qui bene amat, bene castigat

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Latin

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Etymology

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Literally, he who loves well, castigates well.

This form of the phrase is likely a calque from French qui aime bien châtie bien. Similar phrases are found in Latin texts:[1]

  • c. 325 CE, Lactantius, Divinae institutiones 5.23:
    Bonos autem quos diligit castigat saepius
    The good people whom he likes, he punishes more often
  • Early 16th century, Vives, De Subventione pauperum 1.6:
    Quem diligit, castigat
    Whom he likes, he punishes

Pronunciation

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Proverb

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quī bene amat, bene castīgat

  1. spare the rod and spoil the child

Usage notes

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  • This proverb, which has been used especially as a recurrent theme in education, can have the following two distinct interpretations:
  1. he who loves will not hesitate to chastise, in the interest of the one being loved
  2. only he who loves will be able to exercise the punishment in a sensible way.

References

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  1. ^ Francois Jacquesson (2015) “Typology”, in Federica Da Milano, Konstanze Jungbluth, editor, Manual of Deixis in Romance Languages, →ISBN, page 523