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Conference noted::sf

Title:Arcana Caelestia
Notice:Directory listings are in topic 2
Moderator:NETRIX::thomas
Created:Thu Dec 08 1983
Last Modified:Thu Jun 05 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:1300
Total number of notes:18728

328.0. "Wolfian Words" by FORTY2::ROBERTS (Ban slogans!) Wed Apr 16 1986 08:10

    Can anyone help with the derivations of the words used in the Book
    of the New Sun for currency e.g. _aes_, _orichalk_, etc.
    
    Nigel
T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name		DateLines
328.1don't they like gold?SCOTCH::FUSCIDEC has it (on backorder) NOW!Sat Apr 19 1986 22:0522
From _Webster's_New_International_Dictionary_, G.&C. Merriam Co., 1938:

AES (ez {e wears a macron}), n. [L. See ORE.] _Rom.Antiq._ Bronze or
	copper; hence, anything made of bronze or copper, esp. money.

ORICHALCH (or'i.kalk {all vowels short}), n. [L. _orichalcum_, fr. Gr.
	_oreichalkos_, fr. _oros_ mountain + _chalkos_ brass.]  Orig.,
	some yellow metallic substance, considered precious by the
	ancient Greeks; later, brass alloyed with zinc.


Of these, I've only seen "orichalcum" used once before:

	In the first place, they dug out of the earth whatever was to
	be found there, mineral as well as metal, and that which is now
	only a name and was then something more than a name, orichalcum,
	was dug out of the earth . . .  PLATO's _Critias_.


Okay, now let's see if you get any answers from your SF_LOVERS posting 8^)!

Ray
328.2Now who can tell me what chalcedony is?FORTY2::ROBERTSDTN 830-4800 Mon Apr 21 1986 07:179
    Thanks for the definitions, and especially the quote. I did get
    one mail message from the SF-LOVERS posting, but not nearly so
    detailed.
    
    If you want to know why I was interested in these particult words,
    send me mail.
    
    Regards, Nigel.
328.3chalcedony \kal-SED-en-ee\PROSE::WAJENBERGMon Apr 21 1986 09:122
    "A translucent quartz that is commonly pale blue or gray with nearly
    waxlike luster.  --  chalcednoic \kal-se-DAN-ik\ adj"
328.4orichalkumCACHE::MARSHALLbeware the fractal dragonThu Jul 10 1986 10:469
    reply .1:
    
    brass alloyed with zinc??
    
    brass IS an alloy; of copper and zinc
                      
    bronze is an alloy of copper and tin (BTW)
    
    sm
328.5Endangered SpeciesAUSTIN::MACNEALTue Apr 04 1989 15:165
    I just bought a copy of Wolfe's new book, a collection of short
    fiction entitled "Endangered Species".  I've never read anything
    by him before, so I'm looking forward to discovering a new author.
    If I like it, perhaps I'll pick up some of his earlier work which
    have been mentioned here.