Abstract

LOPEZ QUERO, Salvador. On the lexicon of cosmetics and facial embellishments in spanish texts: an essay in historical pragmatics. Nueva rev. filol. hisp. [online]. 2017, vol.65, n.1, pp.179-201. ISSN 2448-6558.  https://doi.org/10.24201/nrfh.v65i1.2832.

This study examines the lexicon of cosmetics and facial embellishments in Spanish texts and approaches the subject from an historical and pragmatical view. The words analyzed are to be found in documents dating back to 13th century AD (adobo, afeitar/afeitarse and afeite [“pomade”, “to beautify”, and “make-up”]), to the 14th century (aderezo [“finery”]), to the 15th century (aforrar, alabastro and albayalde [“to line”, “alabaster” and “ceruse”]), and to the 16th century (abalorio, abanillo, acicalar, ajorcas and alamar [“bead”, “ruffle”, “to embellish”, “bracelets” and “gimp”]). Some of these terms frequently have negative connotations, and several of them are often misogynist and homophobic (abalorio, afeitar/afeitarse and afeite [“bead”, “to beautify”, and “make-up”]). It should also be noted that not all of these words refer only to women; some of them are used in the same way for both men and women (aderezo, adobo and afeitar/afeitarse [“finery”, “pomade” and “to beautify” or “to make-up”]). Finally, this study shows that the term adobo [“pomade”] is used, in the 16th century, in a figurative sense to indicate a “piropo” [“amorous compliment”].

Keywords : lexicon of cosmetics and facial embellishments; Spanish texts; Middle Ages; Golden Age; historical pragmatics.

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