Re: Kassi Script

On Jun 13, 2004, at 10:30 AM, Andreas Johansson wrote:
> Quoting Steg Belsky <draqonfayir@...>:
>> On Jun 13, 2004, at 7:44 AM, Ray Brown wrote:
>>> On Saturday, June 12, 2004, at 12:14 , Barbara Barrett wrote:
>>>> Soory bout this; it got shuffled and I didn't notice till now. BB
>>> [snip]
>>>>> IIRC the Greeks had it both ways - attributing letters both to the
>>>>> god
>>>>> Hermes/Thoth and to an historical personage who's name escapes me
>>>>> for the
>>>>> moment ;-).
>>>
>>> Kadmos, king of Thebes (i.e. the Thebes in Boiotia, Grrece, not the
>>> Thebes
>>> in Egypt) - he was credited with introducing Phoenician letters to
>>> Greece.
>>>
>>> Ray
>
> Was Kadmos an actual historical figure?
>
>> Hmm... coincidence that the Semitic root /qdm/ can mean "ancient,
>> east,
>> forward"?
>
> I find the combination of the meanings "ancient" and "forward" most
> counterintuitive, unless a Trollish perception of time is supposed. Is
> there an explanation for it?
>                                                          Andreas
Well, i first heard the connection "past"~"front" in the novel _Congo_
by what's-his-name who wrote _Jurassic Park_, where the sign-language
speaking gorilla (Amy?) was described as habitually looking over her
shoulder when expecting someone, even if she was already facing the
door.  There was something else about it that made "past"="front" and
"future"="back", but it mostly seemed to have to do with the idea that
you can *see* (=remember) the past, as if it's in front of you; you
*can't* see the future, so it's like something behind you that's
sneaking up on you.

I used to think that this was cool and exotic until i realized that the
human languages i know do the same thing:
"Jon is waiting on line right after Jane."
"After the party let's go hang out."

"What is this shiny piece of carrot i see before me?"
"Before you can play you have to do your homework."

The same things can be done with the Hebrew terms |lifney| (before) and
|ahharey| (after).


-Stephen (Steg)
  "You will begin to touch heaven, Jonathan, in the moment that
   you touch perfect speed.  And that isn't flying a thousand
   miles an hour, or a million, or flying at the speed of light.
   Because any number is a limit, and perfection doesn't have
   limits.  Perfect speed, my son, is being there."
      ~ _jonathan livingston seagull_ by richard bach

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