[Bards] Dragon vs. Carriage (was Sorry to ask)
Jay Rudin
rudin at ev1.net
Fri Jul 27 10:17:29 PDT 2007
Michael Silverhands wrote:
> Am I the only one who cringes when people use fantasy terms when
> perfectly period terms are available for use?
No, it bothers me too, but occasionally we wind up having to learn
something from it.
> For example, some folks say "smalls" (which in period meant
> "underwear") when "children" is a perfectly period term. "Has anyone
> seen my smalls? They've gone missing!" <- takes on an entirely
> different meaning, eh?
You know, I used to make this mistake, too, until I looked it up.
Unfortunately, the word "small" was also used to mean children from the
1200s to the 1500s, according to the OED. Wyclif's Bible gives Matthew 18,
6 as "who so sclaundrith oon of these smale, that bileuen in me." It was
children, not underwear, that believed.
I don't like the usage, but I can't deny its authenticity.
> Likewise "dragon" instead of "car", "wagon" or "carriage"? It makes
> me feel like I've accidentally wandered into a fantasy convention
> instead of a group of historical re-enactors. I keep expecting to see
> someone in a Harry Potter outfit, with all this talk about sick
> dragons... ;-)
Agreed. Travelling to tourneys, and having children, are not new ideas.
They happened in the Middle Ages and Renaissance as well.
> Not meaning to put anyone down... just trying to point something out,
> hoping to change it, hoping to lift us all up (as a community)...
>
> I know that this is a modern, informal message board that has little
> (if anything) to do with the atmosphere we strive to create at
> events... but, still... *cringe*
Actually, it is important to catch it here. If it had nothing to do with
how people spoke at events, they would say "car". In fact, the only reason
to call it a dragon on a list is because that's what they would call it at
an event.
Robin of Gilwell / Jay Rudin
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