Re: CHAT: what fruit bat?

----- Original Message -----
From: "Tristan Alexander McLeay" <anstouh@...>
To: <CONLANG@...>
Sent: Tuesday, January 01, 2002 10:53 PM
Subject: Re: 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.
>
I believe it's called Tsortian.  It is latin, yet with some differences, for
instance 'tele' is the verb, to see. and 'porte' to go, therefore teleport =
I see It's gone.

On the other hand, a much more interesting language, rat, has one
discernable word, rllk, which functions as verb and a noun. Meaning 'Sex',
'to have sexual intercourse. Only, you don't have it, you do it.

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