Pathologie Verbale, ou Lésions de certains mots dans le cours de l'usage

Imagine a seasoned linguist turning his dictionary into a clinic, diagnosing the strange ailments that have befallen French words over six centuries. In this concise collection he lists the most puzzling deformations—misspellings, false friends, lost meanings, and shifts from noble to vulgar usage—showing how everyday speech can betray its own history.

Each entry reads like a short case study, arranged alphabetically, where the word itself becomes the patient. The author blends scholarly observation with lively anecdotes, pointing out how a verb once meaning “to lie down” was narrowed to a single sense of childbirth, or how popular expressions drift into misinterpretation. The tone is witty yet respectful, offering both amusement and clear explanations.

Listeners will come away with a sharper ear for the quirks of French, gaining a deeper appreciation of how language evolves while still retaining its core traditions. The book is a delightful tour through linguistic oddities that makes the study of words both accessible and enjoyable.