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

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Pubblicato

2024-12-19 — Aggiornato il 2024-12-19

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DOI:

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

Autori

  • 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.