Translation - French-English - Il avait la langue torte.

Hi Dewan,

"fat" is not literal for "torte"

Might also mean 'twisted' as in 'He has a twisted tongue' as in 'He tells lies'
Jöhn

Yes, I think that's better

Yeah, "twisted" is what I've been thinking about.
Tense is past tense in the original, I didn't translate as I wasn't sure about "he had", sounds like "he had dinner"

I voted "right" although literally translated it would give : "He had a twisted tongue", for the reason I told above.

Edited!

CC: Francky5591

Or as the Yankees used to say 'He spoke with a FORKED tongue'!!

Is there any possibility of meaning:He spoke very fluently or persuasively in this expression ?

This phrase is in the quatrain of Michel Nostradamus: 78° of Centurie VIII:
Un Bragamas avec la langue torte:

He seems to have achieved something great with his power of speech.

Normier, if you gave us more context it would be easier to find that out.

Francky? What do you think?


CC: Normier Francky5591

Hi !
I posted a link to normier under the original, I don't know whether he had a look at it. There is an example for the use of this word in old French, as it isn't used anymore nowadays, not currently I mean, maybe someone speaking French can say that, but then it is just the same as quoting, it does reference to the old French, and maybe "torte" should be just like I typed it here (between quotation marks)

In this text in old French (part of it) :
"Mais quant bon vin bien la conforte, Et feru l'a li filz la torte (le fils de la vigne), Lors chante haut et lors s'envoise," ",la torte" is the name from the vine-stock (that was probably given to this plant because of its twisted shape).

Wine is well known for its desinhibiting effects, and at a certain time after having drunk some of this beverage, people are generally willing to speak more and louder (it doesn't last at this step though, because some time later it is the contrary, tongue from the guy who's been drinking becomes thicker and troubles of the elocution appear)

I'm intimely convinced the adjective in old French is directly making allusion to the name of the vine-stock, same as one can use the past participle/adjective "aviné" to speak about someone who's been drinking, even if the person has been drinking beer or another beverage that has nothing to do with wine.

So talking about someone who's got "la langue torte" can do reference either to "twisted", but it could also be willing to talk about someone whose speech is boosted by alcohol.

Same as Lilian, I would'nt assume anything without a bit more context, so, normier, if ever you could give us some more, it sure would be better.

Have a nice Sunday!

Nice explanation of Francky5591, I think: 'someone whose speech is boosted', excepting by alcohol, because this someone seems to be a church reformer of a kind of ascetic. Probably he is boosted in his speech by his high tension of self-conscience.

Would you tell me the text of quoted phrase:Mais quant bon vin ....... s'envoise ?

Thanks for having given more context, Normier!
Yes, someone's speech can be boosted by other matters than alcohol (luckily)

About this text in old French :

"Aucun [je] cognois qui a souvent La vois malade, floibe et quasse, Se le fort vin ne l'a respasse ; Mais quant bon vin bien la conforte, Et feru l'a li filz la torte [le fils de la vigne], Lors chante haut et lors s'envoise", I found it here, but I can only provide you an approximative meaning, as I'm not a specialist of old French :
"There's someone I know whose voice is often ill, weak and broken, if some strong wine doesn't help her; But when a good wine comforts her/him well, and when the effects of the wine let her feel passionate (hearty), s/he then sings loud and ("s'envoise" : I can't find a meaning to this verb, maybe has it something to do with "vois"-old French-/"voix" -actual French/ "voice" in English-)

Francky5591,
Thanks for your valuable instructions.
I have the answer to my question now.
By the way, I find in the Lexique de l'ancien français by F. Godefroy (Honoré Champion, 1994),

ENVOISEMENT, plaisir, réjouissance.

Then, S'ENVOISE will mean the thing like it.