Subject
Re: Shadow Hunters & Sundials
From
Date
Body
The Greek word "skia" (shadow) plays another, indirect, role in Pnin
besides the skiagraph to which A. Bouazza refers. Recall that a
squirrel plays a significant role in the novel; the word "squirrel"
derives from the Greek "skia" plus "oura" (tail), reflecting the fact
that squirrels generally have a bushy tail that casts a shadow, or
suggests the animal's shadow. The Modern Greek word for squirrel is
"skioura"; the "l" in the English ultimately derives from a Latin
diminutive.
Earl Sampson
On 5Jan2007, at 2:33 PM, A. Bouazza wrote:
> Dear Jansy,
> Â
> My epigraph for the following explicatory note is:
> Â
> "I do not know who "Baron Corvo"and (Professor?) Firbank are..."
> Strong Opinions, p.213.
> Â
> I must confess to a Rolfian penchant for borrowing Old Greek words,
> and although I would not go so far as to use, for instance,
> rhypokondylose, I have not been berated for another one which I
> sneaked into my posting of December 15th.
> Sciothery is skiothereia meaning "shadow-hunting" and skiotheron,
> literally shadow-hunter or catcher, is a sundial, a gnomon.
> Remember skiagraph in Pnin. By the way, both umbra and skiá have the
> meaning of "an uninvited guest."
> The Latin sciolus is unrelated as it is derived from scire, to know.
> I don't know the English, French, Dutch, Latin and Old
> Greek equivalents of the charming Portuguese siar, but Classical
> Arabic is rich in such animal as well as human motions, gestures,
> gaits, postures etc etc.; it even has a word for Gradus' "chaimpanzee
> slouch of his broad body and short hindlegs," Pale Fire, p.
> 277.  However, I am reminded of an observation in The Gift that when a
> bird (a crow?) alights it adjusts one wing.
> Â
> A. Bouazza.
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Vladimir Nabokov Forum [mailto:NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU]On
>> Behalf Of jansymello
>> Sent: 05 January 2007 03:06
>> To: NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU
>> Subject: Re: [NABOKV-L] Shadow Hunters & Sundials
>>
>> A. Bouazza wrote about "the recent sciothery or hunt for the
>> waxwing's shadow or, more exactly...", Â before recreating the shades
>> of Luzhin's nose creating a kind of sundial - as precise as if
>> it'd been inspired by Aqua's moustachioed clock.Â
>> He also mentions Proffer's study that creates a "a sciotherical list
>> of what he called "sun and shade images" as they occur in Lolita (and
>> elsewhere), Keys to Lolita, pp. 105-107 (and 121-124)", and
>> indicated pages 105-106 of this book, for the light they
>> shed on [the] enumeration of VN's tessellate and reticular imagery. "
>> Â <snip>
>> Jansy
>>
>> Search the Nabokv-L archive at UCSB
>>
>> Contact the Editors
>>
>> All private editorial communications, without exception, are read by
>> both co-editors.
>>
>> Visit Zembla
>>
>> View Nabokv-L PoliciesSearch the Nabokv-L archive at UCSB
>
> Contact the Editors
>
> All private editorial communications, without exception, are read by
> both co-editors.
>
> Visit Zembla
>
> View Nabokv-L Policies
>
"The most beautiful experience we can have is the mysterious ... the
fundamental emotion which stands at the cradle of true art and true
science." - Albert Einstein (1879-1955).
Search the archive: http://listserv.ucsb.edu/archives/nabokv-l.html
Contact the Editors: mailto:nabokv-l@utk.edu,nabokv-l@holycross.edu
Visit Zembla: http://www.libraries.psu.edu/nabokov/zembla.htm
View Nabokv-L policies: http://web.utk.edu/~sblackwe/EDNote.htm
besides the skiagraph to which A. Bouazza refers. Recall that a
squirrel plays a significant role in the novel; the word "squirrel"
derives from the Greek "skia" plus "oura" (tail), reflecting the fact
that squirrels generally have a bushy tail that casts a shadow, or
suggests the animal's shadow. The Modern Greek word for squirrel is
"skioura"; the "l" in the English ultimately derives from a Latin
diminutive.
Earl Sampson
On 5Jan2007, at 2:33 PM, A. Bouazza wrote:
> Dear Jansy,
> Â
> My epigraph for the following explicatory note is:
> Â
> "I do not know who "Baron Corvo"and (Professor?) Firbank are..."
> Strong Opinions, p.213.
> Â
> I must confess to a Rolfian penchant for borrowing Old Greek words,
> and although I would not go so far as to use, for instance,
> rhypokondylose, I have not been berated for another one which I
> sneaked into my posting of December 15th.
> Sciothery is skiothereia meaning "shadow-hunting" and skiotheron,
> literally shadow-hunter or catcher, is a sundial, a gnomon.
> Remember skiagraph in Pnin. By the way, both umbra and skiá have the
> meaning of "an uninvited guest."
> The Latin sciolus is unrelated as it is derived from scire, to know.
> I don't know the English, French, Dutch, Latin and Old
> Greek equivalents of the charming Portuguese siar, but Classical
> Arabic is rich in such animal as well as human motions, gestures,
> gaits, postures etc etc.; it even has a word for Gradus' "chaimpanzee
> slouch of his broad body and short hindlegs," Pale Fire, p.
> 277.  However, I am reminded of an observation in The Gift that when a
> bird (a crow?) alights it adjusts one wing.
> Â
> A. Bouazza.
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Vladimir Nabokov Forum [mailto:NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU]On
>> Behalf Of jansymello
>> Sent: 05 January 2007 03:06
>> To: NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU
>> Subject: Re: [NABOKV-L] Shadow Hunters & Sundials
>>
>> A. Bouazza wrote about "the recent sciothery or hunt for the
>> waxwing's shadow or, more exactly...", Â before recreating the shades
>> of Luzhin's nose creating a kind of sundial - as precise as if
>> it'd been inspired by Aqua's moustachioed clock.Â
>> He also mentions Proffer's study that creates a "a sciotherical list
>> of what he called "sun and shade images" as they occur in Lolita (and
>> elsewhere), Keys to Lolita, pp. 105-107 (and 121-124)", and
>> indicated pages 105-106 of this book, for the light they
>> shed on [the] enumeration of VN's tessellate and reticular imagery. "
>> Â <snip>
>> Jansy
>>
>> Search the Nabokv-L archive at UCSB
>>
>> Contact the Editors
>>
>> All private editorial communications, without exception, are read by
>> both co-editors.
>>
>> Visit Zembla
>>
>> View Nabokv-L PoliciesSearch the Nabokv-L archive at UCSB
>
> Contact the Editors
>
> All private editorial communications, without exception, are read by
> both co-editors.
>
> Visit Zembla
>
> View Nabokv-L Policies
>
"The most beautiful experience we can have is the mysterious ... the
fundamental emotion which stands at the cradle of true art and true
science." - Albert Einstein (1879-1955).
Search the archive: http://listserv.ucsb.edu/archives/nabokv-l.html
Contact the Editors: mailto:nabokv-l@utk.edu,nabokv-l@holycross.edu
Visit Zembla: http://www.libraries.psu.edu/nabokov/zembla.htm
View Nabokv-L policies: http://web.utk.edu/~sblackwe/EDNote.htm