Word of the Day (06/08/08)
The word of the day, thanks to Merriam-Webster:
feuilleton \fuh-yuh-TOHNG (the “ng†is not pronounced, but the preceding vowel is nasalized)\  noun
1 : a part of a European newspaper or magazine devoted to material designed to entertain the general reader
2 : a work of fiction printed in installments
3 : a short literary composition often having a familiar tone and reminiscent content
The feuilleton originated in French newspapers as a supplement sectioned out from the main news stories. Although found in the political section of the newspaper, the feuilleton typically included material on non-political subjects, such as art, literature, or fashion. Fiction was sometimes included as well. The word is a diminutive of the French “feuillet,” meaning “sheet of paper,” and ultimately derives from Latin “folium,” meaning “leaf.” From this source English acquired “folio” (which can refer to a page, or leaf, of a book or manuscript) and “foliage” (meaning “a mass of leaves”).
Sounds like the original feuilleton was the forerunner of the Sunday supplements!
I’m interested by its third definition; I’m not entirely sure I know what’s meant by it although I suppose something like a biographical travel story would fit. Even a quick search in the Oxford Reference Online only brought up the first definition. Anyone able to enlighten me further?
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on August 7th, 2008 at 9:53 am
You’re asking? You just wrote one!
A ‘feuilleton’ usually refers to a column or short article in the back pages of a newspaper or magazine: a musing, a review, an event told from the first person.
Those back pages are where 19th century newspapers printed the ‘popular’ (old sense of the word) items, anything from political commentary to the latest installment of Balzac’s novels, much the same way English newspapers were serialising Dickens. (the French version of a serial novel is a ‘feuilleton-roman’)
Typically, they’re less than a thousand words, and not intellectual or experimental or anything that will light up the literary firmament: the back page of the RTE Guide for instance, or something from Ireland’s Own. Something entertaining and perhaps nostalgic.
Yeah, like a blog post. I suppose that’s the 21st-century ‘feuilleton’ online.
(Wow….finally a chance to use that old French Literature degree!) LOL
Susan’s last post: No, it’s not abandoned….
on August 7th, 2008 at 10:56 am
Personally, I find Catherine’s posts both intellectual *and* experimental… way above feuilleton status
I wouldn’t trust myself to use this word, though. I’d probably pronounce it wrong or otherwise make a fool of myself - I tend to be wary of French words; I don’t think my accent is exactly convincing.
Fiendish’s last post: Some Poetry: Charmer
on August 7th, 2008 at 9:50 pm
You’re both too kind - Susan for giving me a full explanation of feuilleton, and Fiendish for being complimentary.
Seriously though, Susan, you have a degree in French literature? Wacky.
on August 9th, 2008 at 12:15 am
Good call, Fiendish—I agree that Catherine’s posts are above the typical feuilleton fare! But blogs in general would be about right for the gist of it.
And yes, French Literature; I can recite Rabelais from memory and understand Anglo-Norman when I read it; pretty much explains why I’ve been unemployed and drifting aimlessly over the world most of my life.
Oops! I warned my daughter… SHE’s going to study Animation, so hey at least she turned out worse than me.
LOL
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on August 9th, 2008 at 9:20 am
It’s a cool word. ‘ Any more?
Like Fiendish, I would fear that my mean Sligo accent would not lend itself to an appropriate pronunciation of this one.
Incidentally, I just put ‘Feuille’ into babelfish and it came back with ‘break into leaf’.
Ken Armstrong’s last post: Looking For The Heart of Friday Night - Tom Waits in The Phoenix Park, Dublin, August 1st 2008
on August 10th, 2008 at 7:48 pm
Feuille as a noun means ‘leaf’, Ken, hence feuillet and feuilleton, as mentioned in the word’s description. So having a verb version, presumably feuiller, which means ‘to break into leaf’ makes a lot of sense. As much as languages ever do.
on August 12th, 2008 at 1:20 pm
Herman Hesse also uses the term feuilleton to refer to the type of person who loves trivial things like crossword puzzles and gossip columns and so on, but never challenges him or herself intellectually. The pseudo-intellectual who is in fact quite stupid
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