Keywords:
associative potential, zoonym renard, zoonyms, zoomorphic metaphor, metaphor, image of the fox, French phraseological units
DOI Number:
10.55959/MSU-2074-1588-19-29-3-13
Available online: 29.08.2026
To cite this article
Chengzhen Xin
French phraseological units with the component renard (fox) in the mirror of folklore, literary, and popular science traditions. // Moscow University Bulletin. Series 19. Linguistics and Intercultural Communication
2026.
Vol. 29. Issue 3.
190-199
https://doi.org/10.55959/MSU-2074-1588-19-29-3-13.
The article analyzes French phraseological units with the component renard (fox) in their relationship with folklore, literary, and popular scientific traditions. Drawing on the medieval epic Roman de Renart, La Fontaine's fables, Buffon's natural-historical works, and Saint-Exupéry's philosophical tale The Little Prince, the study traces the evolution of the fox image — from a demonized symbol of evil, lies, and cunning (red fur, nocturnal habits) to an ambivalent archetype that combines negative (deceit, treachery) and positive (intelligence, strategic thinking, prudence) connotations. It is shown that the key characteristics of the fox, embedded in phraseologisms (rusé comme un renard, fin renard, vieux renard, agir en renard, se confesser au renard), correlate with the images created in folklore, literature, and popular scientific traditions. Special attention is paid to phraseologisms that emphasize intelligence (faire la guerre en renard, un bon renard ne mange point les poules de son voisin, le renard cache sa queue). The conclusion is drawn that French zoomorphic phraseologisms not only record the animal's natural cunning but also absorb centuries of cultural evolution — from a fear of treachery to an understanding of cunning as a contextually determined quality that can be evaluated both negatively and positively.
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