagi — the Three Magi — included for completeness. ↩︎
Italian original
INQUISITOR
INQUISITOR, s. m. Inquisitore, Titolo di uffizio in alcune Magistrature della cessata Repubblica Veneta.
Inquisitori di Stato, dicevasi una notissima Magistratura di tre patrizii eletti dal Consiglio de’ Dieci, due de’ quali erano scelti dal suo corpo, che dall’abito che portavano dicevansi
Negri, e uno da’ suoi Consiglieri, che dicevasiRosso; al qual Tribunale supremo e autorevolissimo apparteneva l’inquisizione ed anche il giudizio segreto sui delitti di Stato. Erano detti per met.Babaied ancheRe Magi.BabaiBabai
BABAI, si diceva per antonomasia ne’tempi Veneti agl’ Inquisitori di Stato, così chiamati famil. dal Babao, che fa paura ai fanciulli, e dal terrore che inspirava il loro tribunale.
Re
I TRE RE MAGI, chiamavansi per antonomasia al tempo Veneto li tre Inquisitori di stato, per allusione alla suprema e quasi assoluta loro autorità.
Re Magi
RE MAGI eran detti volgarmente, a’ tempi del Governo Veneto, gl’ Inquisitori di stato.
Boerio, Giuseppe. Dizionario del dialetto veneziano. Venezia : coi tipi di Andrea Santini e figlio, 1829, p. 345, 53, 533 and 564
Related articles
- Inquisitori di Stato — ASV Indice
- Inquisitori di Stato — Lessico Veneto
- State institutions of the Republic of Venice
- Chronology of major Venetian state institutions
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