ghosts, flames, and fox fire; was: a bit of...

----- Original Message -----
From: "Ray Brown" <ray.brown@...>

> On Monday, November 15, 2004, at 06:09 , H. S. Teoh wrote:
Someone wrote:
>>> Be warned: this is a bit of a flame.
>>
>> Ahh, another chance to make use of my good ole flamesuit.
>
> I put mine away after leaving Auxlang a few years back. I am not sure
> where it is at the moment. Looks as tho I might have to get it out again
> *sigh*.
Put it away! Put it away!  Ray, Teoh, you're both Titans on this list.  That
little firecracker could hardly singe your toenails! :)  He's been
thoroughly doused already, and I don't even think he's reading these.  If he
is, he's delighted to have started a reaction.  "Be warned, be WAAARNED..."
That's the flamer's motive.  Now wouldn't it be something if someone flamed,
and NOBODY answered?  Just went on, business as usual?

(I hid my flamesuit in Tatari Faran, so I'm not exempt, but I have to agree
with Roger Mills.  Is it worth blocking the list over this?)

Let's put flames to good use here:  how many of you in your conlangs and
concultures have a word for electricity?  Is it related to fire in any way?
or lightning?  What about fox fire? methane gas?  are ghosts a kind of cold
fire?  What about dynamite?  Anybody have language for firecrackers?
fireworks?

In Teonaht legend, a ghost is the reverse of a flame, a cold flame--fleht
froho--a column of cold fire, no heat to animate it, sucking warmth out of a
house in its self-consumption, it's refusal to move into the light.  As
Milton might say, "darkness visible."

Sally

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