Wolfe, "Book of the New Sun"

Steve Simmons · 11 Aug 1992, 15:52 · from sf-lovers.1992.mbox

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From: scs at lokkur.dexter.mi.us (Steve Simmons)
Subject: Re: Wolfe, "Book of the New Sun"
Date: 11 Aug 92 15:52:09 GMT
Message-ID: <sflovers-v17-416-5 at digest.sf-lovers>
X-Digest-Issue: SF-LOVERS Digest V17 #416
X-Urthmirror-Source: https://archive.org/details/sf-lovers-digest-vol-17b

lindsay+ at cs.cmu.edu (Donald Lindsay) writes:
>The language: all words *are used correctly* if your idea of "correct"
>allows obsolete words and obsolete usages. There are no made-up words.
>Period.

One cautionary note - when the characters translate a phrase or name
for you, do *not* take their words for it.  My latin is extremely
rusty, but I spotted several cases where there were distinct and
meaningful differences.

One that has always stuck in my head is "Terminus Est."  Severian is told
(and believes) that it means "the dividing line", presumably between life
and death (or at least, head and shoulders).  A more accurate translation
would be "this is the end."  A small but distinct difference.

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