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    Greyhawk Meta-Text Onomastics
    Posted on Sun, October 26, 2003 by Trickster
    tzelios writes "A scholarly work draws from references. Take a look at the canonic Greyhawk meta-text translations, useful for both writers and readers alike. Discover the secrets behind the relations between Greyhawk sages, cartographers, and artists and their real world counter-personages.

    Greyhawk Meta-Text Onomastics
    By: tzelios
    Used with Permission. Do not repost without obtaining prior permission from the author.

    1. Calendar Translation Rule
    The canonic calendar translation rule is the one adopted by the Living Greyhawk Journal, i.e.,

    CY = AC – 1410

    2. Anagrammatic Onomastics
    Gary Gygax, the creator of our game, extensively anagrammatised the names of his players to create NPC names and toponyms. Out of these anagrams only few authors were identified:

    Brian Blume -> Blemu (after whom Blemu Hills were named)
    Gary Ernie Gygax -> Zagig Yragerne
    Gygaxian -> Gigantic (after Gigantos, one of Zagig`s theonyms)
    Robert Kuntz -> Tzunk (this metanym can be safely used only for certain arcane or planar works of the author), Robilar
    Len Lakofka -> Leomund
    Darlene Pekul -> Ekul (a Suel cartographer)
    Jim Ward -> Drawmij

    Artist Erol Otus anagrammatised his name to become a drow artist:

    Erol Otus -> Ool Eurts

    Allan Grohe, a.k.a. Grodog, was the first to translate an Earth Greyhawk text to its corresponding meta-text. In his article “Artifacts of Oerth: B-Sides and Errata,” Grodog translated “The Adventure Begins” by Roger Moore to “On the Beginnings of Adventures” by Rorge Nilag. For this translation Grodog used Moore's original name, which is Galin. Thus, we have Grodog’s rule:

    The title is changed to reproduce the same meaning with the original title, and the author’s name is anagrammatised.

    Even though Grohe neglected Moore’s canonic meta-name (which is Rogar of Mooria faculty of GIANT (Greyhawk Institute for Adventurous Neophyte Training)), his rule, as simple as it was, strengthened the anagrammatic onomastics. In LGJ #4 describing the Great Library, Mona created a new anagrammatic translation, from Rose Estes to Estarius Roses. After them I have used the onomatopoeia “Lively Greyhawk: a Gazetteer” for “Living Greyhawk Gazetteer.”

    Therefore we have more translations:

    Roger Moore -> Rogar of Mooria, Rorge Nilag
    Rose Estes -> Estarius Roses
    Living Greyhawk Gazetteer -> Lively Greyhawk: a Gazetteer

    Note that the whole body of the Gygaxian works exists in the secret vaults of the Great Library, in the special Zagig Yragerne section (see more in LGJ #4).

    3. Iquandrian Onomastics
    Eric Mona introduced an indirect onomatopoetic rule, which adds flavor and limits triviality. In LGJ #4, Mona linked the company product code with the volume number of the meta-text in the Great Library. Thus, instead of using for once more anagrammatism, he described the Castle Greyhawk (WG7) product as known by its volume number, which is 9222.

    4. The Exception of the Fundamental Greyhawk Source
    Few could possibly disagree that the most basic source on Greyhawk is the ’83 boxed set. Inside it there exist two books, “A Guide to the World of Greyhawk” and “Glossography.” In the Glossography, it is explained that the Guide, authored by the Savant Sage, was discovered by adventurers almost four centuries after its publication, and examined by Pluffet Smedger the Elder. It was the third part of a seven-volume, entitled “Catalogue of the Land Flanaess, being the Eastern Portion of the Continent Oerik, of Oerth.” Smedger compiled the Glossography related to the Guide in 998 CY. From the timeline inside the Guide we know that it was completed in 576 CY. Therefore we have the exception to the anagrammatic onomastics and to the calendar translation rule:

    Gary Gygax, A Guide to the World of Greyhawk -> Savant Sage, homonymous, 576 CY

    Gary Gygax, Glossography -> Pluffet Smedger the Elder, homonymous, 998 CY

    Evidently, one living in 593 CY cannot use as reference the Glossography in a straightforward manner, since it is written some four centuries later. However, there are still two ways to use the Glossography indirectly. The first way is by borrowing the book from Murlynd`s abode, inside Castle Greyhawk. This way requires a read languages spell. The second way is by accessing the secret special Zagig Yragerne section of the Great Library. This way does not require a read languages spell.

    If the Guide is authored by Savant Sage, then ’80 folio is also authored by Savant Sage, since not much has changed in the text. Therefore, these two can be considered as different editions of the same text. The folio is three years prior to the boxed set, therefore we have the translation:

    Gary Gygax, The World of Greyhawk Gazetteer -> Savant Sage, A Guide to the World of Greyhawk, the 573 CY edition

    5. The Arbitrary Translations
    The following arbitrary translations were canonised, after their use by designers of the industry:

    Eric Mona -> Iquander
    Gary Holian -> Pluffet Smedger
    Steve Wilson -> Finnobhar Aodhin

    Note that Pluffet Smedger is not the same person with Pluffet Smedger the Elder. The former lived at the end of the magical epoch of Oerth, while the later lived some four centuries after.

    6. Descriptive Onomastics
    It has been seen that Iquandrian onomastics maintain anagrammatism minimal for good. If an author keeps translating all the texts to their corresponding meta-texts using Grodog`s rule, then a highly complex translation table will be derived. This increased complexity lacks elegance, and in parallel makes difficult for authors to remember and use the correct translations. Therefore, it is advisable that authors use only the already created meta-texts by anagrammatism and Grodog`s rule, as well as the exception of the fundamental Greyhawk text, and any arbitrary translations that have been established up to date. For the rest of the texts, an author can use the Iquandrian onomastics and/or the calendar translation rule together with descriptive onomastics. For example, lets try to translate the 2000 D&D Gazetteer and the first edition Dungeon Masters Guide:

    D&D Gazetteer -> a concise prepublication of “Lively Greyhawk: a Gazetteer” ascribed the volume number 11742,

    or simply,

    -> the concise prepublication of “Lively Greyhawk: a Gazetteer” (590 CY)

    Dungeon Masters Guide, 1e -> an early Zagig text on how to become a dungeon master (whatever this might mean)


    Key Words: Names, Onomastics, Onomatopoeia.

    "
     
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    Re: Greyhawk Meta-Text Onomastics (Score: 1)
    by Tamerlain (Maret Niall@IfoundedGreyhawkCity.com) on Tue, November 18, 2003
    (User Info | Send a Message)
    Tzelios...nicely done!

    Note that Roger created another anagramatic name, Maret Nial (founder of Greyhawk City) from Tamerlain, my screen name from AOL.

    This might allow for the creation of a new subcategory under Anagramatic Onomastics in the Roger of Mooria section : Anagrams created from screen-names or "Anagramatic Teleonoma Onomastics." Another example of this is Ponjes the Bull for BluSponge, co-founder of the Council of Greyhawk, and co-initiator of the Oerth Journals...Roger also memorialized Tom as Omt the Hairy. Poor Tom ;)

    The term "Teleonoma" should probably reflect Oerthian technology as opposed to modern electronic technology and so should be known in normal Greyhawkian Parlance as "Nom de Orb," replacing our screen technology with the prevalent scrying device of the period. There are few other instances of this in Moorian work, but to my knowledge, I'm the only WotC/Greyhawk affiliated individual that was so treated.

    In all other ways, this sub-section adheres to the general rule of Anagramatic Onomastics laid down by Gygaxian tradition and adhered to, even if in expanded fashion, by later Moorian efforts.

    Steve Wilson/Tamerlain/Finnobhar Aodhin/Maret Nial



    Re: Greyhawk Meta-Text Onomastics (Score: 1)
    by Tzelios (b_steelio@hotmail.com) on Thu, November 20, 2003
    (User Info | Send a Message)
    Thanks for the comment, it was quite an enlightenment.

    Rich gave me a bunch of more anagrams, maybe a second part can be generated in the process.

    Still I cannot find Frank Mentzer and Carl Sargent.

    tzelios


    ]


    Re: Greyhawk Meta-Text Onomastics (Score: 1)
    by Delglath on Sat, January 22, 2005
    (User Info | Send a Message | Journal)
    What is the point of this article?



    Re: Greyhawk Meta-Text Onomastics (Score: 1)
    by Tzelios on Sat, January 22, 2005
    (User Info | Send a Message)
    The point of this article, as written in the teaser, is to help on one hand new writers use correct (canon) anagrammatic translations when writing Greyhawk texts in character, i.e., from inside Greyhawk (which to my taste is the coolest way to write a Greyhawk text).

    On the hand, it helps readers to completely understand such written-in-character texts.

    Hence, the article in general promotes the writing-in-character style. It was also the bases for writing the Greyhawk Content of the Coloring Album article (http://www.canonfire.com/cfhtml/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=547&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0).

    Is it clear, Delglath?


    ]



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