Raccontare il corpo all’infanzia e all’adolescenza. La lingua sfidante del Dizionario folle del corpo di Katy Couprie

Although the idea that movement plays a central role in the healthy and com
plete development (not only motor) of the individual is now widely accepted among
experts, the discussion on the body in schools has recently been fueled by a growing
interest in diversity and disability. This has naturally led to an intensification of the
debate on corporeity and the flourishing of dedicated research aimed at investigating
the functions, possibilities, and challenges of discussing the body within educational
processes and specific learning contexts.
On a linguistic level, an interesting observatory is represented by the study of forms
and methods that can be used to talk about the body during childhood and adoles
cence. The contribution presented here aims to pursue this goal by offering a linguistic
investigation of the Dizionario folle del corpo by Katy Couprie (2019). It is an unusual
lexicographic work in which the body is described in the succession of entries, pre
sented in rigorous alphabetical order and accompanied by unpublished illustrations
and ancient engravings. Particular attention will be paid to the linguistic solutions and
communication strategies the author adopts to address an audience that also includes
children and teenagers.