Comments on: Charlatan

By: Caleb

Caleb — Fri, 13 Mar 2020 06:00:13 +0000

Charlatan means quack in French, that seems like a more likely origin to me.

By: Oscar

Oscar — Tue, 18 Feb 2020 18:36:52 +0000

I think the world must have deep Latin roots. The word charlatan is used in Spanish to describe a person who talks exaggeratedly, without credibility or conceited. The word charla means informal talk or chat in Spanish

By: Villainesse

Villainesse — Tue, 17 Nov 2015 08:43:27 +0000

I had to chortle when your earliest Italian/Latin definition comes from the cerretano folk of that poor little village. It would have to have been poor if its best source of income was cheating the Church! Anyway, if selling ‘fake indulgences’ is a charlatan act, isn’t selling the real papally endorsed indulgences even more charlatan? I prefer at least a bit of irony from a good charlatan, and if they’re going to sell something worthless, they should at least keep the profit for themselves!

By: R Stafford

R Stafford — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 02:55:54 +0000

I was reading that the word Charlatan is difficult to find a root language for. Although the word itself does not show up in a Hebrew or Aramaic dictionary, the root words fit right in line with it. Char= worst quality, bad quality (and in slang means shit or excrement)
Le/la= to (or to the)
Tan= modern Hebrew for jackal, but in OT is synonymous with any scavenging animal that preys on the weak.