Sca Speak

I. Marc Carlson IMC at vax2.utulsa.edu
Thu Jul 13 15:42:23 PDT 1995


<Stefan il Rous<mark=harris at quickmail.sps.mot.com>>
Subject: Re: Sca-speak

>Dining Attendant  Server                 Steward, Sewer, Carver,
                                         Cellarer
>What's wrong with "server"? To me, it certainly doesn't clash like
>the fantasy terms.
It's come up in coversations on the topic more than once.  Personally I
don't have anything against it at all, but this isn't supposed to be
just the Diarmuit's Pet Peeve List :)

>Carver and Cellarer describe much more specialized positions.
True.

>Sewer??
I can't help it if they sometimes used what seem like stupid terms in
period, although it does serve to highlight that sometimes the period term
is not always going to appeal to modern sensibilities.

>>First Aid Attendent Chirurgeon           Barber
>Again, a big clash with a modern term.
Certainly.  Of course "Hospitaler" is appropriate, other than being the
name of a knightly Order (Not to mention an alternate name used for a
totally different office).  Physician is completely in apropriate, however,
not merely for it's modern connotations, but because in Period, as I mentioned
elsewhere, Physicians practiced medicine from a distance, by prescription
and spell.

Barbitonsores is, I believe, the Medieval Latin term for the Monk whoi shaved
the tonures, who took over the job of bleeding the sick (and later commited
acts of surgery).  Of course, the Byzantines and Islamic Empires had differing
forms of medical practice.

Hence it may well be that Chirurgeon is the best term for that office.

>What's wrong with "feastgear"? It doesn't clash in my mind.
It's a bit jargonish.  I may wear a hat or a cap, but I haven't worn
headgear since the last time I was in uniform.  OTOH, I've been known
to keep my "marriage tackle" in my codpeice, so I'm curious what the
"period" terminology for the material is.

>>Clothing/Costume  Garb                   Clothing
>I think "garb" is fine. It certainly beats "costume".
True. I personally prefer clothing. (i.e., Garb need not be the *only* term
to be used).

>>Normal            Mundane                Futuristic?
>I see no problem with mundane. There is no period equivalent. "Futuristic"
>is as cutsey as "farspeaker" and "dragon".
Particularly since I put it there as a joke :)  And, as with the others, were
it somehow (Heaven forbid) find acceptance, it would get *really* old.

There *has* been some suggestion though that "mundane" may not be either
the best or most polite way to refer to the non-Medieval people and items
that we occasionaly interact with.

-------------------------------------------
<Catherine<n.b-reid at mail.utexas.edu (Nancy Bradford-Reid)>>
>Garb in period more accurately refers to a shock of wheat.  Gear, believe
>it or not, is the more period term for clothing.
Really?  Hmm.  Interesting.

>I have a problem with "normal," as if what we are doing is somehow
>"abnormal"?  Maybe unusual, out of the ordinary, but not abnormal (well,
>there are some...).
As I said, it *was* a joke...

>everyday, modern, 20th century might all be acceptable.
It sounds good.

"Mihi Satis Apparet Propter     Diarmuit Ui Dhuinn
  Se Ipsum Appetenda Sapientia"	University of Northkeep
 -- St. Dunstan			Northkeepshire, Ansteorra
				(I. Marc Carlson/IMC at vax2.utulsa.edu)




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