Giancarlo Porcu

L’«anatasia» della «razza sarda» e i vocabolari di Grazia Deledda. Storia di una sospetta parola-fantasma travestita da lectio difficilior

Introduction

L’«anatasia» della «razza sarda» e i vocabolari di grazia deledda. Storia di una sospetta parola-fantasma travestita da lectio difficilior. Analisi di "anatasia", presunta parola-fantasma e lectio difficilior in Grazia Deledda ("La giustizia"). Scopri la sua origine da "atanasia" nei vocabolari d'epoca.

Abstract

Il contributo esamina la parola «anatasia» che compare in occorrenza unica nel romanzo di Grazia Deledda La giustizia (1899); una lezione conservata da molti editori e da alcuni studiosi difesa, ma rifiutata da altri che emendano in atarassia. L’ipotesi qui formulata vede in anatasia una falsa lectio difficilior prodottasi per metatesi da «atanasia», probabile ghost-word che Deledda trovava, con il significato di “tranquillità di spirito” (= atarassia), in uno dei vocabolari da lei posseduti (compilato da Antonio Sergent nel 1861).

Review

The article, intriguingly titled "L’«anatasia» della «razza sarda» e i vocabolari di Grazia Deledda. Storia di una sospetta parola-fantasma travestita da lectio difficilior," tackles a fascinating textual enigma within Grazia Deledda's 1899 novel *La giustizia*. The core of the contribution lies in its meticulous examination of the unique occurrence of the word "anatasia," a term that has long been a point of contention among editors and scholars. While some have opted to preserve this *lectio* as found, others have emended it to the more familiar "atarassia," highlighting a significant philological challenge in Deledda's corpus. The article posits a compelling new hypothesis to resolve this long-standing editorial dilemma. The author's central argument is that "anatasia" is not an authentic, albeit rare, term, but rather a "false *lectio difficilior*" stemming from a metathesis of "atanasia." This "atanasia," the article suggests, was itself a "ghost-word" encountered by Deledda in one of her personal dictionaries, specifically Antonio Sergent’s 1861 compilation. Crucially, Deledda would have found "atanasia" defined with the meaning of "tranquillità di spirito," synonymous with "atarassia." This multi-layered hypothesis offers a sophisticated explanation, bridging textual criticism with a detailed understanding of Deledda's potential lexical resources and her creative process. The proposed methodology is strong, relying on close textual analysis, historical lexicography, and an understanding of common linguistic phenomena like metathesis. This contribution offers significant value to Deledda scholarship, not only by potentially resolving a specific textual problem in *La giustizia* but also by providing a deeper insight into the author's engagement with her linguistic tools and the dynamic nature of literary creation. The meticulous philological detective work involved in tracing a suspected ghost-word through historical dictionaries is commendable and serves as an excellent model for future research into similar textual ambiguities. Beyond Deledda studies, the article's findings could stimulate broader discussions on the role of dictionaries in shaping authorial vocabulary, the challenges of editing texts with unique or seemingly erroneous words, and the fascinating journey of words through literary and lexicographical landscapes. It underscores the importance of such granular linguistic investigation in understanding literary works.

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