stare a bada

Italian

Verb

stàre a bada (first-person singular present (with syntactic gemination after the verb) stò a bada, first-person singular past historic stétti a bada or (traditional) stètti a bada, past participle stàto a bada, first-person singular future starò a bada, first-person singular subjunctive stìa a bada, first-person singular imperfect subjunctive stéssi a bada, second-person singular imperative stài a bada or stà' a bada, auxiliary èssere)

1. (obsolete) to stall for time, to temporize; to stand in attentive expectation
   • 1321, Dante Alighieri, La divina commedia: Inferno [The Divine Comedy: Hell], 12th edition (paperback), Le Monnier, published 1994, Canto XXXI, pages 463–464, lines 136–141:

     Qual pare a riguardar la Carisenda ¶ sotto ’l chinato, quando un nuvol vada ¶ sovr’essa sì, ched ella incontro penda: ¶ tal parve Antëo a me che stava a bada ¶ di vederlo chinare, e fu tal ora ¶ ch’i’ avrei voluto ir per altra strada.

     As seems the Carisenda, to behold beneath the leaning side, when goes a cloud above it so that opposite it hangs; such did Antæus seem to me, who stood watching to see him stoop, and then it was I could have wished to go some other way.

2. to stay put