I HATE the term GISH

[Shemeska]

I was down with them when they were still underground, you know what I'm saying

even if it does come from a Githyanki example of a fighter/mage character, and thus its sheer unintuitive nature demands that you either be in on the jargon-joke or left scratching your head in the uncool crowd.

I'd be really surprised if even a fraction of the folks in the character op crowd that were tossing gish around had any idea of the origin of the term in terms of githyanki society. It might be a jargon-joke and cool term, so to speak, but I doubt its origins are understood by most of the folks using in outside of its intended context.

 

[RichGreen]

Hi,

Never heard this term used in this way until I read this thread. Don't suppose I will again so I'm not that arsed to be honest. Been playing since 1980 and I'm 39.

Cheers


Richard

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Yeah, I think in a Planescape game, it's ironically less likely to be used casually, since the word has a specific, precise meaning.

 

[gamecat]

A rose by any other name...

What's the big deal, really?

 

[blargney the second]

A bit of EN World trivia:
Impeesa was the first person to misuse the term on these boards.

 

[Umbran]

Gish is a term that exists on the internet. It has no majesty...

Yes. Note that the internet also spawned the term "blog". Ugly word.

"Blogging" sounds like what an orc does when he eats too much rancid yak fat before going on a sea voyage. It sure ain't majestic

 

[Cam Banks]

Yes. Note that the internet also spawned the term "blog". Ugly word.

Yes, which comes from "web log." Not "mysterious process used by the Znertran Ascendacy in the Fifth Dimension to periodically update their vast audience of crooms and sleebs with accounts of their mighty deeds."

Cheers,
Cam

 

[Maggan]

Since we are talking about Githyanki here then why "gish" instead of the more logical "gith"

I guess we'd have to ask the people behind the first editions Fiend Folio where the word "gish" came from. I'd wager a guess that it was the creator of the monster who coined the word, and as to why it's "gish" and not "gith" ... well, I wouldn't be too surprised to find out that the githyanki creator had forgotten the reason behind it all.

/M

 

[Umbran]

Yes, which comes from "web log."

The point was about internet-spawned terminology lacking majesty, not about etymology.

 

[Umbran]

and as to why it's "gish" and not "gith" ... well, I wouldn't be too surprised to find out that the githyanki creator had forgotten the reason behind it all.

I think the reason is simple - "Gith" was a particular individual in the race's mythology. A terribly important person. It'd be like referring to all US military personnel as "Washingtons". More than a bit presumptive.