Vulgar Language in the Realm of Sicilian Traditional Cuisine

Abstract

The article discusses the phenomenon of vulgar language in the realm of Sicily’s traditional cuisine, which may be seen as a relic of the medieval carnivalesque and humor culture. The author examines oddities and indecencies in the names of traditional dishes, their particular forms and iconography, erotic and coprological symbols in Sicily, as well as anticlerical references pertaining to food and cuisine and the shouting of street vendors as sources of symbolic cultural information. She argues that the persistence of this peculiar language stratum is the result of conservative character of the local culture and society in Sicily.