Subject: Sword with Terminus Est

From: Sridhar Dasari <sd1r+ at andrew.cmu.edu>
Date: Fri, 12 Apr 1991 21:53:04 +0000

I was just reading Gene Wolfe's Shadow of the Torturer.  The swrod with
the engraving called Terminus Est was mentioned.  The name rings a bell;
 where did I hear this name before?  The only famous swords I can think
of are Excalibur, and Roland's sword (name starts with a C, I think) 
Anyone who can help me on this one?

--------------------------
Sridhar H. Dasari
sd1r+ at andrew.cmu.edu

The sign of an educated person is how clear was the line in his mind
between what he knew and what he didn't know.
			- Irving Babbitt

An insufficient talent is the cruelest of all temptations.
			- anonymous

The average woman would rather have beauty than brains, because the
average man can see better than he can think.
			- Farrah Fawcett

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From: Klaus Ole Kristiansen <klaus at diku.dk>
Date: Tue, 16 Apr 1991 11:35:25 +0000

>Anyone who can help me on this one?

I can not help, but I have a question:

Wouldn't Terminus Es be a better name?

Klaus Kristiansen

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From: Steve Simmons <scs at lokkur.dexter.mi.us>
Date: Thu, 18 Apr 1991 17:09:27 +0000

>Wouldn't Terminus Es be a better name?

Wolfe is usually worth reading closely.  His translations from the Latin
appear to be quite deliberately suspect.  I pointed out several to a
latin-literate friend and she confirmed some significant differences
between the phrases given and how the characters translated them.  In
particular he translates "Terminus Est" as "The dividing line", but my
friend claims "this is the end" is a better translation.

Sorry, I can't bring other instances to mind.

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From: Paul DuBois <pdubois at tornado.berkeley.edu>
Date: Thu, 18 Apr 1991 19:24:44 +0000

>Wouldn't Terminus Es be a better name?
I don't know any Latin, but somewhere in the series they mention the 
translation of Terminus Est as being "The Dividing Line" for semi-obvious
reasons.

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From: Chris Adams <hamlet at chopin.udel.edu>
Date: Tue, 23 Apr 1991 17:07:13 +0000

>friend claims "this is the end" is a better translation.

Well, I can't really say how accurate Wolfe's other translations are, but
he's not as wrong as everyone keeps saying...
terminus, in addition to meaning "end," also can mean "border" or "boundry."
and what is a border if not a dividing line?
the est is definitely "is" and that's a little awkward, but he's not
THAT far off...

love and xxx,
chris