Vladimir Nabokov

NABOKV-L post 0013065, Fri, 11 Aug 2006 14:03:47 -0400

Subject
Re: pruning dates
Date
Body
Partenocissus is a Latin name for creepers -- ivies of grape family
(Vitaceae), of Asian and North American origin.

In Russian it is called "devichii vinograd" (maiden's grape), which is
of course a connection both to maidens (or virginity) and Gradus!

It has been introduced in Russia as decorative ivy since 17th century,
and some species are very cold-tolerant.

And, to be sure, "Parthenocissus species are used as food plants by the
larvae <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larva> of some Lepidoptera
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lepidoptera> species including Brown-tail
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brown-tail> and The Gothic
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gothic_%28moth%29> ." (Wikipedia)


Victor Fet




________________________________

From: Vladimir Nabokov Forum [mailto:NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU] On
Behalf Of Nabokv-L
Sent: Friday, August 11, 2006 1:39 PM
To: NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU
Subject: [NABOKV-L] pruning dates



________________________________


Subject:
Re: [NABOKV-L] pruning dates
From:
"jansymello" <dorazander@terra.com.br> <mailto:dorazander@terra.com.br>
Date:
Fri, 11 Aug 2006 13:40:38 -0300
To:
"Vladimir Nabokov Forum" <NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU>
<mailto:NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU>

Dear Andrew,

I couldn't agree with you more - although I had not realized that the
' "Oh sure," with which Shade accompanies his remark about having words
perform like trained fleas was meant to be deflating' .

Indeed, no writer has "ability to rule absolutely over language" ,
inspite of all his training with rethorical devices and rhyme. Perhaps I
was only voicing the feeling that Nabokov has the ability to turn ME
into a circus flea when I consider his stelar words.

Take "Parthenocissus", for example, the name of the Main Hall at
Wordsmith, later named after Shade ( or so Kinbote tells us). A first
reading sugested something related to virgin birth and Narcissus. Then I
decided to check if "cissus" had any relation to what in Latin is
"cindere" ( or something similiar to this), that means " to split",
"bissect". It would be just wonderful if right at the begining of
Kinbote's comments he were to mention two or even a tripartite
character. Then I found out that "cissus" comes from the Greek "kissos"
and means... ivy!

Now I can imagine that Shade Hall has ivy-covered walls surrounding
"virginal scholars". But the ivy is also used to represent a reference
to a kind of "spiral" ( like the helicoid steps we find leading to the
library turret ) and gets novel exciting meanings in maths that I'm
unable to follow.

How about that for a performing flea, though?
Jansy


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