Re: CHAT: what fruit bat?

On Tue, 1 Jan 2002, Padraic Brown wrote:

> Am 02.01.02, Tristan Alexander McLeay yscrifef:
>
> > On Tue, 1 Jan 2002, Anton Sherwood wrote:
> >
> > > Tristan Alexander McLeay wrote:
> > > > It is important to note, however, that the `spin year' is about 800
> > > > days long (but the effective calendar is only 400 because there are
> > > > two of each season a year, . . . ).
> > >
> > > oh dear, that makes too much sense.
> >
> > Should I assume that's sarcasm? There's a not-terribly-good explanation of
> > why in the companion.
>
> There's also an explanation in one of the early novels. I think
> the 'best' explanation for 800 days is simply the Importance
> placed in the Disc system on the number 7+1. :)
Yes, well that's obvious (to those who have read the book). I was thinking
more of the reason given.

> > The length spin year is the time it takes one point
> > of the disc to reach that point again (accounting for the fact that the
> > turtle is swimming forwards through space, of course). Apparently, this
> > means that there are two of each season per year...
>
> Well, there are two of each season because of the fact that any
> locality passes under the Sun's arc twice a year. I.e., there
> will be two times in 800 days that are close to sunrise/sunset
> and two times in 800 days that are 90 degrees away. Just like
> on a clock face, there are two times in an hour when the minute
> hand is under the 6-12 line and two times when it's at 90
> degrees.
>
> As far as I can tell, the only real difference between the two
> Summers is that in one you're over the sunrise; and during the
> other, you're over the sunset.
That rings a bell... but I've never understood what it means.

> I'd guess that during the one, mornings would be warmer; while
> evenings would be warmer in the other. On the other hand, the
> thaumic fields surrounding the Rim seem to have a warming effect
> on the environment, which might explain why the Rim is generally
> warmer than the Hub.
Thaumic fields are the answer to everything, aren't they? Any problem
experienced---thaumic fields. A bit like quantum ;)

> > ObConlang: is the Morporkian language in the Discworld series that looks
> > fairly much like Latin actually Latin? (I can't remember the name of by
> > heart, but I can remember reading about it, and, as one would expect, it's
> > given a Discworld history, but not a real-life one.)
>
> Some of it is, some doesn't seem to be. "Nvnc id vides, nvnc ne
> vides" seems pretty good. Other bits seem to be more ad hoc, as
> it were. It's called "Old Morporkian".
That could be why I didn't get it. No entry under `Old Morporkian',
`Morporkian' or `Language', I did a quick skim of `Ankh-Morpork' and
couldn't find it, but that's probably where it is. Thanks.

Tristan

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