Re: Dust

Douglas Koller wrote:
> From: Lars Finsen <lars.finsen@...>
>
>>There is at least fanfreluche, see: http://
>>decoupsdecoeurenpassions.over-blog.com/article-5201458-6.html, but
>>with a somewhat different meaning.
>
>
> Thanks Lars, part of the puzzle solved.
Yes, thanks, Lars - interesting article; and it's prompted some
interesting research   :)

I assume all the French versions are well attested. 'Famfaluca' was
certainly not Classical Latin - I've checked. But the Greek word was
borrowed into the classical language as a feminine noun: pompholyx
(genitive: pompholycis) - tho AFAIK it was used only by Pliny and with
the meaning "substance deposited by the smoke of smelting furnaces."

The Greek πομφόλυξ meant "a bubble." It also had derived meanings: "boss
of a shield", "head ornament worn by women", "zinc oxide."

But searching 'famfaluca', I discover that Italian has the word
'fanfaluca' (chatter, idle talk, nonsense) and that 'famfaluca' is
actually attested in a late Latin gloss from Florence: "Famfaluca
graece, bulla aquatica latine dicitur." The gloss, however, assumes
'famfaluca' is Greek, not Latin. It is not, of course, actually Greek;
but obviously the writer feels it is Greek rather than pure Latin 'bulla
aquatica' (water bubble).

It does seem clear that the Greek word got mangled in popular Latin
speech. Indeed the retention of [u], rather than the Koine [y], suggests
to me that it was a verbal borrowing from the Doric Greek of southern
Italy. Thus a Vulgar Latin 'famfaluca' is the ancestor both of the
Italian 'fanfaluca' and the Old French 'fanfreluche' (<-- *fanfeluche)
and its later descendants.

Interesting - not only it's history but also the range of meanings the
various incarnations of this word which seems to be have been
essentially part of the colloquial rather than literary language.

--
Ray
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ray@carolandray.plus.com
http://www.carolandray.plus.com
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Nid rhy hen neb i ddysgu.
There's none too old to learn.
[WELSH PROVERB]