Indagini sull’onomastica del male nei Promessi sposi: i soprannomi di bravi e taverne dai postillati alle traduzioni

Abstract

Manzonian onomastics presents formidable interpretive challenges, given the extensive scholarship that has accumulated since the 1840 edition of the novel. This rich bibliography has thoroughly documented the intricate connections between the characters’ names in The Betrothed and Catholic liturgy, European and Italian literary traditions, and historical sources. Existing studies have also emphasized Manzoni’s frequent recourse to antiphrastic naming strategies. Yet significant gaps remain. This study builds on established scholarship while drawing on recent investigations into the linguistic sources Manzoni consulted to mold the novel’s language. Specifically, it deepens critical understanding of how Manzoni names characters and places associated with evil – the bravi and the osteria della Malanotte among them – where he confronted the singular challenge of creating evocative yet never vulgar epithets. Finally, through examination of Manzoni’s meticulous linguistic revisions, the paper assesses the onomastic solutions Michael F. Moore adopts in his 2022 translation, a decade-long  undertaking that renders Manzoni’s masterpiece in “standard English” with both fidelity and innovation.