mensonge
French
Etymology
From Middle French mensonge, from Old French mençonge, mençunge, probably from a Vulgar Latin *mentionica, from Late Latin mentiō, 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 Portuguese mensonha, Romansh manzögna and Old French mensoigne, from a different but related root, and Romanian minciună.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /mɑ̃.sɔ̃ʒ/
audio (file)
Noun
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
- mensonge pieux
- mensonger (adjective)
- pieux mensonge
Related terms
- menteur (“liar”)
- mentir (verb)
See also
- mention
Further reading
- “mensonge”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.
Middle French
Alternative forms
- mençonge
Noun
mensonge m or f (plural mensonges)
- a lie or falsehood
References
- mensonge on Dictionnaire du Moyen Français (1330–1500) (in French)