Breakdown of La saggezza ci viene tramandata con questo canto.
questo
this (masculine)
con
with
venire
to come
ci
to us
Questions & Answers about La saggezza ci viene tramandata con questo canto.
Why is viene used here instead of è to mean "is"?
This is a passive construction formed with venire instead of essere. While è tramandata is grammatically correct, using venire highlights the dynamic process of the action happening over time. When talking about history or traditions, venire + the past participle emphasizes the continuous, ongoing transmission from one generation to the next.
Why does the participle tramandata end in -a?
What is the exact function of ci in this sentence?
Could I just use passata instead of tramandata?
You could, but you would lose the poetic and historical nuance. While passare is the generic verb for "to pass," tramandare specifically means to hand down knowledge, traditions, or legends across time and generations. It perfectly matches the cultural weight of passing down wisdom through a chant.