Sardonicism

To besardonicis to bedisdainfullyorcynicallyhumorous, or scornfullymocking. A form of wit or humour, being sardonic often involves expressing an uncomfortable truth in a clever and not necessarily malicious way, often with a degree of skepticism.

Sardonicism is a defining characteristic of public speakerFran Lebowitz's works and appearances.

Origin

Both the concept and the etymology of the word, while being of uncertain origin, appear to stem from theMediterraneanisland ofSardinia.The 10th-centuryByzantine GreekencyclopediaSudatraces the word's earliest roots to the notion of grinning (Ancient Greek:σαίρω,romanized:sairō) in the face of danger, or curling one's lips back at evil.

One explanation for the later alteration to its more familiar form and connection to laughter (supported by theOxford English Dictionary) appears to stem from an ancient belief that ingesting thesardonion(σαρδόνιον) plant fromSardinia(Σαρδώ) would result in convulsions resembling laughter and, ultimately, death.InTheory and History of Folklore,Vladimir Proppdiscusses alleged examples of ritual laughter accompanying death and killing, all involving groups. These he characterized as sardonic laughter:

Among the very ancientpeople of Sardinia,who were calledSardiorSardoni,it was customary to kill old people. While killing their old people, the Sardi laughed loudly. This is the origin of notorious sardonic laughter (Eugen Fehrle, 1930). In light of our findings things begin to look different. Laughter accompanies the passage from death to life; it creates life and accompanies birth. Consequently, laughter accompanying killing transforms death into a new birth, nullifies murder as such, and is an act of piety that transforms death into a new life.

A root form may first appear inHomer'sOdysseyas theAncient Greeksardánios,altered by influence of the wordSardonios(Σαρδονιος, "Sardinian"),originated from a Greek phrase which meant "to be sneered", "tearing of flesh" or for scornful laughter.From thesardóniosevolved theLatin:sardonius,thence theFrench:sardonique,and ultimately the familiar English adjectival form,sardonic.In the English vernacular, it was recorded and utilized inEdmund Spenser'sThe Shepheardes Calender(1579).

Risus sardonicus

Main article:Risus sardonicus

Risus sardonicusis an apparent smile on the face of those who are convulsing because oftetanusorstrychninepoisoning. From theOxford English Dictionary,"A fixed, grin-like expression resulting from spasm of facial muscles, esp. in tetanus." Also:

[Convulsion of the] facial muscles may cause a characteristic expression calledRisus sardonicus(from the Latin for scornful laughter) orRisus caninus(from the Latin for doglike laughter or grinning). This facial expression has also been observed among patients with tetanus.Risus sardonicuscauses a patient's eyebrows to rise, eyes to bulge, and mouth to retract dramatically, resulting in what has been described as an evil-looking grin.

Hemlock water dropwort

In 2009 scientists at theUniversity of Eastern Piedmontclaimed to have identifiedhemlock water dropwortas the plant responsible for producing the sardonic grin.This plant is the candidate for the "sardonic herb", which was aneurotoxicplant used perhaps for theritual killingof elderly people inpre-Roman Sardinia.When these people were unable to support themselves, they wereintoxicatedwith this herb and then dropped from a high rock or beaten to death.

See also

• Bittersweet
• Euphemisms
• Irony
• Rapport
• Roasting
• Sarcasm
• Schadenfreude
• Self-parody
• Evil laughter

External links

• "Entry: Online Etymology Dictionary".Retrieved2008-10-30.
• Definition, meaning, and social examples of the word SardonicSardonic meaning and usage example