Coquina 22 explores the semantic tension between 'chair' and 'viande' in French dictionaries
The article examines the lexical divide between 'chair' (flesh) and 'viande' (meat) in two major French reference works. Michela Marzano's Dictionnaire du corps (PUF, 2007) includes an entry for 'Chair' but not 'Viande', while Jean-Pierre Poulain's Dictionnaire des cultures alimentaires (PUF, 2012) includes 'Viande' but not 'Chair'. The author argues that this apparent separation is less clear-cut than it seems, noting that the body (corps) relates to meat (viande) and that flesh (chair) pervades culinary discourse. The analysis traces the philosophical weight of 'chair' in contemporary thought from Husserl onward, contrasting it with 'corps' as an object one possesses versus a mode of existence.
Key facts
- Michela Marzano edited Dictionnaire du corps published by PUF in 2007
- The Dictionnaire du corps includes an entry for 'Chair' but not 'Viande'
- Jean-Pierre Poulain edited Dictionnaire des cultures alimentaires published by PUF in 2012
- The Dictionnaire des cultures alimentaires includes 'Viande' but not 'Chair'
- The article is part of the Coquina 22 series on Doppiozero
- The article is authored by Gianfranco Marrone and Anita Romanello
- The article was published on June 14, 2026
- The philosophical concept of 'chair' is traced from Husserl onward
Entities
Artists
- Gianfranco Marrone
- Anita Romanello
Institutions
- PUF
- Doppiozero