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<DIV><FONT face="Arial Unicode MS" size=2>Doesn't French <U>gueule</U> mean
'snout'? That is, isn't it the mouth of an animal, and isn't it insulting to use
that word to refer to a person's mouth? That was my understanding when we were
working on the etymologies for our St. Lucian (French) Creole dictionary. In St.
Lucian Creole, there is a word <U>djòl</U> or <U>djèl</U> that means
'snout'</FONT> <FONT face="Arial Unicode MS" size=2>(as of a pig or donkey), but
if you tell someone in Creole "shut your snout" using this word, it is an
insult. The "djòl" of a hole is the mouth or opening of the hole, such as a crab
hole.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Arial Unicode MS" size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Arial Unicode MS" size=2>-- David Frank</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Arial Unicode MS" size=2></FONT><FONT face="Arial Unicode MS"
size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Arial Unicode MS" size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Arial Unicode MS" size=2>----- Original Message ----- </FONT>
<DIV><FONT face="Arial Unicode MS" size=2>From: "MARC FRYD" <</FONT><A
href="mailto:marc.fryd@univ-poitiers.fr"><FONT face="Arial Unicode MS"
size=2>marc.fryd@univ-poitiers.fr</FONT></A><FONT face="Arial Unicode MS"
size=2>></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Arial Unicode MS" size=2>To: <</FONT><A
href="mailto:lexicographylist@yahoogroups.com"><FONT face="Arial Unicode MS"
size=2>lexicographylist@yahoogroups.com</FONT></A><FONT face="Arial Unicode MS"
size=2>></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Arial Unicode MS" size=2>Sent: Friday, June 17, 2005 3:45
AM</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Arial Unicode MS" size=2>Subject: Re: [Lexicog] origin of the
word "gullible"</FONT></DIV></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Arial Unicode MS"><BR><FONT size=2></FONT></FONT></DIV><FONT
face="Arial Unicode MS" size=2>Allan,<BR>The word "gueule" in French means face
( 'sale gueule' ) or mouth ('(ferme) ta gueule!). Neutral when used for animals,
it takes on argotic connotations when used for humans.<BR>This strikes me as a
plausible origin of your 'gullible'.<BR>Regards,<BR>Marc</FONT>
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