Donaldson's obscure words- A task for the forum

Post by **Forestal** » Wed Oct 08, 2003 10:35 pm

nope, we're all word geeks

Post by **Roynish** » Wed Oct 08, 2003 10:50 pm

I just saw the Donaldson definition list. Its a good start but incomplete as the guy says. I think a useage sentence would be an essential part thats going to take a long time. But then hey we have till 2004 till the next chronicles. I mean just chip away at the thing but do it properly.
I think Landwasters idea is a good one but I guess the responsibility of compiling a complete document would have to rest with someone. MMm who would volunteer for such a task. The other way is just break up the alphabet just like the old OED did.
I think a format has to be agreed on and as I said a contextual sentence is essential otherwise its worth as an exercise borders on the nacreous and anoxiac and would produce feelings of crepuscular discomfiture.
And as a previous post stated Donaldson's use may vary from the stated definition (if you can find it that is lol).

Post by **Forestal** » Wed Oct 08, 2003 10:53 pm

roynish, you talk in a language that i dont understand

Post by **Landwaster** » Thu Oct 09, 2003 1:10 am

Yeah he's from Newcastle ...

*sigh* alright, I'll maintain the thread, but I won't do the submitting, everyone else can give me the terms. And feel free to suggest format changes.

Coming soon ...

Post by **W.B.** » Sat Oct 11, 2003 2:08 am

I kind of actually have a looong yet incomplete list of words that I gathered when I read the books last winter. Afterwards, when I finally looked up the Chronicles online last spring, I found just one 20-word list. I made my list into a webpage for fun since everyone who's read them has *something* to say about the Big Words.

I definitely don't want to impinge on the project the board is undertaking (great idea!), but thought I'd share my list, which is, anyway, different from what's being proposed on this board since the list I have is mostly just definitions and only some quotations when I could find them quicly and easily (I'm still transcribing my word list from paper to computer--I have no idea how many total I wrote down!--so it's by no means complete).

www.naples.net/~dsaddison/srdamd/

Post by **Landwaster** » Sat Oct 11, 2003 1:32 pm

Fantastic! More comprehensive than the new list we've been compiling! Perhaps we should pass the baton to you, W.B.!

Nice presentation, too, I like very much!

Post by **W.B.** » Sun Oct 12, 2003 3:38 am

Hmm, well, here are my thoughts.

You're very welcome to use the words from the list I have in a list to be housed in a thread on the mesage board (just don't use the actual html file

). My time is limited, so I really can't offer anything other than the list page as is (and I rather want to keep my page; I'm attached to the "ate my dictionary schtick"

). I intended the list to be a resource (and a little humorous), so it would be great to receive submissions if anyone wants to suggest words or quotations, and I'd be happy to give the Watch credit for aiding the list.

I think the idea of a sticky toipc is very good. For those wanting to discuss usage, it would be more interactive, since people would be posting their words, dictionary-to-Donaldson comparisons, and suchlike to a common thread. I meant the list to be basically just a list, so it's ill-equipped to be more than that. Therefore I'd advocate just using the list as a resource in the proposed sticky topic (if it's useful, go ahead, save the html file to your harddrive!), so that folks looking for a more in-depth discussion of words and usage would have their druthers and the interactive nature of the project would be maintained. That way, discussion wouldn't be stymied, and everyone could pretty much do what they've already been planning on doing!

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sun Oct 12, 2003 3:42 am

All I can say is hail to this board who have run with this idea which obviously has been thought of before. But now we have a sticky and an opportunity to discuss one of the most fascinating aspects of the books.

Post by **Roynish** » Sun Oct 12, 2003 3:46 am

Anonymous wrote:All I can say is hail to this board who have run with this idea which obviously has been thought of before. But now we have a sticky and an opportunity to discuss one of the most fascinating aspects of the books.

Roynish here and hail again. Suffered the roynish indignity of not being logged in.
Regards to Landwaster and all those that are contributing.

Post by **Landwaster** » Sun Oct 12, 2003 4:54 am

Well I like W.B.s system better now ... how can we integrate?

Post by **Dragonlily** » Sun Oct 12, 2003 11:10 pm

Farseer wrote:What would really palliate my unanodyned intellectual desuetude, and also be quite peachy, would be to do up a word list comparing the actual meanings of the words with what SRD appeared to be using them to mean. Sometimes he was spot on, sometimes the differences are quite subtle, once in a while he was right out in left field. (Or left out in right field, which is not quite the same thing.)

I think this is a fascinating subject, the shadings of meaning that SRD draws out of words that weren't actually meant to contain them. I used to do the same thing in my less-disciplined younger days. Somehow I think it works better for him.

Now that I have stopped rolling with laughter over Farseer's Blackadder vocabulary list -- hmm! -- I just looked back at it again -- ahem -- I'd really like to see a list of examples of this kind of stretched meanings. It reminds me of an impressionist painter, except with the painting all done inside SRD's/our heads. It's the subjectivity that makes his writing so great, so don't make too many rules.

Post by **moleary** » Tue Oct 14, 2003 5:13 pm

Just for you, Joy.

conflusticated: the scientifical verbalosity for being flustered, with smidget of frustration.

Post by **[Syl]** » Tue Oct 14, 2003 11:13 pm

Here's one... guerdon.

"Thomas Covenant" -- the voice was gentle -- "my unwilling son, I wish to give you a gift-a guerdon to speak my wordless gratitude. Your world runs by Law, as does mine. And by any Law I am in your debt. You have retrieved my Earth from the brink of dissolution. I could give you precious gifts a dozen times over, and still not call the matter paid."

Post by **Landwaster** » Wed Oct 15, 2003 12:02 am

W.B. wrote:Hmm, well, here are my thoughts.

You're very welcome to use the words from the list I have in a list to be housed in a thread on the mesage board (just don't use the actual html file ). My time is limited, so I really can't offer anything other than the list page as is (and I rather want to keep my page; I'm attached to the "ate my dictionary schtick" ). I intended the list to be a resource (and a little humorous), so it would be great to receive submissions if anyone wants to suggest words or quotations, and I'd be happy to give the Watch credit for aiding the list.

I think the idea of a sticky toipc is very good. For those wanting to discuss usage, it would be more interactive, since people would be posting their words, dictionary-to-Donaldson comparisons, and suchlike to a common thread. I meant the list to be basically just a list, so it's ill-equipped to be more than that. Therefore I'd advocate just using the list as a resource in the proposed sticky topic (if it's useful, go ahead, save the html file to your harddrive!), so that folks looking for a more in-depth discussion of words and usage would have their druthers and the interactive nature of the project would be maintained. That way, discussion wouldn't be stymied, and everyone could pretty much do what they've already been planning on doing!

Ok so you're saying you don't have time to keep your own list up to date with stuff found on this thread? Fair enough, so we'll continue growing the KW one ... and will eventually integrate what you've got as well. Appreciate the go-ahead!

It takes time to update and upkeep the KW list too, and it'll take a very long time for me to integrate W.B.'s list ... perhaps if anyone else wants to take a letter each of W.B.'s page and convert the entries to the format I'm using, and post them on the thread to make things easier?

Post by **Landwaster** » Wed Oct 15, 2003 12:03 am

moleary wrote:Just for you, Joy.

conflusticated: the scientifical verbalosity for being flustered, with smidget of frustration.

Did SRD use this?

Post by **Landwaster** » Wed Oct 15, 2003 12:05 am

Attn moderators, would it be possible to close this thread and sticky the other one? Also to have the last post on this thread link to the other. I can't seem to gain thread links as they all resolve to just www.kevinswatch.com

Post by **Landwaster** » Wed Oct 15, 2003 12:07 am

Oooh, 'open in new window' solved one of those dilemmas

Please note folks that the official thread for Obscure Words can be found at kevinswatch.ihugny.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=1696&start=0

Post by **Dragonlily** » Sat Oct 25, 2003 2:32 am

Landwaster wrote:
moleary wrote:Just for you, Joy.

conflusticated: the scientifical verbalosity for being flustered, with smidget of frustration.

Did SRD use this?

I think I can state with certainty that he did not. That has a Michelle flavor.

"SRD nutburger"?? Really, Michelle. <g>

Since I'm reading WOUNDED LAND:

His voice had the flat timbre of over-stressed cable in a high wind. He should have snapped long ago. ... A surge of darkness occluded his eyes. ...

Dread knurled his face.

knurl, from dictionary.com:
A knob, knot, or other small protuberance.
One of a series of small ridges or grooves on the surface or edge of a metal object, such as a thumbscrew, to aid in gripping.

Post by **Dragonlily** » Sun Dec 14, 2003 8:02 am

Requested bump

Post by **W.B.** » Mon Dec 15, 2003 5:26 am

Landwaster,
Just to let you know, I actually have been trolling around the submission page for new words to add to my list, I think I've basically got them, with maybe a few exceptions.... I expect I'll check in every so often and see if there's anything new. Not much lately, but I'll keep an eye on it.

Kevin's Watch

Kevin's Watch

Donaldson's obscure words- A task for the forum