Monkey business

David Stockhoff · 12 Jul 2010, 23:31 · from 2010-July.txt.gz

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From: dstockhoff at verizon.net (David Stockhoff)
Date: Mon, 12 Jul 2010 19:31:59 -0400
Subject: (urth) Monkey business
In-Reply-To: <4C36AF78.1050605 at io.com>
References: <002a01cb1f1c$5485eec0$abce4a0c@rclackey>	<AANLkTingHEs7gyytu9OY8L-EYzXDxCE4Uj5wRs7CGMHm at mail.gmail.com>
	<4C36AF78.1050605 at io.com>
Message-ID: <4C3BA5EF.6050701 at verizon.net>

That doesn't seem to apply here. What function does a baboon have?

I always assumed "baboon" was meant--- a baboon is a dogheaded ape and 
was thought such by the Egyptians.

Jeff Wilson wrote:
> On 7/8/2010 11:31 PM, Mr Thalassocrat wrote:
>>
>>
>> On Fri, Jul 9, 2010 at 1:37 PM, Roy C. Lackey <rclackey at stic.net
>> <mailto:rclackey at stic.net>> wrote:
>>
>>     Okay, let's see if we can find some middle ground in all this monkey
>>     business.
>>
>>     That some characters in the Urth Cycle are compared, in some way, 
>> with
>>     monkeys is beyond dispute. Since Wolfe wrote it, I think almost 
>> everyone
>>     will agree that the simian markers signify *something*. What seems
>>     to be at
>>     issue is what that something is.
>>
>>     There are also some appearances of monkey-like creatures, 
>> including the
>>     dog-ape hybrid figure who looked in on Severian in the lazaret.
>>
>> ** Not very important, but I don't think a dog/ape hybrid is intended.
>> "Cynecephalus" (dog-headed) is a term which seems to get applied to
>> baboons - eg /Papio cynocephalus
>> //http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellow_Baboon// /
>
> Yes, but the translator says that animal names are given by role 
> rather than by taxonomy.
>
>

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