Carabistouilles Galimatias Dominique Mataillet - Language Essay

CARABISTOUILLES AND GALIMATIAS

The French language is a treasure. A treasure full of surprises, curiosities, rustic expressions — and words we thought we knew.

Dominique Mataillet invites us on a delightful journey through the twists and turns of the French language. The surprising origins of our favorite expressions, the semantic shifts that have shaped our vocabulary, those forgotten words that deserve to be rediscovered — a scholarly and delightfully playful essay, far from austere academic treatises.

A tribute to popular creativity that has enriched our language over the centuries — from trade slangs to regional expressions, from neologisms to archaisms.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THIS ESSAY

• Etymological origins: Where do our favorite expressions really come from?
• Semantic transformations: How words change meaning over the centuries
• Forgotten words: Treasures of linguistic heritage to rediscover
• Popular creativity: Slangs, regional expressions, neologisms, and archaisms
• Scholarship and humor: A lively style that makes linguistics addictive

Available in print on demand, ePub, and PDF. Free delivery in France. Metvox Publications.