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Loved that pun from Baudolino by Umberto Eco: "I know, Master Niketas, that the center of the universe is your city here, but the world is vaster than your empi
by omazurov 9y ago
Loved that pun from Baudolino by Umberto Eco:
"I know, Master Niketas, that the center of the universe is your city here, but the world is vaster than your empire, and there's even Ultima Thule and the land of Hibernians. True, compared to Constantinople, Rome is a pile of ruins and Paris is a muddy village, but even there something happens every now and then. In many vast, vast regions of the world people don't speak Greek, and there are those who, when they want to agree with something, say, oc."
"Oc?"
"Oc."
"Strange. But do go on."
- schoen 9y ago> Paris is a muddy village https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lutetia#Etymology https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lutetia#Etymology
- gpvos 9y agoWould the old Celtic root luto-/luteuo- (marsh, swamp) mentioned there be related to Latin lutum (mud, loam, sand, dust)?
- jxub 9y agoIn Spanish lodo is mud, it looks more similar to the Celtic word to me. Interesting.
- henriquemaia 9y agoWell, in tandem with Spanish, we also say it like that in Portuguese. But I always take it to mean sludge, not just any mud. For plain mud, we use the more common word lama.