Parole et stratégies de communication aux limites de l’humain

Abstract

The medieval world is a universe populated by

monstrous creatures; thinkers aimed to establish whether

or not this throng of anomalous anthropomorphic figures

belonged to the human species. In this respect, the use of

language and speech is recognized as an important prerequisite

for developing the associative and political propensities

of human beings. The inability to communicate

thus becomes a fundamental yardstick for measuring the

savagery of the individual or people in question. This article

will analyse the relationship between the boundaries

of the human and language, firstly by briefly outlining the

metaphorical use made of expressions associated with devoration

and secondly by examining the relationship between

cannibalism, metamorphosis and speech. A special

focus will be placed on lycanthropy.