bardolatria

bardolatry

noun bar-doh-lah-TREE-ah Rare

Origin: Coined by George Bernard Shaw from 'bard' + Greek 'latreia', worship.

Usage Note

Bardolatria is a critical term for excessive, uncritical veneration of Shakespeare (il Bardo). Shaw coined 'bardolatry' in English to mock those who treated Shakespeare as infallible, and the word entered Italian literary criticism in the same ironic spirit. It is a highly specialised, register-formal term.

Examples

"La bardolatria impedisce una lettura critica di Shakespeare."

Natural Translation

Bardolatry prevents a critical reading of Shakespeare.

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