Some Words and Phrases from
That Awful Mess on the Via Merulana

by Carlo Emilio Gadda, translated from the Italian by William Weaver

 


Don’t read it for plot and don’t read it for character, and it’s oddly timid in the end—but do read it for the exuberant vocabulary.

ixvelleity
xgynaeceum
xxukases
38vagotonic
epigastrium
64Egeria (the nymph)
rachitic
acromelagic (face)
invulvulate
narthex
desde la misma Italia
66hypotyposis
parquet floor
68dessous
chlorotic
78Matese mountain
79erogation
80recondite
autoptic
83ablutions
84cynosed
86merulanian
phalanstery
88Ausonian
abortions manu armata
89fascio
lungotevere
90apostolic
93tegument
95Vicolo
102ésprit des lois
103pausarius
104quintal
108hebetude almost divinatory
115demos or parish
gentes
Commodatam repetunt rem.
gamic
nuptial valency
asperges in nomine Domini
116marengos
Manet sub Jove frigido
117naphthalene
119coûte que coûte
Megaera
120cannonades
121suburbicarian
extra muros
sacella
123caveau
130Parthenopean
133telluric cataclysm
deflagration
134nec aliter
agnactic
136Eleatic
Heraclitean deflux
herm
139cohibitive
lemmata
echolalic
140gimlet
143Baths of Chianciano
144bioxide
149tenebrous
157bituminous
159“with that latrine-like breath that distinguishes him, Common Sense was already mocking...”
Fescennine
Atellan
165syncretic
cicatrization
maieutics
170corolla
nonconfiteur
180matutinal
181cothurnate forethinker
orogenic
“the clouds, which are the socks of the Lord”
186asthenia
200viscid
201Favonius
ambages
202catechumens
203manucaption
prolation
204Pieridae
maculations
208pergola
211nuncupate
214algolagniac
218Lacia
217velocipederasts
ablation
caesuraed
melos
219vicuna
loisir de sieger
220peptonic
221itroit
mortadella
225dried rain and crassament
227fistulas
232henbane
237monstrance
241geodesist
sonovanologist
243erogated
245diorite
246sylloge
insufflated
251imprecation
apocope
253mucid
254domino vobisco
256non dater casus, non dater salus
259edulcorating
micarême
parapathia
vespertine
261bandoleer
subaltern
cordon
262peperino
antelucan
263labile
264haute pâté
painting by Scialoja
maceration
265decretal labyrinth
verba volant, scripta manent
de jure decreto
267trochaic
arsis
hebefied
sicinnis
a dance simultaneously exozcizational
rubesant
thyrsi
268ilexes
ethylic
269terebene
270primulas
271pulvinar
mallcoli
272osteologues
alluce: big toe
decollation
273peduncled
tondo
audicle
274inderogatable
276exergue
278cavil
284armillae
285catarrhous commination
287larboard
290asseverates
291palpitating
295rubicand
296motu proprio
fideistic
ratiocination
298viaticum
304speculum
305semilunar
ampulla
306more insolito
307supernal
petards
310Melpomene
algolagniac
hebephrenic
mystes
311jactura
preterintentional
314scalene
postern
315erogate
316periplus
317tabernacle
320apothegm
mysteriosophic
321perfused
verecond ambages
322pleochroic
ditrigonal scalenohedral
323dithyrambic
325condonation
327oblation
catarrh
laparotomy
328Croesus
329grange
330sorb
331téléphone avec la manivelle
333meatus
334lemniscate
excogitated
epulations
335empâtée
trepid
336pommel
torrone
337postillion
339catarrh
345cenobia
withers
canebrake
346lapercal
350count-vêtu
352toponymics
tridua
fornixes
basilica
354vermifuge onions
conclamations
355comminations
361così fan tutte
comestibles
363guappo
occiput-jungle
364ablutions
septicemia
suppuration
365peptone
strophic
366ora et labora pro nobis
367buboes
inguinal hernia
368maculating
369loggia
afflatus
basilica
cuspidal
371scarlatina
perorating
chilblains
375presage
quintals
Autarch
376dabchick
cotton batting
377toponymy
379gableboard
garret
380troubadoric-mandrillian
syncretism
381comminated
383oleograph
tibia
cachetic
384con cuidado
censer
asperges
385sacroiliac
borborygms
majolica
386papillary
387curule

That Awful Mess on the Via Merulana

Eddie Kohler