Lem's neologisms and wordplays

[Pekka]

Coincidentally, in Finnish "korva" means "ear". This is the only Finnish-Polish language joke I know - a Finnish tourist on the street in Krakow sees a beautiful lady drop an earring, and not knowing any languages he helpfully points at her head and says "korva!"  - and of course gets hospitalized...

Sorry, I couldn´t resist this:   you know my name:  Pekka R.
Once I was attending a conference in the US and every time I passed a certain security guard he read my tag and smiled very much. I was confused, before I learned the american slang word that can be confused with my first name + r.
After learning this I started to say passing the guard:  "Hello again, the big one is here".

Pekka

[NIKA]

At least the Russians have a saying "as heavy a drinker as a tailor" but probably it is not this...
 

Not as a tailor, as a shoe-maker.

[maziek]

are there any hidden meanings buried in the names of Solaris characters?

I can't find any. They are not Polish nicks, names or surnames. They are somehow cosmopolitan

Not as a tailor, as a shoe-maker.

In Polish we say "shoe-makers' monday" . On mondays shoe-makers used to suffer week-ends.

[ssipila]

Well, I try to make a one a day.

Waiting eagerly for more

[maziek]

Ok, i've read KOBYSZCZE from the beginning to the end. I don't think there are very much neologisms in this story. As a matter of fact, it is written in some kind archaic language, what is an obvious author manner. To be true it is double archaic now, bacause some words, which were up to date those days are not today.

Well, best for me is Billion Cykszpir - William Shakespeare of course. Well, Billion is - as I think - to amplify. Cykszpir is an hybrid CY-fra (digit) and Shakespeare in Polish (Szek-SPIR). The whole word (CYKSZPIR) is some kind funny, bacause the word CYK has a wery vide meaning - basicly the sound, that makes clock (cyk, cyk - like tic-tac), but also a toast (let's CYK - like let's drink, or let's go ahead) and so on, and so on... .

The second part of the word (SZPIR) (pronounce like fre(SH PIR)x sound a little like a russian word, what makes it more funny (at least for Polish reader).

All other neologism are simply made of latin words (Felicjanci - people of felicyty, Angstremkowie - people Angstrem-sized, some words made of "hedo-" etc...)

The last funny is ZERWIŚRUBA (what Trurl says about Klapaucjusz) made of two words - ZERWać (to break down) and ŚRUBA (screw).

[NIKA]

About "kobyszcze".I think "szcze" can means "puppy".Care-free merry puppy.

[Terminus]

Well, sounds interesting, however I don't think that szcze was supposed to mean anything in particular. In Polish you can easily find another words, like Chłopiszcze, which simply means Chłop (i.e. peasant) and has definitely nothing to do with pooping of any kind. In my opinion it's simply a form of augmentative.

[maziek]

About "kobyszcze".I think "szcze" can means "puppy".Care-free merry puppy.

As far as I remember word-ending "-szcze" is an archaic remaining - it comes out of pre-slavic language, which is not existing any more, but some words are in use in todays slavic languages. "-szcze" means, that something is bigger than usual - SIEDLISKO - settlement, but SIEDLISZCZE - big settlement. I don't think this has any connotation to puppy .

[ssipila]

Ok, i've read KOBYSZCZE from the beginning to the end. I don't think there are very much neologisms in this story. As a matter of fact, it is written in some kind archaic language, what is an obvious author manner. To be true it is double archaic now, bacause some words, which were up to date those days are not today.

Thanks very much, this is good to know.

Well, best for me is Billion Cykszpir - William Shakespeare of course. Well, Billion is - as I think - to amplify. Cykszpir is an hybrid CY-fra (digit) and Shakespeare in Polish (Szek-SPIR). The whole word (CYKSZPIR) is some kind funny, bacause the word CYK has a wery vide meaning - basicly the sound, that makes clock (cyk, cyk - like tic-tac), but also a toast (let's CYK - like let's drink, or let's go ahead) and so on, and so on...

Heh, the German translator has used "Billion Schlecksbier". Schleck means "treat, delicacy" or refers to the verb "lick" and Bier of course is beer.  It doesn't have the allusions to cyphers or clockwork, but this wordplay is just for fun anyway. In Finnish it will be more difficult to play with the name William Shakespeare though... maybe one could use "2-pi-r" for Shakespeare as it's prononuced "kaks-pii-r" in Finnish, but then there's no allusion at all to drinking...

All other neologism are simply made of latin words (Felicjanci - people of felicyty, Angstremkowie - people Angstrem-sized, some words made of "hedo-" etc...)

This is the same in the German translation... this kind of wordplay isn't very difficult for the translator.

The last funny is ZERWIŚRUBA (what Trurl says about Klapaucjusz) made of two words - ZERWać (to break down) and ŚRUBA (screw).

OK, stuff like that isn't very difficult to translate either - it's just for fun, so it's ok to take a bit of liberty and to create a funny equivalent.

Thanks again, this was very useful. I hope to hear about "Edukacja Cyfrania" and "Powtórka" too. I'm especially interested because Mr. Lem said in an interview in the mid-80's (http://www.depauw.edu/sfs/interviews/lem40interview.htm) that "Edukacja Cyfrania" has never been successfully translated - he said it has some specific message that is apparent to Polish readers only. (Since then a full German translation has been made, but I don't know if it properly conveys this specific message).

[Pekka]

The last funny is ZERWIŚRUBA (what Trurl says about Klapaucjusz) made of two words - ZERWać (to break down) and ŚRUBA (screw).

Mental or physical breakdown or both?

[Pekka]

As far as I remember word-ending "-szcze" is an archaic remaining - it comes out of pre-slavic language, which is not existing any more, but some words are in use in todays slavic languages. "-szcze" means, that something is bigger than usual - SIEDLISKO - settlement, but SIEDLISZCZE - big settlement. I don't think this has any connotation to puppy .

Lisko means reptila in Finnish

[Pekka]

Lisko means reptila in Finnish
 

Sorry, of course reptile...

[maziek]

Mental or physical breakdown or both?

 

physical, the whole neologism is the equivalent for fumbler, bad specialist, etc. (perhaps You can use it describing Your car's mechanic for instance )

[maziek]

Lisko means reptila in Finnish

Yama means mountain in Japanese, yama in Polish means hole in the ground .

[Pekka]

Yama means mountain in Japanese, yama in Polish means hole in the ground .

So is Yamaha a mountain-climber?