mensonge
French edit
Etymology edit
Inherited from Middle French mensonge, from Old French mençonge, mençunge, probably from a Vulgar Latin *mentionica, from Late Latin mentiōnem (in the sense of "lie" rather than "mention"), probably formed from haplology of a root *mentītiō, from Latin mentītus, past participle of mentior. Cognate to Occitan messorga, messonja, mensònega; compare also Italian menzogna, Old Galician-Portuguese mensonha, Romansch manzögna and Old French mensoigne, from a different but related root, and Romanian minciună.
Pronunciation edit
Noun edit
mensonge m (plural mensonges)
- a lie or falsehood
- Synonyms: bobard, carabistouille, menterie, tromperie
- faire des mensonges gros comme des montagnes
- telling lies as tall as mountains
Derived terms edit
- mensonge pieux
- mensonger (adjective)
- pieux mensonge
Related terms edit
See also edit
Further reading edit
- “mensonge”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.
Middle French edit
Alternative forms edit
Noun edit
mensonge m or f (plural mensonges)
References edit
- mensonge on Dictionnaire du Moyen Français (1330–1500) (in French)