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Medieval Lexicon of Multisensory Perception: A Case Study in Middle English and Old French

Published

2024-12-19

Versions

Issue

No. 6 (2024): POLYTHESIS Filologia Interpretazione e Teoria della Letteratura

Section

SAGGI

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Copyright (c) 2024 Polythesys. Filologia, Interpretazione e Teoria della Letteratura

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DOI:

https://doi.org/10.13138/2723-9020/3763

Authors

  • Nicola D'Antuono Università degli Studi di Padova
  • Elena Muzzolon Università degli Studi di Padova
  • Sibilla Siano Università degli Studi di Padova

Abstract

This article examines the role of phonesthemes and submorphemic units in conveying multisensory experiences in medieval literature. The synaesthetic associations triggered by phonesthetic clusters are apparent in the ambiguous use of lexemes beginning with phonesthetic consonantal sequences, whose interpretation alternates between, or even merges, two different sensory domains. The analysis of case studies in Middle English and Old French highlights the extent to which the phonestheme gl- evokes synaesthetic associations across different senses, thus essentially emphasizing the intimate connection between language and the cognitive functions of perception and knowledge in medieval texts.