What does the word "Vorpal" come from?

[Felix]

The Jabberwocky is by far my all time favorite poem. Memorized it for English class back in 8th grade and I can still spit it out.

Do any of you know the Black Adder series? In one episode Edmund Blackadder is talking to Dr. Johnson, who was at the time writing his Dictionary of the English Language. The conversation began like this...

Blackadder: Dr. Johnson, I would like to offer you my sincerest contrafibularities.

Dr. Johnson: Your what??? *scribbles quickly in his manuscript*

Anybody know the rest of the scene? Brilliant use of made-up words.

 

[jester47]

The book "A Meaning for Everything" talks not only about the creation of the OED, but also how words are entered into what is commonly known as the "Lexicon" of the English language. (Or maybe I am using Lexicon in a new way or made it up... whatever) Anyways, in that book Simon Winchester makes the point that the English Language is the fastest growing language on the planet. And he also points out how Italian and French are contained and carefully regulated. Thus English is expanding at an alarming rate (with speakers and words) while those two languages seem to be on a decline. This he statesis because english by its nature allows for new words to be added and made up whereas other languages do not.

Interesting.

 

[orsal]

Hmm. I'm only a 2nd year student of German, but why did they translate brillig as brillich, when so many German adjectives end in -ig anyway?

...or was it adverbs?
--Jeff

Well, it wasn't supposed to be a generic adjective. It's a portmanteau word, from "brilliant"+"light". (I don't recall whether we have Dodgson's own word on this or just the theories of critics, and I don't have my Annotated Alice readily available.)

Think "-ich":"licht"::"-ig":"light"

And I think it's a noun rather than an adjective, as in the time of day (late afternoon).

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Well...

All this because I happened to like Alice in Wonderland, so made the most potent D&D game sword a Vorpal Blade!

Seems a good thing I refrained from making up words like I enjoy doing for SF material.

Cheers,
Gary

 

[MerricB]

Well...

All this because I happened to like Alice in Wonderland, so made the most potent D&D game sword a Vorpal Blade!

Seems a good thing I refrained from making up words like I enjoy doing for SF material.

Cheers,
Gary

We have enough fun determining the derivation of the Greyhawkian and Artefactian names, Gary. No need for more, really!

Recorder of Ye'Cind, indeed! Next you know there'll be a Harp of Cirrem. (Oh wait... there is one in my game... )

Cheers!

 

[Forlorn]

Jabberwocky in German

Es brillig war. Die schlichte Toven
Wirrten und wimmelten in Waben;
Und aller-mümsige Burggoven
Die mohmen Räth' ausgraben

Bewahre doc vor Jammerwoch!
Die Zähne knirschen, Krallen kratzen!
Bewahr' vor Jubjub--Vogel, vor
Frumiösen Banderschnätzchen!

Er griff sein vorpals Schwertchen zu,
Er suchte lang das manscham' Ding;
Dann, stehend unten Tumtum Baum,
Er an-zu-denken-fing.

Als stand er tief in Andacht auf,
Des Jammerwochen's Augen-feuer
Durch tulgen Wald mit wiffek kam
Ein burbelnd uhgeheuer!

Eins, Zwei! Eins, Zwei! Und durch und durch
Sein vorpals Schwert zerschnifer-schnück,
Da blieb es todt! Er, Kopf in Hand,
Geläumfig zog zurück.

Und schlugst Du ja den Jammerwoch?
Umarme mich, mien Böhm' sches Kind!
O Freuden-Tag! O Halloo-Schlag!
Er chortelt froh-gesinnt.

Es brillig war. Die schlichte Toven
Wirrten und wimmelten in Waben;
Und aller-mümsige Burggoven
Die mohmen Räth' ausgraben

 

[Staffan]

Now the mantle of Word Creation has passed on to "rap artists"

And Joss Whedon.

 

[orsal]

Well...

All this because I happened to like Alice in Wonderland, so made the most potent D&D game sword a Vorpal Blade!

Cheers,
Gary

Years ago I thought of making up a monster called the Jabberwock. I don't think I ever got around to the details, but the idea was that the Vorpal Weapon would be particularly effective against Jabberwocks.

 

[Tarril Wolfeye]

Well I always liked the german translation by Hans-Magnus Enzensberger.
He made up much more german-sounding nonsense words, but I just can't find it anymore.

I found it! Thanks be to the Internet

(found on jabberwocky.de)

Der Zipferlake

(Christian Enzensberger)

Verdaustig war's, und glaße Wieben
rotterten gorkicht im Gemank.
Gar elump war der Pluckerwank,
und die gabben Schweisel frieben.

»Hab acht vorm Zipferlak, mein Kind!
Sein Maul ist beiß, sein Griff ist bohr.
Vorm Fliegelflagel sieh dich vor,
dem mampfen Schnatterrind.«

Er zückt' sein scharfgebifftes Schwert,
den Feind zu futzen ohne Saum,
und lehnt' sich an den Dudelbaum
und stand da lang in sich gekehrt.

In sich gekeimt, so stand er hier,
da kam verschnoff der Zipferlak
mit Flammenlefze angewackt
und gurgt' in seiner Gier.

Mit Eins! und Zwei! und bis auf's Bein!
Die biffe Klinge ritscheropf!
Trennt' er vom Hals den toten Kopf,
und wichernd sprengt' er heim.

»Vom Zipferlak hast uns befreit?
Komm an mein Herz, aromer Sohn!
Oh, blumer Tag! Oh, schlusse Fron!«
So kröpfte er vor Freud'.

Verdaustig war's, und glaße Wieben
rotterten gorkicht im Gemank.
Gar elump war der Pluckerwank,
und die gabben Schweisel frieben.

 

[cildarith]

Years ago I thought of making up a monster called the Jabberwock. I don't think I ever got around to the details, but the idea was that the Vorpal Weapon would be particularly effective against Jabberwocks.

The Jabberwock was done years ago. In Dragon #54.

You can find a conversion of it here: http://www.enworld.org/cc/converted/pdf/aberration/jabberwock.pdf