Autore
Patota, Giuseppe

Titolo
"Mentire per la gola"
Periodico
Lingua e stile
Anno: 2013 - Fascicolo: 2 - Pagina iniziale: 155 - Pagina finale: 176

In the Middle Ages the expression mentire per la gola ('lie from thethroat'), with the preposition per ('from') to indicate a position or manner,was an insult which accused someone of clearly lying. Further examplesof this expression, which has no precedent in Latin, are found in OldFrench, Occitan, Catalan and Castilian Spanish. The association betweenthe throat and the act of lying was determined by the fact that, in medievalChristian treatises concerning sins, sins of the tongue (which includedlies) were included in the more general category of gluttony, the usualsource of all vices. Saying that someone mentiva per la gola ('lied fromhis/her throat') meant to accuse him/her of lying with words through theorgan from which they emerge. Moreover, this accusation used metonymyto indicate one of the seven deadly sins and it was the very quintessenceof the lack of the individual's self control and moderation.



SICI: 0024-385X(2013)2<155:"PLG>2.0.ZU;2-4
Testo completo: http://www.mulino.it/download/article/10.1417/75166
Testo completo alternativo: http://www.mulino.it/doi/10.1417/75166

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