Moringa Oleifera Analyse linguistique / Análisis lingüístico / Linguistic analysis

Moringa Oleifera Lam., also commonly known as marango, is a small deciduous tree native to India. The moringa tree, originally used only as an ornamental plant, is currently at the centre of an international debate in the agri-food sector. This is due to its multiple properties; in fact, the tree is almost completely edible, and its leaves and seeds can also be used for aesthetic purposes. The extracts of moringa are employed for water purification, for the protection from solar UVR, for the production of highly nutritious flours, spices and seasonings, as well as for livestock fodder, and for the improvement of thyroid functions. Marango can thus be beneficial to malnourished people and people with over-weight issues, as well as to individuals interested in the aesthetic benefits deriving from its intake. Therefore, there is a tendency to exploit the properties of the tree in two different ways. On the one hand, due to the high protein content of its leaves, moringa is particularly well known and used in South- East Asia, in the Indian subcontinent, in Central and Latin America, and in Central Africa, especially among groups affected with conditions related to unhealthy and insufficient intake of food. On the other hand, in Europe, where malnutrition is less common, moringa is on the spotlight for its aesthetic and slimming properties; to these aims it comes in soaps, oils, food supplements or body lotions. Among the various countries involved in the massive production of moringa, the territories characterized by arid and dry climates are those where the plant has been easily cultivated for centuries. Among these, in addition to the territories already mentioned, tropical and sub-tropical areas such as Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand stand out (Ferreira et al. 2014). In the countries of the Southern hemisphere, during the last few years, government institutions and stakeholders have sensed the economic and social potential derived from the export of moringa. This has produced current and continuous investments in advertising campaigns to raise awareness among the population on the advantages deriving from the plant intake, with consequent positive effects on the societies that cultivate moringa. Moreover, these populations begin to take part in the commercial activities which have increased thanks to the high demand of moringa both for the internal market and for exports, with the consequent production of modest revenues benefitting rural and indigenous social agglomerations (Alegbeleye 2018). Following current interest in moringa and its inherent possible social repercussions, the present work aims to provide a linguistic analysis of how this tree is presented in the various communicative contexts in the French-, Spanish- and English speaking communities under scrutiny. This global research objective is declined differently in each study, taking into consideration the diverse historical and social situations from which different purposes emerge according to the context. As a first step, the current use, the scientific dissemination and the commercialization of moringa in various French-, Spanish- and English-speaking territories have been analysed. In particular, close attention has been paid to the means for advertising and exploring the tree in media and academic contexts. On average, the three studies, conducted in parallel, evidence an almost totally positive attitude from the media towards the properties of the marango, both in terms of its aesthetic and healing properties.