What exactly is the “chapter” of the famous Italian expression “not have a say“? The saying is to indicate theabsence of any authority And relevance in a discussion or when it’s time to make a decision. Its origins date back to Middle Agesand bind to the monastic practices of the time.
In the Middle Ages The “chapter” was the assembly of the monks that, within an abbey or a monastery, it was held once a day for reading the rules of their order or to make some important decisions regarding the community. The meetings took place in a room called precisely “Chapter room”: all the monks could participate, but only a few had had the right to speak. For example the noviceswho prepared to embrace the monastic rule, or the conversesthat is, those who had approached monastic life in the late age, could not express their opinion or vote in community decisions. So, “they had no say “.
It is interesting to note that equivalent expressions there are also In other languages. In Frenchfor example, it is said “Avoir Voix au chapitre“, With the same meaning of having the right of speech or influence in a decision. This phrase is attested in literary and historical texts since the seventeenth century, such as that of Madame de Sévigné “dans ces occasion-là, les mères n’ont pas beaucoup de voix au chapitre“(Translated into Italian” on these occasions, mothers do not have much say “) to demonstrate its diffusion in contemporary Europe.