E. LeGuille

[SandChigger]

Huna ijabatak.

[chanilover]

Hi.

Your ultra-water is ours.

[E. LeGuille]

Huna ijabatak.

I don't know arabic at all, sandchigger. Just guessed. Don't know what you said.
But I guess I can take that as in you at least acknowledge me. That's a good thing.

[Freakzilla]

Huna ijabatak.

I don't know arabic at all, sandchigger. Just guessed. Don't know what you said.
But I guess I can take that as in you at least acknowledge me. That's a good thing.

It may be the nicest thing he ever says to you.

[SandChigger]

I don't know arabic at all

Don't feel bad, KJA obviously doesn't, either.

Do me a big favor, how about? Go ask Kevin where he (or Brian ... snicker) got the name Chisra Sala Muad'Dib in Winds of Dune. It's supposed to mean "Glorious Origin of Muad'Dib" "in the language of the desert", but I can't find any Arabic words that are even close to that with even remotely related meanings. (Plus, the word order is wrong for the construction expressing the supposed meaning.)

I'm really curious about whether he just pulled it out of his ass, as I suspect, or if he was cute and "clever" and found someone who knows some obscure dialect. Or if, when asked, he'll reuse the old "it was in Frank's notes" crap.

[E. LeGuille]

I did state my displeasure in the butchering of the language. My friend speaks Urdu(sp?), Hindi, and Arabic. Amazing guy, he could really teach me, I just never bothered to ask. It's such a beautiful language.

[SandChigger]

Are you saying there was discussion of that name (for Caladan) in particular, or just in general? (There hasn't been a lot of mangling of Fremen/Arabic as blatant as this up until now. The Muadru/Muad'Dib thing is probably the second worst recent one.)

Urdu and Hindi are basically the same Indic language, descended from Sanskrit. Urdu looks more to Persian and Arabic for its learned vocabulary, Hindi more to Sanskrit. (Kinda like English refers back to Latin & Greek.) It's all good.

One reason why I won't accept the "from FH's notes" explanation on this one is that FH used fairly standard Arabic as a base, applying his own sound changes and other alterations. (Not to mention that the whole idea of FH having Korba order a change to the name of Caladan "just like the faithful now call Arrakis 'Dune'" [or something like that: quoting from memory] is just ... silly.)

[E. LeGuille]

Well, I meant not so much butchering, but the lack of. Frank used it as a base of the canvas he painted. It was one of his colors. He knew what imagery and awe was sparked in the normal mind when it realized it was reading Arabic. He knew what it brough to the pallete, and through that he gave that same mysticism a meaning beyond just sci-fi, but a physical, cultural reality brought on by realistic settings in a future world so beyond us. The use of Arabic in his books brought a suttle, meditative moment to me. And then it also showed the raw, faithful tenacity of those who follow in the name of divinity, such as Paul was made to be.

[SandRider]

[E. LeGuille]

I used to know a girl named Lyqwidasia.
I wonder if her mother was thirsty at the time, or what.

[Tleszer]

Welcome!

[Eyes High]

Welcome on board. Hope you will enjoy it here. Look forward to getting to know you better.

Take care and have a safe day.

Later.