Cuistre, foutriquet, gaupe, faquin... do you know these words? I'm sure you don't! Because they come from the depths of the Middle Ages, a time when words were elegant weapons.
In this video, we're going to take a look at some of the swear words of the Middle Ages, some of which still exist today. So you can swear like a French and insult your enemies with class and elegance, like a great lord. Welcome to my cabinet of linguistic curiosities!
The Middle Ages are often contrasted with the Enlightenment as a dark age, but you can see that they left us a fine linguistic legacy. In fact, some of these once-forgotten words are making a comeback in our contemporary vocabulary. For example, faquin or pignouf, the regionalism still used today in the south of France.
I myself sometimes use the word sagouin, and I didn't even know it dated back to the Middle Ages. I must say, it's fascinating to see how our language has evolved while retaining links with its past. Now you know a few linguistic relics from that era. And who knows, thanks to this video, you might be able to use them to insult people with delicacy.
Thank you and see you soon for more exciting discoveries about the French language.
Let's work together on this so you can fine-tune your French!
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