Tock's Scrapbook - Eccentric Ramblings

[Minerva Agatha Zipporah]

Hello! Today I would like to discuss etymology, the study of words, their origins, and their evolution over time (not to be confused with eNtOmology, the study of insects). As a Writing Arts and Communication major in college, etymology is somewhat of a hobby of mine. Today's topic: a word that 'shouldn't' exist in Mizahar: 'Guy' Now, before I continue, let me clarify that I'm not trying to be a nitpicker and discourage the use of this, or any other word. This is purely for amusement purposes, because I find it funny when I look into a word and realize, "Hey, this word wouldn't exist outside of Earth." Guy was originally derived from Guy Fawkes. Historians might recognize him as the terrorist who attempted to blow up British Parliament on the 5th of November, 1605. A rather famous poem was written about the event, which many of you may recognize: Remember, remember the Fifth of November, the Gunpowder Treason and Plot, I see no reason why Gunpowder Treason should ever be forgot. Guy Fawkes, t’was his intent to blow up King and Parliament. Three score barrels were laid below to prove old England’s overthrow; By God’s mercy he was catch’d with a dark lantern and lighted match. Holloa boys, holloa boys, let the bells ring. Holloa boys, holloa boys, God save the King! Hip hip hoorah! Those who don't study history may still recognize this from the movie "V for Vendetta." The main character wore a Guy Fawkes mask. So, how does this lead to the word "guy" in our language? In England, there is a holiday called "Guy Fawkes Day." In short summary, it is a celebration if the King of England's survival of the attack. Among other traditions, it came to include the burning of an effigy: a doll that represented Guy Fawkes himself. It was usually made by school children, and often dressed in rather odd clothing. Over time, people began referring to any strangely dressed man as a "Guy", in reference to these Guy Fawkes dolls. Eventually, the word came to be used simply for men in general. Thus this word is steeped in English history, and theoretically wouldn't exist in a fantasy world like Mizahar. Though it has been suggested that Mizahar had a fellow of its own, one "Guy Bawkes," who attempted an attack on the Suvan Empire, with similar results. So... The next time you're writing or reading a post with the word "guy" in it, take a moment to remember Guy Bawkes, without whom that word wouldn't exist!

[Nira'lia]

<3 *sits on your sparkly new scrapbook*

To be fair, all English words wouldn't exist outside of Earth... unless the aliens speak the same language as us.

...sarcasm aside, that was a pretty interesting first post. I never knew about that, though I have always wanted a Guy Fawkes mask. Etymology is fun, and I shall be looking forward to more of these from you.

Holloa Tock, holloa Tock!

[Minerva Agatha Zipporah]

LOL <3 Nira sweetie *hugs* Well, if we get picky, then I could say there would be no direct translation from the English word into the Mizaharan equivalent But then we're just wrestling with semantics. And yes, expect more eccentric ramblings from lil ol' me! ^.^ Tee hee...

[Eridanus]

We could look at it this way. Common and all other tongue in Miz are what they are - different languages. However, in order for us to interpret the world, we treat Common as English. It's the device used by most fantasy genres set in different worlds or universes

[Minerva Agatha Zipporah]

Dyslexia For anyone unfamiliar with this condition, here is an article on it. In short summary, Dyslexia is a learning disability that affects a person's ability to read. It can include things like seeing words backwards or out of order. I have a mild form of Dyslexia that gives me trouble reading. I've found that I read a great deal more slowly than most people seem to. I also commonly mix up the order of numbers and letters. To an extent, our brains have an "auto-correcting" function when it comes to reading. When you see a word you're very familiar with, such as "President" or "Automobile", your brain recognizes the "whole" word at once, interprets it, and moves on. Your brain doesn't need to read each individual letter to recognize it as a whole (just like your brain can recognize a whole face without focusing individually on the eyes, nose, or mouth). However, a word you're not as used to like "Egalitarian" or "Phonological", you might have to slow down and sound the word out. I need to sound words out more often than an average person, even if I am familiar with them. A good example would be a word like "Autobiography". I cannot read it without breaking it down in my head to "Auto/bio/graphy" (and I pronounce the end "graph-ey" instead of "grafee" like its supposed to be. I have a great deal of trouble with new words or names. I cannot get my head around "Eridanus"'s name. Every single time I read it, I see it spelled "Eriadnus". Even though I know that's wrong, I need to stop, look back, and re-read it to get it right. Don't even get me started on "Sashashahahsakilla" or however her name is said Today's "Word that shouldn't exist in Mizahar": "Geez". Derived from "Jesus" when used as an exclamation. Obviously wouldn't exist on a world where the Gods are different. Perhaps there are some God names on Mizahar that could be shortened into an exclamatory word? I'll start by suggesting "Rhyz!" for Rhysol. The abbreviation would come from people cutting themselves short because they don't want to anger the God by shouting his name in vain. And over time the abbreviated version would spread and become a popular term around the world.

[Minerva Agatha Zipporah]

Songs I've been on something of a songwriting kick lately. It's been about three months or so now. Some of you might have noticed I've written quite a few bawdy drinking songs in Tock's threads. Yet those aren't the only songs I've been writing. For one of my school projects (I'm a Writing Arts major in college, so I write lots of stories for classes), I ended up writing a musical. I'm still working on it, and maaaaaaaaybe if I'm lucky, one day it'll get published. Here's an excerpt: (Out of context, this might not make much sense. Short version? Antonia is maybe crazy and thinks the musical is really happening) “Lost Nocturne” Performed by: Antonia Giapelli and Ava Fiora Antonia: “Am I lost now in this night under the clouds Have I lost the one I once sought to make proud Am I gone, my mind escaped ne’er to be found Why didn’t I keep my feet firm on the ground?” (She strolls forward, her hands clutching at the sides of her head, her hair clinging damp to her face). Antonia: “How can I now face this deep dark tragedy How can I know it’s real if I cannot see I saw it once, and thought it simply cannot be Now again, I stride forward, desper-ately.” (She stops by her father’s corpse, kneeling beside it in the rain.) Antonia: “When last I lost you, I cried out while you fell All so fast, there was no time to say farewell Yet now I am forced to once more face this hell I cried “Don’t go!” and yet I could already tell What foolish fancy led me to yet believe As I lay there bleeding and clung to your sleeve That my words could make it so you wouldn’t leave? Now all that’s left is for me to start to grieve.” (Ava arrives from below deck, a spotlight lighting upon her as she ascends the stairs.) Ava: “Now, my love, you must not let go of your hope I know the loss so fresh must make it hard to cope Yet before the next night comes you won’t need to mope The men who did this shall be hanging from a rope.” (Ava crosses the deck to kneel behind Antonia, wrapping her arms around her.) Antonia: “Even as you kneel here underneath moonbeams I can’t help but wonder how it all must seem It aches so badly that I just want to scream I fear that soon I shall wake up from this dream Yet when I wake, somehow I know, he’ll still be dead It matters not whether I ever rise from bed Awake or sleeping I just hope to be led Back from the madness that I feel inside my head.” Ava: “My dear, I know that you say it’s hard to feel What is lost inside your mind and what is real But you have to know that it is here we kneel On this ship, just listen to the steamboat wheel.” (Antonia shakes her head, leaning back against Ava and leaning her head on her lover’s shoulder.) Antonia: “You say that now, yet I know it won’t be long Until the moment we are forced to end this song And when the end comes will you stay or come along? I’d rather stay here with my love, all night long For when I wake I know that you will say to me That what is real is only that which I see The stage, the lights, and the actors all will be That in which you would then ask me to believe So how can I find hope, when I don’t even know Whether this is real, or whether it’s a show? When the stage lights fade out, and we lose their glow Will we hear applause, or will we never know?” Ava: “Antonia I know that you must feel lost So much has happened, and it seems your mind’s the cost Yet while in the storm of turmoil you may feel tossed And while in between two worlds you may feel crossed You must know that no matter what else may be I am here, and I promise I’ll always be Just search your heart, and know that it still soars free In any world, I have no doubt that you love me.” (They embrace, and sing now in unison.) Ava & Antonia: “Wishing, hoping, here we are in the dark night Without so much as just a single guiding light Do the angels watch us from their distant flight? Can we see the truth and somehow know it’s right? It doesn’t matter, whether truth is what we see All we need to go on is just you and me Whether it be holding on so desperately Or waiting for the moment that we will be free With you, my love, I know I can face anything And from our souls and from our hearts do we now sing And let our song into the night now clearly ring For we cannot be torn apart, we fear nothing.” (The rain stops, the spotlights fade, and the curtain falls.) Today's "Word that shouldn't exist in Mizahar": "Panic" -A sudden overpowering fright. From Pan, a greek god who could cause contagious, groundless fear in herds and crowds, or in people in lonely spots. Here's a Wikipedia Excerpt: Disturbed in his secluded afternoon naps, Pan's angry shout inspired panic (panikon deima) in lonely places. Following the Titans' assault on Olympus, Pan claimed credit for the victory of the gods because he had frightened the attackers. In the Battle of Marathon (490 BC), it is said that Pan favored the Athenians and so inspired panic in the hearts of their enemies, the Persians.

[Minerva Agatha Zipporah]

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[Nira'lia]

Rd tht ntl th nd bt my brn s nw mltng.

[Minerva Agatha Zipporah]

So, I'd like to talk a bit about Conflict. Kaeson brought up a subject today that I'd like to expand upon. Lots of us, from time to time, fall into a rut. Sometimes it can be just for a certain thread, sometimes for a whole character. Often people don't know what to do to get out of it. My suggestion, and what I always try to do to help others, is to provide conflict. Conflict adds tension, energy, and drama to a story, which keeps things interesting. Without conflict, a story becomes stale. I've had some problems here and there threading in Mura for just that reason; the setting itself generally feels so peaceful and good, that there's nothing to fuel the action of a story. You can only write so many posts collecting seashells on a beach before the story loses its energy... Sometimes when a thread needs more energy, I'll throw in a plot twist. A bar fight, a sick kid, a sudden injury (notice how often Tock gets hurt?). It helps a lot that Tock is such a volatile character, and can create tension by getting mad at someone, yelling at them, or getting physical (though she's slowly doing less of that as she grows and develops). One of my favorite threads ever was Mad Science, with Valerius Nitrozian. The reason the thread was so great is that Val and Tock hate each other. They don't seem to see eye to eye on a single thing in life. The entire thread was filled with them arguing, insulting each other, and just not getting along at all. I was VERY glad to get a second thread with Val. Our natural inclination is to want our characters to get along. But when people get along, there is no tension or conflict. Some of the best threads come when characters get into fights. Some of the best threads come when characters are working against each other. Don't just seek out plots where your characters are happy and making friends. Seek out enemies. It can add a lot of depth, danger, and dimension to your stories.

[Sylkra]

Oh, Minerva! I love your scrapbook! Just like I love you! in a friendly way. I remember the day you joined, and you were the newest character. I remember our first thread, "One Man's Trash is Another's Treasure" and sometimes I just want to cry. I love RPing with you and always have, and always will. You are really on a roll with your character, you always have been, and posting a million posts a day. And you came here after me, and already have 1000 posts! I have around 150. *Blushes* but you have more time than I do. Anyway, gratsnbats on getting to the 1000 posts mark, you deserve it. With All The Love I can Muster, Sylkra