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Posted: Wed Sep 07, 2011 12:02 pm
by Khazduk
Semi off-topic again: How good a name is Syr Embattled? 11/10?
I think someone else already made this remark somewhere, but it's worth mentioning at least twice.
Posted: Wed Sep 07, 2011 12:08 pm
by shadowbinding shoe
What does Syr mean? Is it just a play on Sir or does it have a meaning?
Posted: Wed Sep 07, 2011 12:20 pm
by Khazduk
I suppose it is a pun on sir, and nothing more than that. But it's still totally ace.
Possible explanations from the top of my head, all highly unlikely, I'm just bored at work:
Several central Asian rivers have names that start wit Syr-, like Syr-Darja.
Something to do with Syria? Is president Bashar informed?
Present tense of sewing in Swedish. Probably no time for embroidery what with being Embattled and all.
My Russian is limited to about 50 words in all, but I think it might mean "butter" over there.
Sorry, it's a really slow day.
Posted: Wed Sep 07, 2011 2:27 pm
by earthbrah
Actually, CыP is Russian for cheese.
Posted: Wed Sep 07, 2011 2:33 pm
by wayfriend
Since Donaldson seems to go for sound-oriented connections (Mahrtiir/martyr), I would speculate that Syr is meant to sound like Seer.
Which may refer to Sear as in scorch, or Seer as in oracle.
Posted: Wed Sep 07, 2011 2:36 pm
by Khazduk
Argh, of course! Seer/sear, there we probably have it. Good call!
Edit: and of course with SRD being who he is, there seems to be even more to it...
www.thefreedictionary.com/sere
Posted: Thu Sep 08, 2011 4:51 am
by shadowbinding shoe
How do burnt/withered and future-sighted fit this guy?
Posted: Thu Sep 08, 2011 6:59 am
by Khazduk
Sorry if I was unclear, as I said it was a really slow day at work until some stuff showed up right before it was time to go home, and so my line of reasoning was cut short.
At first I was thinking sear + seer = burnt down and maimed forests + the forestals beeing able to envision the ultimate fate of their forests.
I would have settled for that, but then I found the word "sere".
sere 2 (sîr)
n.
The entire sequence of ecological communities successively occupying an area from the initial stage to the climax.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[From series.]
The great forests could surely be seen as seres under attack (aka embattled)? This surely makes the name Syr Embattled even better.
Posted: Thu Sep 08, 2011 6:26 pm
by shadowbinding shoe
Khazduk wrote:Sorry if I was unclear, as I said it was a really slow day at work until some stuff showed up right before it was time to go home, and so my line of reasoning was cut short.
At first I was thinking sear + seer = burnt down and maimed forests + the forestals beeing able to envision the ultimate fate of their forests.
I would have settled for that, but then I found the word "sere".
sere 2 (sîr)
n.
The entire sequence of ecological communities successively occupying an area from the initial stage to the climax.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[From series.]
The great forests could surely be seen as seres under attack (aka embattled)? This surely makes the name Syr Embattled even better.
Actually that means the progressive development of an ecology from nothing (a land after a fire) to a rich stable ecology (such as a forest)
I'm not sure if that fits the story of the One Forest remnants.