Tuesday 16 April 2019

More About Language

See Uses Of English and "datholch." (Scroll down.)

SM Stirling, Snowbrother, see here.

When speaking to her new "owner," Maihu has to translate "scholar" as "'hunter-of-knowledge.'" (p. 143) Compare the Eriau "datholch."

In the conquerors' language:

there are over two hundred words for grass and "...nearly as many for horses..." (p. 136);

the verb, "to kill," has thirty two forms;

"sea" has to be translated as "...big salty lake too broad to see across..." (ibid.);

"humanitarian altruist" is "insane traitor";

"freedom" is "ability to accomplish";

there is no "mercy."

In a discussion in the meditation group, I distinguished between "delusion" and "appearance" and was told that, in the original language of one of our texts, the same word was used for both. However, thought is not entirely constrained by language. When we need to make a finer distinction, we say, e.g., "Can we distinguish between two meanings of this word?" 

7 comments:

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Paul!

This is as good a place as any for me to say that I think the Kommanza people we see in SNOWBROTHER reminds me in many ways of the Draka Stirling created a bit later. Barbarian low tech Draka.

Sean

paulshackley2017@gmail.com said...

Sean,
The similarity is a lot of experience in domesticating slaves.
Paul.

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Paul!

That too is true. But I had in mind the ferocious focus of the Kommanza on military training and the harsh, even brutal discipline used for incultating that training.

Sean

paulshackley2017@gmail.com said...

Sean,
That too is true. They treat their horses better than their children because the horses will be reincarnated as Kommanza and the children should be able to cope with harshness.
Paul.

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Paul!

I agree. I don't like the Kommanza people!

Sean

Nicholas D. Rosen said...

Kaor, Paul and Sean!

I also agree: the Kommanza are easy to dislike. At least, if I recall SNOWBROTHER from decades ago, this raiding expedition ends badly for the aggressors.

Best Regards,
Nicholas

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Nicholas!

I'm just barely getting to that part of SNOWBROTHER. And we did get some hints from Paul that the conflict ended inconclusively for both sides.

Regards! Sean