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Wacky, a word that has totally changed meaning

2021-08-18T10:34:16.669Z


It was at Rabelais that the word "eccentric" appeared for the first time. But it did not correspond to the current meaning of the adjective.


“Fafelu.

[said of a food] Plump, consistent ”.

For example, “

Pasté estoit fafelu

.

“Beyond this curious spelling attested in the 15th century and mentioned in our Middle French dictionaries, here is a surprising meaning.

Because since Malraux, who bequeathed the word to us in its modern sense in 1921, the eccentric has been less fleshy than absurd.

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What is the origin of the wacky word?

However, on closer inspection, when we encounter the

eccentric

word

at Rabelais, the first probably to add an

r

to the initial word

fafelu

, we easily perceive in his

Quart Livre

that this “

big wild and eccentric cervelas

 ”, which puts under the eyes while making Pantagruel salivate, does not correspond at all to the current meaning of the adjective. "

True God, he was fat

", exclaims Pantagruel, in front of a cervelas which cannot be "

inconsistent and somewhat crazy

", but plump and consistent as desired. However, despite this

Rabelaisian

r

,

fafelu

continued on its way at least until the 18th century.

We know that French must

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Source: lefigaro

All news articles on 2021-08-18

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