Davide Del Bello, Forgotten Paths. Etymology and the Allegorical Mindset, Washington, DC:  The Catholic University of America Press, 2007, xvi-187p. 

ISBN 978-0-8132-1484-9.

Autre édition:
Davide Del Bello, Forgotten Paths: Etymology and the Allegorical Mindset, Sestante Edizioni, coll. "Bergamo University Press - Scienze Umanistiche" , 2005, 202p.

Recension par  Dunstan Lowe (University of Reading) dans Bryn Mawr Classical Review 2008.11.11

Présentation de l'éditeur:

Much has been written on allegory as a knowledge tool, i.e. as arhetorical device that is more a philosophical forma mentis than sheerliterary ornament, but similar functions historically found inpre-scientific etymologies remain for the most part uncharted. Thisbook examines texts from classical, medieval, and Renaissance culturewith the intent to trace links between etymological and allegoricalways of knowing, writing, thinking, and arguing. To be sure, therhetorical impact of etymology in ancient and medieval scholars haslong been acknowledged. Yet appreciation for such etymologies seems tohave been granted invariably with reservations as to their scientificor cognitive worth. Isidore of Seville's etymologies, for instance,continue either to be cited as curious specimens of scientificantiquarianism or to be altogether dismissed on the grounds of semanticand phonological inaccuracy. The present research sets out: (1) tobring into sharper focus the hazy contours of the figura etymologicawith respect to allegory; (2) to claim and assess the viability ofclassical and medieval etymologizing as a dynamic cognitive tool; (3)to appraise the persistence of an etymologico-allegorical modusoperandi from the late Enlightenment to postmodernism.

Sommaire:

INTRODUCTION    v
Chapter 1 - THE SCIENCE OF ETYMOLOGY: FROM 'SOUND' LAWS TO
PLAUSIBLE CONJECTURES    1
1.    Etymologizing before 1900
2.    The W¿rter und Sachen Experience: Etymology between 1900 and 1950
    18
3.    De Saussure and The Arbitrariness of Signs
4.    Obscure Words: Etymologizing from 1950 to the Present
Chapter 2 - NOMEN EST OMEN: ETYMOLOGY AND ALLEGORY     49
Chapter 3 - THE NAMES OF HEROES: GREEK AND ALEXANDRIAN
ETYMOLOGIZING    61
1.    Etymology and Onomastics
2.    Etymologies in the Cratylus
3.    Alexandrian Etymologizing
Chapter 4 - QUARTUS GRADUS ETYMOLOGIAE: THE ROMAN
CONTRIBUTION    85
1.    Etymology in Rome
2.    Cicero and Augustine
3.    Varro's Contribution
Chapter 5 - ALLEGORICAL ETYMOLOGY AS A DENKFORM:
 THE MIDDLE AGES OF ISIDORE    106
1.    The Etymologiae and The Seven Liberal Arts
2.    Isidore's Definition of Etymology
Chapter 6 - EMITHOLOGIA: ETYMOLOGY?S RIDDLES
        FROM 1500 TO 1700     135

Chapter 7 - REDEFINING DIFFERENCE: ALLEGORICAL
 ETYMOLOGY IN VICO, DERRIDA, AND DE MAN    155

1.    Derrida's Pharmakon
2.    Hermes Thrice-Greatest
3.    Chapter 8 - ALTERNATIVE ROUTES    177
WORKS CITED    216
Library of Congress Subject Headings for this publication:

Language and languages -- Etymology -- History.
Allegory.