El mot moixonia en el "Flos sanctorum".

Abstract

The word moixonia was a noun used in the Middle Ages in Catalan. Although not frequently used, it appears repeatedlty in "Flos Sanctorum" by J. de Voragine, a famous work within the Medieval Hagiography. This word derives from moix, a Catalan geosynonym equivalent to "gato" (cat). Most likely through a metaphorical projection, the word moixonia attributes some ot this animal's aptitudes to people, but always with a negative connotation, as its semantic value was to fool somebody with "subtle" words. Currently, this denotation is not included in any normative dictionaryof this language. This article analyses all cases where this word or variations of it are found in "Flos Sanctorum", reviews other Medieval works where it appears, examines its meaning in other Romance languages and, finally, studies the metaphorical formation of this term in order to propose a definition which should be included in, al least, all Catalan historical dictionaries.