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balia

wet nurse

noun ba-LEE-ah Rare

Origin: From Medieval Latin balia, related to bajulare, 'to carry'.

Also means

custody, power

Usage Note

Balia covers two senses distinguished by stress: bàlia (BAH-lyah) is a wet nurse hired to breastfeed another's child, while in the phrase in balìa di (ba-LEE-ah) it means 'at the mercy of' — in balia delle onde (at the mercy of the waves).

Examples

"Il bambino era in balia delle onde durante la tempesta."

Natural Translation

The child was at the mercy of the waves during the storm.

Literal Translation

The child was in custody of-the waves during the storm.

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